Datan hyödyntäminen alihankintaverkostoissa

In manufacturing companies in particular, this has led to a sharp increase in the amount of data. This has brought with it significant new potential and today data is one of the pillars of competitiveness.

The ability of companies to use data in their business varies significantly. The majority of companies only use data generated by their own processes, and the quality of their own data is therefore essential for the development of their business. In addition to in-house data, external data is also needed to streamline existing processes, innovate and increase competitiveness.

The same is true for companies operating in subcontracting networks, as so far little or no use is made of data generated by others. This means that the data potential of the entire network is also being missed. By developing the use of data generated by subcontractor networks across company borders, it is possible to develop the competitiveness and competitive edge that companies need over other international players. It is therefore essential that the data shared in subcontracting networks is structured in the right way, shared according to commonly agreed rules, in a timely manner and in a secure manner.

At present, SMEs in particular lack the necessary understanding and know-how of the possibilities and methods of using data and the opportunities and benefits of data sharing. There is a need to provide empirical and sufficiently practical information to raise awareness among businesses and other actors.

The project will develop pilot cases of development needs related to data exploitation, which will serve as the raw material for the content of the development work to be carried out and as examples of how data can be exploited beyond organisational boundaries. The pilots will be used to develop models for data sharing and the use of shared data in a subcontracting network. In addition, the project will disseminate the knowledge gained from the measures on the potential of data exploitation in subcontracting networks to companies and other organisations in the region and increase cooperation and networking between higher education institutions in the field of data analytics and artificial intelligence.

Information on the underlying needs and the current situation of companies has been gathered in previous projects in the regions of Central Finland, Satakunta and South Ostrobothnia. The most recent of these is the VauhtiData project, which has created a snapshot of the capacity of manufacturing companies to use and share data.

The project will achieve the following performance objectives:

Objective 1: Alternative ways of using data in the supply chain have been identified and piloted.

Objective 2: The ability of the subcontracting network to exploit production data is increased and a subcontracting network data exploitation policy is developed and implemented.

Objective 3: Increased awareness of companies on the secure sharing and use of data in subcontracting networks.

Objective 4: Universities' understanding of the use of data in subcontracting networks has increased their ability to jointly support the growth and renewal of enterprises in their areas of activity, as well as RDI and skills development.

The project is implemented as a group project by Institute of Information Technology of Jyväskylä UAS and Satakunta UAS during 10/2025-12/2027.