Breaking the mould

A complete product can be worked from a new idea in the car industry, for example, without making a separate mould. This can be done by using casting software developed by the Finnish company Simtech Systems. The program speeds up the product development process and reduces product development costs considerably.

"The more complicated the model, the more the program saves time and money," says Matti Sirviö, the CEO at Simtech.

Generally, when a new product is being developed, a model is made for the mould from wood, plastic or metal. From four to eight weeks are spent on the production and from 20,000 to a million euros. With the software a model can be made in a few days.

The award was made to the software for being the best technology transfer project for this year by the European IRC network (Innovation Relay Centres) in Brussels at the end of June.

Four golds in vocational skills world championships

Finland exceeded the set targets at Worldskills 2005 Helsinki, which was held in May. The Finnish team won four golds, one silver, three bronze and 17 diplomas.

"Finland is the fourth-most skilful country in the world in the industrial and service skills that were represented at the championships," says Timo Lankinen, the chairman of the Skills Finland board.

The Finns did best in plumbing, industrial control, floristry and transport technology. Silver came in painting and decorating and bronze in electrical installation, hairdressing and IT P/C Network Support.

The best countries in the championships were Switzerland (5+7+6+10), Korea (3+8+5+15) and Germany (4+4+2+11). Taking part in the event were 696 competitors and 636 experts. There were 39 key trades and technologies. The next world championships will be held in Japan in 2007.

Mobile phone tells calories

A project coordinated by VTT has developed a communications service linked with consumer packaging that uses a camera mobile phone and the Internet. It shows the energy and nutritional values of foods, provides its users with a food diary and exercise meter, and makes it possible to compare products anytime, anywhere. The service also contains product searches and nutritional guidelines.

The product information on foods in a shop can be picked directly onto a mobile phone from the bar codes on the packaging. The service can be used at home via the Internet on a microcomputer. Somebody using the exercise meter can check how often he or she must perform a certain keep-fit exercise so that the system will burn off food that has been eaten.

The pilot system was developed with an eye on two consumer groups - weightwatchers and those with lactose intolerance - but it can be expanded to any consumer group whatsoever.

>> www.vtt.fi/tivik

Playing pleasure on an intelligent floor

VTT has developed playing that is based on moving on floor tiles fitted with a sensor. It combines the traditional playground, new technology, innovations and interactive applications. Participation in the games involves self-movement.

The concept applies signal processing and sensor and software technology. As far as the user is concerned, the user interface functions as naturally as what he or she is used to when interacting with different everyday things.

The system was implemented in the UbiPlay project, which VTT coordinated and which developed and did research into playing and learning environments of the future.

>> www.vtt.fi

12 million euros for nanotechnology

The first 15 research projects in the National Technology Agency of Finland's (Tekes) FinnNano technology programme were chosen in June. Tekes will be financing the projects with a total of 12 million euros over a period of three years.

The projects will focus on nanostructured materials and new solutions in nanoelectronics. The research groups are internationally networked and cooperate closely with companies.

"In selecting the research projects we laid emphasis on the exploitability of the results. The projects that have received funding will create new information and at the same time strengthen the expertise that is already in Finland. We're hoping that the choices will provide the ingredients for regenerating our industry," says Markku Lämsä, a technology expert at Tekes.

Tekes's five-year FinNano technology programme, which was started in 2005, is researching, utilizing and commercializing structures and phenomena on a nanometre scale. The total budget for the technology programme is 70 million euros.

>> www.tekes.fi/ohjelmat/finnano

Habbo Hotel the best online entertainment

Sulake Corporation Oy's Habbo Hotel game concept is making a name for itself. Users chose Habbo Hotel out of a group of 275 competitors as Spain's best online entertainment.

The competition was organized by the Spanish Association of Internet Users (AUI). The Finnish innovation was commended for its functionality, community-orientation and understanding of youth culture in many countries.

>> www.sulake.com

A mobile phone supports the consumer now with healthy diets.