Europe and its manufacturing industries stand at a crossroads. As highlighted in the Draghi Report (September 9th, 2024), we face significant challenges in regaining our global competitiveness. The report emphasizes the urgent need for innovation, particularly through advanced technologies and industrial strategies. Among its key recommendations is the adoption of Industry 5.0, which fosters collaboration between human expertise and emerging technologies like AI. The goal is to create more sustainable, resilient, and efficient manufacturing systems. Industry 5.0 envisions an environment where AI doesn’t merely automate tasks but works alongside humans to enhance productivity and decision-making. This vision aligns with Europe’s strategic objectives, offering a pathway to modernize industrial processes while promoting sustainability and human-centered approaches.
One of the most significant hurdles in achieving this vision is the fragmentation of data. Even in highly automated systems, data often exists in silos—locked within proprietary platforms, legacy equipment, or isolated IoT systems. Automated processes generate their own data streams, but these streams rarely communicate effectively. The result? A fractured landscape that complicates efforts to apply AI meaningfully.
At the same time, many critical manufacturing processes rely heavily on manual work, where data is sparse, sometimes inconsistent, or even in cases entirely absent. Take, for example, Meyer Turku, the Finnish shipyard renowned for constructing the world’s largest luxury cruise ships. Each vessel, from design to delivery, takes over three years to complete and involves thousands of workers and tens of subcontractors. The outcome’s quality depends on craftspeople—designers, welders, and other experts—bringing decades of experience to their tasks. This expertise is invaluable but difficult to digitize. I remember still well, when I went one night as a young acoustician with my acoustic camera to measure noise transmission to the M/S Viking Grace, still under construction. They had a team of experts dedicated to noise and vibration, and I can tell they took those issues quite seriously and professionally. The process of building a ship generates massive amounts of data, which could be transformative if properly integrated and reused. If the products delivered by Meyer Turku are already masterpieces of well-coordinated engineering, what could they get done with the extra help of AI?
That dual challenge—handling unstructured data from automated systems and other data from manual processes—is compounded by the complexity of projects like those at Meyer Turku. Subcontractors often use their own systems or lack standardization, creating further barriers to data integration. Yet, this challenge is not unique to shipbuilding. It extends across industries of all types and sizes. Even when data exists, the task of integrating it is monumental. Manufacturing environments are inherently dynamic, producing a mix of real-time and historical data. Real-time data from sensors and machines offers immediate insights into what is happening, while historical data provides the context needed to understand patterns and predict outcomes. Aligning these two sources is critical but far from straightforward. And so we need sophisticated AI systems capable of seamlessly integrating disparate data streams. These systems must enhance situational awareness, predict potential errors and challenges, support experts in managing complex issues, and orchestrate automated or robotic solutions to assist human operators. Achieving this requires not just technical innovation but also a shift in how data is managed, shared, and standardized.
Collaboration is key. Subcontractors and stakeholders must feel confident that sharing their data will enhance project outcomes without compromising proprietary information or expertise. Ensuring seamless data flow across such a fragmented ecosystem is as much about trust and policy as it is about technology. And I don’t mean we need to open our systems and information. Developed AI systems should work locally, handled in-house, as the only way to protect know-how. But agreements on data sharing, security, and intellectual property must become too a standard practice. Without them, even the most advanced AI models will struggle to deliver results.
And then, there is still the division between research and real-world application. Too many promising AI solutions will remain confined to laboratory settings, unable to scale or adapt to the messy realities of industrial environments. Bridging this divide demands collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers to move innovations from theory to practice. The potential of AI to transform manufacturing is clear, but the road ahead is steep. The complexity of data integration, the careful selection of algorithms, and the harmonization of human-machine collaboration require more than individual effort. These are challenges that demand collective action, sustained research, and bold innovation.
As the Draghi Report makes clear, Europe’s ability to compete in a globalized market depends on its willingness to innovate, invest, and adapt. Industry 5.0 is not just an abstract concept or a distant goal—it is a necessary step to ensure that European industries remain at the forefront of technological and economic progress. For Finland, a country with a proud history of innovation and a global reputation for technological excellence, the stakes are even higher. We cannot afford to lose momentum. The challenges ahead may seem overwhelming, and the implications for labor markets and traditional processes will undoubtedly be profound. But these realities should not deter us—they should inspire us to act. The risks of inaction are far greater. If the systems and technologies that define Industry 5.0 are developed outside of Europe, we risk becoming mere consumers of innovation, rather than its creators. That would leave us economically vulnerable and dependent on external forces and technology providers to drive the future of our industries.
This is why projects like Necoverse are so vital. They embody the collaborative spirit and forward-thinking approach that Europe and Finland must embrace. But these initiatives cannot succeed in isolation. Industry 5.0 is not just about machines or algorithms—it is about people. It is about creating technologies that amplify human creativity, make industries more sustainable, and ensure that Europe remains a leader on the global stage. By embracing this challenge together, we can build a future that honors our industrial heritage while paving the way for generations to come. Let us push forward, unafraid of the work ahead or the transformation it will bring. Let us seize the opportunity to lead in the next great industrial revolution. Let us ensure that Europe and Finland remain front-runners of innovation in an increasingly competitive and changing world. The path forward is clear, but it requires commitment. Let us ensure that Europe and Finland stay at the top of innovation in an increasingly competitive and changing world. Let’s do that together. Welcome to Necoverse.