Over Five Million Euros in Continued Funding for the MAGICS Initiative from Research Council of Finland
MAGICS brings cutting-edge technology to six Finnish universities. It was founded in 2020 by Aalto University, Tampere University, and Uniarts Helsinki.
The MAGICS initiative has been accepted to the Research Council of Finland’s roadmap for 2025–2029. The roadmap is a strategic programme created by the Research Council of Finland to guide the development of significant research environments. Research infrastructures refer to services, equipment, facilities, and other resources that enable high-quality research.
The inclusion of the MAGICS infrastructure in the roadmap signifies its national importance and its role in supporting multidisciplinary research and innovation. The Research Council of Finland may also provide dedicated funding for the development and maintenance of infrastructures included in the roadmap.
The University of the Arts Helsinki (Uniarts Helsinki) is one of the three founding members of MAGICS. In 2024, the network was joined by the University of Lapland, Turku University of Applied Sciences, and the University of Jyväskylä.
New Opportunities for Artistic Creation
Being included in the roadmap allows for the significant expansion of the MAGICS infrastructure. MAGICS stands out on the roadmap as the only infrastructure in Finland that bridges art and science to foster new innovations.
New devices, such as mobile sensors, advanced display technologies, and multisensory solutions, open up fresh possibilities for creative work. Remote presence technologies also facilitate artistic collaboration and interaction between people in different locations. MAGICS aims to harness these opportunities and continue its strong collaboration with artists and cultural organizations.
Examples of new infrastructure investments include AI-enhanced performance spaces at Uniarts Helsinki, Aalto University’s MAGICS cinema/theater for studying collective experiences, industrial extended reality (XR) metaverse solutions at Turku University of Applied Sciences, a mobile XR studio at the University of Lapland, and XR facilities for educational research at the universities of Tampere and Jyväskylä.
Technology for Human Well-Being
The new MAGICS facilities will be accessible to academic, industrial, and societal partners. MAGICS provides opportunities for various companies and partners to utilize its unique services through joint projects, open calls, and industrial applications.
MAGICS is committed to enhancing human well-being in a future where digitalization and virtualization evolve in socially sustainable ways. With the new funding, MAGICS can launch initiatives that strengthen Finland’s position as a global leader in transformative research and artistic innovation.
For more information about MAGICS and its vision for the future, visit magics.fi.