Location Innovation Hub
The Location Innovation Hub (LIH) is a European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) and a centre of expertise for location information and technology.
LIH supports companies and public sector organisations in developing their operations, digital capabilities, and innovation potential. Operating through a broad partner network, LIH provides access to expertise, collaboration opportunities, and services that help organisations make better use of location-based data and emerging technologies.
University of Turku as a partner in LIH
The University of Turku (UTU) in the LIH project helps turn location-based data and technologies into practical innovations that support business growth and discoveries of innovative solutions with sustainability impacts. We focus on supporting businesses based on the wide utilisation of global and local open geospatial data, digital tools, and location technologies by companies, public organisations, and communities.
Our core expertise includes:
- Geospatial applications – using maps, Earth observation data, participatory mapping data, and other location-based information to understand places, people, and integrated human-nature systems. Our core applied expertise is on urbanisation, green transition, biodiversity, and digital twins on water.
- Open geospatial data and digital technologies – finding, combining, and applying open data sources to create new digital services, products, and insights.
- Applied GeoAI methods – using artificial intelligence and machine learning together with location data to automate analysis and support smarter decisions, particularly Earth observation, other geospatial data, and spatio-temporal analysis
- Innovation mentoring and coaching – helping SMEs and other partners turn ideas into pilots and solutions through challenge camps, workshops, and hands-on guidance.
The UTU core team for LIH brings together experts from the Department of Geography and Geology (Faculty of Science) and the Department of Computing (Faculty of Technology).
UTU’s LIH activity focus areas
Chat with a Pro is a matchmaking instrument linking companies, organisations, and UTU experts to explore ideas, technologies, and collaboration opportunities through low-threshold discussions. For researchers, this opens up pathways to collaboration, visibility, and real-world impact. For companies and partners, Chat with a Pro provides accessible entry points to academic expertise and the opportunity to explore and develop new solutions based on geospatial data and technologies.
Geospatial Challenge Camp (GCC) is a 3-month-long challenge-based learning course that aims to provide participants with a chance to tackle relevant real-world challenges in cross-disciplinary teams. During the camp, young researchers co-create digital innovative solutions and prototypes and work in close collaboration with their peers, mentors, and stakeholders to design impact-driven solutions that could have sustainability impacts for the users of the solution and for society at large. GCC is a skills development and innovation service of Geoportti Research Infrastructure, the Location Innovation Hub, Finnish universities, and CSC - IT Center for Science.
We co-organise regional geospatial events and networking opportunities together with companies and regional actors in Southwest Finland. The events aim to bring together companies, public sector organisations, researchers, and students working with geospatial data and location technologies. An important partner for these regional events is Lounaistieto, which is a regional information service in Southwest Finland. Lounaistieto maintains statistical analysis, maps, and open data services, among others.
University of Turku experts and research groups are available for contract research and development cooperation based on demand. For more information about the contract research, please find the contact information below.
