Robocoast EDIH Consortium Wins Grand Prize at the European Digital Innovation Hubs Awards

The Robocoast EDIH consortium received the Digital Maturity Award at the EDIH Summit 2026, held in Brussels on June 9–10, 2026.

The award was granted from among more than 200 European Digital Innovation Hubs and recognizes the Robocoast EDIH consortium’s long-term efforts to promote the competitiveness and digitalization of Finnish SMEs.

Between 2022 and 2025, the Robocoast EDIH consortium provided over 3,300 free services to companies operating across Finland. Nearly 1,700 companies made use of these services. According to an impact assessment conducted in late 2025, the combined revenue of SMEs that utilized Robocoast EDIH services was as much as 40 percent higher at the end of 2024 than in the comparison year of 2021. During the same period, the number of employees at these companies increased by 27 percent. According to Statistics Finland, the turnover of Finnish SMEs grew by an average of 7.8 percent and their workforce by 4.4 percent between 2021 and 2024.

Mikko Puputti, coordinator of the Robocoast EDIH consortium, describes the recognition the consortium has received as follows:

– We are truly grateful for this award. Above all, it reflects the trust placed in the work that the entire consortium has done to enhance the competitiveness of Finnish SMEs and promote digitalization. This achievement is a great honor for us.

The European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) is a network launched by the European Commission in 2022 that covers all EU member states and consists of over 200 EDIH consortia. The EDIH network’s mission is to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) leverage artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, and other advanced digital technologies in a business-oriented manner. The EDIH consortia, supported by the European Commission, offer businesses expertise, testing environments, training, financial advice, and access to resources within the EU’s AI ecosystem.

The STEP Seal of Quality awarded by the European Commission to the Robocoast EDIH consortium in 2025 is a testament to the consortium’s strategic importance in strengthening the EU’s technological competitiveness.

The services, digital expertise, and resources of the Robocoast EDIH consortium are provided by 14 Finnish higher education institutions, 28DIGITAL, CSC, TIEKE, Dimecc, Crazy Town Oy, Savonlinnan Hankekehitys Oy, and Prizztech Oy, which also serves as the consortium’s coordinating organization.

Kokkola University Consortium Chydenius plays a central role in the Robocoast EDIH consortium and provides Robocoast EDIH services to companies operating both in the Central Ostrobothnia region and elsewhere in Finland.