Great news for Finland’s manufacturing community: the PROPE-FIM project (Enhancing Productivity and Personnel Engagement in Finnish Manufacturing) has received a positive funding decision. Born at a MAKE event in collaboration with both MAKE in Finland FAME eocsystems as well as Zero4 ecosystems, the project is designed to strengthen both operational productivity and employee engagement across the sector.
Partners: Konecranes together with Wärtsilä, TT Gaskets, Kytola Instruments, Fastems and coordinated by Aalto University. PROPE-FIM is part of the Konecranes Zero4 program.
Funding: ~€500k total, including ~€400k from Business Finland.
Why this matters
Manufacturing is a cornerstone of Finland’s economy—rooted in forestry and paper, and now spanning electronics, machinery, and advanced materials. Our strengths—quality, infrastructure, and a highly skilled workforce—are being tested by global competition, rapid technological change, and rising sustainability expectations. PROPE-FIM tackles these head-on with a practical, evidence-based approach.
What PROPE-FIM will do
Goal: Raise the productivity of Finnish manufacturing by combining benchmarking, science-based methods, workforce engagement, and technology foresight.
Expected outcomes:
- A comprehensive benchmarking analysis highlighting best practices and gaps
- Frameworks for workforce engagement and continuous improvement
- Tailored focus areas for productivity boosts in partner operations
- Scenarios for technology adoption, aligning near-term actions with long-term competitiveness
Voices from MAKE in Finland companies
- Kytola Instruments
Aim: Improve component manufacturing efficiency, deepen collaboration with assembly, and build a culture of continuous improvement with strong employee involvement in technology development. - TT Gaskets
Aim: Advance in-house performance and profitability measurement. The project enables benchmarking, knowledge sharing, and co-learning to validate and refine our approach. - Wärtsilä
Aim: Focus on assembly line performance—especially value-added time. Priorities include benchmarking, engaging people for continuous improvement, and flow efficiency, closely linked to the rewarding system.
Timeline & next steps
- Start: Early September 2025
- End: February 2028
We will share progress updates and publish practical takeaways for all MAKE partners—with an emphasis on tools, templates, and case examples that others can apply.
Get in touch
Contact Mika Salmi at mika.salmi@aalto.fi.
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