The ProDigy project sought to investigate the underlying reasons for the low level of productivity in the Satakunta region. The project also aimed to identify key areas for improving productivity through data-driven solutions. As a case example, it examined the use of digital twins in the maritime industry.
The project generated new knowledge to strengthen Satakunta’s smart specialisation, enhance regional productivity and bolster competitiveness in line with the green transition of industry. The underlying premise was that the use of artificial intelligence and data analytics in industrial value networks provides concrete means for achieving more sustainable and efficient industrial production.
The project was organised into two mutually reinforcing components. The macroeconomic component analysed statistical and firm-level data to identify the causes of Satakunta’s weak productivity performance and related development needs. The micro-level component examined, in practical terms, the opportunities, bottlenecks and barriers of digitalisation in companies, as well as the decision-making dilemmas associated with digital transformation.
Digital twin
Within the project, a generic ship and environment model was designed and developed. The case example was chosen from the maritime industry, which is strategically important for Satakunta. The design process highlighted in detail both technical and organisational challenges. It made concrete how demanding industrial digitalisation is as a process: it requires, at the same time, meticulous attention to detail and a long-term vision in planning and implementation that takes into account different stakeholders and business functions.
The results and insights from the design of the generic ship model have been compiled in a GitLab repository (in Finnish, link to page).
Results and perspectives
The project’s analytical findings and recommendations have been consolidated into a five-article publication (in Finnish, with an English summary; see reference below).
1. The transformation of work, the challenges of assessing labour productivity and the new opportunities arising from the digitalisation of societies.
Jari Kaivo-oja examines the transformation of work, digitalisation and the challenges of measuring productivity, with a particular focus on intangible capital, competences and data. He reviews key theoretical frameworks (including KLEMS and Brynjolfsson’s productivity paradox) and demonstrates why traditional measures of labour productivity are no longer sufficient in an increasingly digital economy. Policy recommendations include launching a regional productivity programme, introducing hybrid indicators for productivity assessment, increasing investment in research, development and innovation, and creating digital capability programmes for the SME sector. Other recommendations are reforming the region’s education system and accelerating digitalisation in the public sector.
2. Productivity analyses for Satakunta.
Jarmo Vehmas analyses labour productivity developments in Satakunta by sector in the post-financial-crisis period, comparing them with developments in the rest of Finland. Using decomposition analysis, changes in gross value added are broken down into components such as labour productivity, employment, hours worked and demographic change, and sectors are identified where productivity has improved or deteriorated. The results underline, in particular, the role of demographic trends, shorter working hours and weak productivity performance in certain key sectors, as well as the need for better regional indicators to measure the effects of digitalisation.
3. Satakunta business profiling.
Drawing on 2024 company-level data, Jarmo Vehmas develops profiles of Satakunta’s business structure for two groups: the region’s “strongest” companies and its growth start-ups. The analysis uses business register data (including location, sector, staff numbers, turnover and firm age). The results show that both strong companies and growth start-ups are heavily concentrated in low-productivity sectors, while high-productivity sectors are relatively under-represented, particularly among growth firms. This raises questions about the quality of regional growth and how public support and private investment could be better directed towards companies that harness opportunities in high productivity and digitalisation.
4. Digitalisation in companies and digital twins in the maritime industry: opportunities, obstacles and dilemmas.
Anne Erkkilä-Välimäki, Hanna Lakkala, Jani Heikkinen and Päivikki Kuoppakangas provide a practice-oriented discussion based on company interviews. The article examines how firms in Satakunta and actors in the maritime industry perceive digitalisation and the introduction of digital twins, drawing on interview data and the existing literature. The analysis identifies key drivers of digitalisation (such as servitisation, automation and real-time data analytics) as well as major bottlenecks, including fragmented information and system environments, poor data quality, skills gaps and uncertainty about the profitability of investments. Using dilemma analysis, the article maps tensions between strategic clarity, ecosystem collaboration, modular architectures and employee involvement, and puts forward recommendations for managing the transition to data-driven services in a controlled and balanced way.
5. Integrating human factors and user experience into digital twins of ships: a literature review-based perspective and practical recommendations.
This article examines the integration of human factors and user experience (UX) into the design of ship digital twins. The authors, Rida Kamal and Jani Heikkinen, investigate key dimensions such as cognitive load, situational awareness, and the differing requirements of user groups including designers, shipowners, and crew members. They present a digital twin architecture implementing the “one model – multiple views” approach, which aims to enhance usability and adaptability across stakeholder roles. Recommendations emphasize designing digital twins to support diverse operational scenarios and to optimize collaboration and decision-making for all ship-related user groups.
Reference
Erkkilä-Välimäki, A., Kuoppakangas, P., & Haukioja, T. (eds.). (2025). Tuottavuudella ja digitalisaatiolla kestävää kilpailukykyä. Turun yliopiston kauppakorkeakoulun Porin yksikön julkaisu A57:2025. 174 pp. Turun yliopisto. https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0460-0
Project implementation
The ProDigy project (A80028) was implemented by the Pori Unit of Turku School of Economics at the University of Turku and the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering in the Faculty of Technology. The project ran from April 2023 to November 2025. It received funding from the Regional Council of Satakunta through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the Innovation and Skills in Finland 2021−2027 programme.
Further information
Päivikki Kuoppakangas, Turku School of Economics, Pori Unit, paivikki.kuoppakangas@utu.fi