Oulu showcases autonomous vehicles designed for warfare

Oulu companies demonstrated autonomous vehicles and other technologies for military use, as Finnish businesses seek to bring civilian expertise into the defence sector, Yle reports.

Autonomous and remotely controlled systems could become common in Western armed forces in less than 10 years, says Rainer Peltoniemi, a retired colonel and senior defence adviser at Sisu Auto. Individual devices could be introduced within five years, while integrating a full system with human-machine cooperation may take longer, though probably less than a decade. The timing depends on when decisions are made, he said.

The war in Ukraine has highlighted the difficulty of supporting troops in so-called kill zones without putting personnel at risk. Sisu Auto and partner companies demonstrated potential solutions in Oulu in the last week of October, combining tactical communications, positioning systems, drone protection and unmanned vehicles.

Oulu firms turn civilian technology to defence

Business Oulu has introduced Base Aurora, a concept that includes a high-tech testing laboratory focused particularly on the Oulu Zone and a shared brand. It aims to bring together local businesses and researchers with international buyers, including armed forces and NATO countries.

Reliable wireless data transmission and communications are among the region’s strengths, says Jussi Leponiemi, an account manager. Civilian technologies are now being adapted for defence, he said. Dozens of companies in the Oulu region generate significant revenue from the defence industry, which has multiplied in size over the past couple of years. At least 40 related job vacancies have been identified.

Companies with a traditional focus on civilian markets also see opportunities in defence. Esa Kymäläinen of Novatron said machine control can serve both civilian and military purposes. In infrastructure construction, machine control is used in more than 90 per cent of projects in the Nordic countries, compared with 20 to 30 per cent in central Europe, he said.

Machine control acts as a digital navigation system for earthmoving equipment. In civilian use, satellite data and sensors help operators determine where to dig or level ground with centimetre-level precision.

Kymäläinen said cooperation between universities and companies is key to Finnish export success. Leponiemi predicted that the Oulu region could have hundreds of small and medium-sized businesses in defence industry supply chains within 10 years.

A simulation environment built around Finnish company Varjo’s virtual reality headsets has been under development since spring. The company is working with the Finnish Defence Forces.