An important factor behind the Nordic success in digitalisation, is the long-term work on secure and trustworthy industrial IoT, known as the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). IIoT is a combination of several technologies, including smart electronic components, 5G technology and artificial intelligence.
The report “Nordic Industrial IoT Roadmap” has been developed by the Nordic University Hub on Industrial IoT, a Nordic collaboration between five Nordic universities in Finland, Sweden, Denmark and Norway. The hub is supported by NordForsk.
The report points to several areas where an investment in industrial IoT will be of great importance, including mobility and transport, energy supply and health and welfare.
One of the companies highlighted is Swedish Atlas Copco Industrial Technique AB, which develops state-of-the-art assembly tools for global markets such as the automotive, aerospace, energy and electronics industries. The trends in their industry are towards automated and more flexible production, with IoT, artificial intelligence on the edge and a holistic system approach as key elements. The development of IoT and edge applications must go hand in hand with trustworthiness and sustainability to be accepted both in industry and within society.
The strengths of Nordic co-operation
According to Paul Pop, professor at the Technical University of Denmark and one of the authors of the report, a continued Nordic leadership in the field will require more collaboration in research to create better synergies between the countries. Currently, the competence is scattered between different national environments. An important step will be to establish a joint Nordic Center doing research in trustworthy methodologies for the implementation of sustainable IIoT.
Professor Paul Pop says: “Our Nordic societies are well on their way to the green transition. There are mainly two reasons why more research on IIoT at the Nordic level is beneficial. All countries have a lot of knowledge, but limited resources, and we complement each other with expertise. Therefore, it will be very valuable to join forces to create solutions that enable a green transition for our industry and our societies.”
What is Nordic IoT Hub
The Nordic University Hub on Industrial IoT (Nordic IoT Hub) is a collaboration between:
- Technical University of Denmark
- Lund University, Sweden
- KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden
- Aalto University, Finland
- Norwegian University of Science and Technology
The hub aims to promote Nordic collaboration in Industrial IoT, which will increase the capacity of the participating organisations by creating a critical mass to facilitate the development of a world-leading Nordic research environment in Industrial IoT.
Nordic IoT Hub
The hub is a part of NordForsk’s research area "University Cooperation” programme. The overall objective is to strengthen international competitiveness and facilitate the development of world-leading Nordic research environments.
University Cooperation
The Digital Economy and Society Index
The Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) is a composite index that summarises relevant indicators on Europe’s digital performance and tracks the evolution of EU Member States in digital competitiveness.
The index is composed of five principal policy areas:
- Human Capital/Digital skills
- Use of Internet Services by citizens
- Integration of Digital Technology by businesses
- Digital Public Services
- Research and Development ICT:
Ever since the start in 2015, the Nordic countries have been at the top of the survey.
The Digital Economy and Society Index
