Helsinki XR Center awarded — Metropolia strengthens its position as a European leader in emerging technologies
Metropolia’s emerging technologies collaboration platform, Helsinki XR Center, was recognized for its contribution to developing Finland’s XR ecosystem at the first-ever MatchXR Awards gala, organized as part of the Match XR 2025 event. The award highlights Metropolia’s long-term commitment to advancing expertise and practical applications in emerging technologies.
"Developments in emerging technologies have a significant impact on Finland’s digitalisation, competitiveness, and future skills needs. The recognition given to Helsinki XR Center highlights how an ecosystem-driven collaboration, connecting companies, experts, students, and public-sector stakeholders, delivers concrete results and accelerates the growth of the field in Finland," says Antti Laurikainen, RDI Manager of Metropolia’s Emerging Technologies and Entrepreneurship unit.
Finland’s first MatchXR Awards gala celebrated XR expertise, collaboration and innovation
MatchXR Awards featured prizes in three categories: Solution of the Year, Collaborator of the Year, and XR Hall of Fame. Helsinki XR Center received the Collaborator of the Year award in recognition of its impactful and long-term work in expanding the Finnish XR ecosystem.
The award was accepted by Metropolia’s Research and Development Manager Santeri Saarinen, who emphasized the importance of collaboration for the industry’s growth:
"For us, collaboration has always been the right way forward. From the very beginning in 2019, we wanted to serve as a gateway to the Finnish XR ecosystem. Whether it has been organizing events, supporting entrepreneurs, carrying out research projects, or training the public sector in the use of emerging technologies, we have never done this alone. This recognition belongs to the entire ecosystem."
Other finalists in the category included Laura Olin, Chief of Staff at Younite AI, and the Ouluverse project coordinated by the Oulu Innovation Alliance and BusinessOulu. The jury consisted of domestic and international industry experts, including representatives from Business Finland, Epson Europe, XR4Europe and Aalto Creatives.
The Solution of the Year was awarded to DoublePoint's WowMouse, which has also been recognized on TIME magazine's Best Innovations 2025 list. The first inductee into the XR Hall of Fame was Mika Luimula, Head of Education and Research for ICT and Interactive Technologies at Turku University of Applied Sciences.
Match XR 2025 brought nearly 1 000 participants to Metropolia’s Arabia campus
Since 2017, Match XR has grown into the largest one-day event in the Nordic countries focused on extended reality, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies. This year, the event gathered nearly 1 000 participants at Metropolia’s Arabia Campus.
Helsinki XR Center has been the organizer of Match XR since its early years. This year, the event was organized by DIMECC and the Metaverse Finland ecosystem in collaboration with Business Finland, Finnish AI Region, Nokia, Younite AI, Enterprise Europe Network Finland, Helsinki XR Center, and Metropolia.
"As the main organizer, it was important for us to ensure that Match XR continues to grow and evolve together with the XR ecosystem. Bringing in DIMECC and Metaverse Finland and handing over the main organizer role to them was a natural next step to ensure continuity in the coming years," says Tiina Vuorio, Head of Unit of Helsinki XR Center.
Helsinki XR Center Supports Companies and Developers — and Builds Future Competence
Helsinki XR Center serves as Metropolia’s emerging technologies collaboration platform, through which the university integrates XR, AI and Metaverse technologies into education, strengthens RDI activities, and supports startup and developer communities. Since 2019, HXRC has collaborated with more than one hundred organizations, most of them Finnish companies, higher education institutions and public-sector actors.
Through ecosystem-driven collaboration, Metropolia provides a platform where students and experts can develop their skills in real-world projects, companies can test and scale their solutions, and new technologies can be researched and applied together with various partners. Extensive national and international network cooperation strengthens Metropolia’s role as a promoter of Finnish and global XR, AI and Metaverse expertise.
More information:
Santeri Saarinen
Research and Development Manager, Helsinki XR Center, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
santeri.saarinen [at] metropolia.fi (santeri[dot]saarinen[at]metropolia[dot]fi)
Tiina Vuorio
Head of Unit, Helsinki XR Center, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
tiina.vuorio [at] metropolia.fi (tiina[dot]vuorio[at]metropolia[dot]fi)