An example of how to connect the improvement of social sustainability with the development of new technologies

Besides environmental sustainability, being possible the most noticeable form of sustainability, also social aspects of sustainability need to be considered. A great example of a project that has been connecting advanced technologies with the contribution to social sustainability, is the RING project (active 2021-2023).

RING project has a background in the difficult economic situation of South Karelia region manifesting as poor employment and export development rates. This has been especially harmful since the South Karelian region has a strong foundation in the industrial sector and businesses. The project was highly relevant at the moment since the COVID-19 pandemic had made the situation even worse.

To improve these problems, RING aimed to develop a new, smart, digital twin technology for the needs of the local businesses while helping to create more jobs and connecting local companies to cross-regional development and international networks. These outcomes improve the livelihood of the area directly contributing to the well-being of the people.

As RING’s main objectives stated, the impact goal was to increase service export and thus compensate for the lost export revenues and jobs. Adding up, the technological goal aimed to develop the smart digital twin shaped for the needs of the companies. The primary purposes of RING were to enable the simultaneous development and application of high technology and support the companies’ technological competences with educational awareness and university collaboration with LUT University and LAB University of Applied Sciences. The previous highlight the value creation process for the parties involved.

Of course, environmental sustainability was a part of the project too since the smart digital twin allows the optimization of products, their manufacturing and use more effectively leading to even 15% smaller material use and up to 15% increase in energy efficiency. In later phases, smart digital twins can be used for preventative maintenance, optimizing the lifecycle or energy use of products and in evaluating the most profitable reuse value of the materials.

RING shows a successful example of how highly technological project can also be connected to social aspects of sustainability as its primary goal without having to compensate on the technical aspects but instead embracing them.

Image by Miikka Luotio (Unsplash.com)

For more information:

Professor: Aki Mikkola, aki.mikkola@lut.fi

Text written by: Mari Piimäkorpi