Helsinki XR Center

Helsinki XR Center The Home of Extended Reality. Supporting XR startups and European networking.

The best AI use case might be hiding in your daily frustrations. 💡Whether it’s something slowing you down at work or a s...
31/08/2026

The best AI use case might be hiding in your daily frustrations. 💡

Whether it’s something slowing you down at work or a small everyday annoyance, we’ve all had that thought: “There has to be an easier way to do this.” 🤔

👉 But what if, instead of waiting for someone else to come up with a solution, you could build it yourself?

At our September Monthly AI Meetup, Antti Akonniemi from Kisko Labs will demonstrate how he uses AI to turn recurring inconveniences into useful solutions built around real needs – not just another LLM-powered tool.

From building an AI-native company to creating ADHD-friendly tools and a personal assistant that very kindly reminds him to stop working after 5 PM, Antti will share examples of what practical AI development can look like at different scales.

You’ll leave this session with fresh ideas for spotting the friction in your daily life and tackle them with AI! 💪

Remember to sign up at aimeetup.fi!

🗓️ When: Wednesday, 9 September 2026, 17:00–19:00 (doors 16:30)
📍 Where: Helsinki XR Center, Hämeentie 135 A, 00560 Helsinki
💰Cost: Free! 🌏 Language: English

20/08/2026

Running a business in the EU? 🇪🇺

Working with AI?

Got 60 seconds? ⏰

Then keep watching! Here’s a quick breakdown of the EU AI Act, the EU’s first comprehensive law regulating artificial intelligence. 👇

💬 What is the EU AI Act?

The AI Act aims to make AI safer and more responsible while leaving room for innovation. It entered into force in 2024, with its requirements being introduced gradually. One major milestone came at the beginning of this month, when the transparency obligations started to apply.

💬 What does this mean for businesses?

Since 2 August 2026, businesses operating in EU need to disclose certain AI interactions like chatand AI-generated or manipulated content need to be clearly identified.

💬 How do I know which rules apply to my business?

The AI Act takes a risk-based approach, placing AI systems into four categories:

🔴 Unacceptable risk: AI systems used for biometric identification or social scoring are banned.

🟠 High risk: Stricter requirements apply to AI used in sensitive areas such as employment and healthcare.

🟡 Limited risk: Businesses need to clearly disclose when their customers are interacting with certain AI-generated or manipulated media and services like chatbots.

🟢 Minimal risk: Everyday AI systems, such as spam filters and grammar assistants, generally has no additional requirements.

And no, not all AI-generated content needs to be automatically labelled. Using AI for brainstorming or drafting a copy doesn’t automatically trigger transparency obligations. The regulation applies to cases where AI is used for generating or manipulating realistic media content and publishing public-interest text without any human review.

Many tech giants have already introduced measures to help users identify AI-generated content. The EU has also introduced three official icons that businesses can for communicating about the use of AI.

What does it take to move from being curious about AI to actually using it? 🤔At yesterday’s Monthly AI Meetup, we had a ...
13/08/2026

What does it take to move from being curious about AI to actually using it? 🤔

At yesterday’s Monthly AI Meetup, we had a great firechat on “AI for the Rest of Us” and the role communities can play in making AI adoption more practical for individuals and SMEs without a technical background.

We’ve put together some of the key takeaways from the conversation in this post, swipe to read what we discussed — and share your thoughts with us in the comments! 👇

A big thank you to Bambi Dang, Valto Loikkanen, and Jussi Salonen for joining us and sharing insights, and to Oscar Ramirez for moderating the conversation. 👏

The next Monthly AI Meetup will take place on September 9, don’t forget to sign up at aimeetup.fi.

Stay tuned for more info! 👀

The Monthly AI Meetup is organized by Helsinki XR Center, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Digiole, and Finnish AI Region.

Drumroll, please! 🥁Here’s the first batch of speakers for MatchXR 2026. 🔥This year’s theme, “Beyond Human Horizons”, tak...
10/08/2026

Drumroll, please! 🥁

Here’s the first batch of speakers for MatchXR 2026. 🔥

This year’s theme, “Beyond Human Horizons”, takes us to the intersection of XR, AI, robotics, and other intelligent systems.

Meet the experts joining us to explore what lies ahead and the possibilities that emerge when these emerging technologies converge:

🎤 Jeremy Dalton, XRHQ
As an XR strategist, author, and founder of XRHQ, Jeremy has spent years exploring how immersive technologies create real-world value. His live demo, Invisible Evidence, will take us through some of the most impactful XR use cases across industries — and look at how we can better capture the evidence behind them.

🌍 Michael Barngrover, XR4Europe

Managing Director of XR4Europe and a passionate XR capacity builder, developer, and researcher, Michael works to strengthen XR communities across Europe and beyond.

👓 Valerie Riffaud Cangelosi, CNXR

Valerie is a recognized specialist in connected glasses, with deep expertise spanning AI, AR, and wearable technology. Through her work with CNXR and the SILMO Circle of Experts, she helps bridge the gap between the optical and tech industries.

🎬 Heleen Rouw, CIIIC

From film and media to immersive experiences, Heleen has built her career around bringing creative ideas and audiences together. Today, as Programme Director of CIIIC, she works to strengthen the Dutch immersive ecosystem and bring creators, researchers, businesses, and public organisations to the same table.

🏢 Mark Sage, AR for Enterprise Alliance

What does it actually take to make enterprise AR work past the pilot stage? As Executive Director of the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA), Mark will share insights into practical AR adoption, from the problems it can solve today to the ROI businesses are seeing — and the barriers that still stand in the way of scale.

And this is just the beginning! Make sure to follow MatchXR to stay updated on the latest news.

🎫 What are you waiting for? Grab your FREE ticket from the link in bio!

MatchXR 2026 is made possible by Metaverse Finland Ecosystem, DIMECC, and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.

Drumroll, please! 🥁Here’s the first batch of speakers for MatchXR 2026. 🔥This year’s theme, “Beyond Human Horizons”, tak...
10/08/2026

Drumroll, please! 🥁

Here’s the first batch of speakers for MatchXR 2026. 🔥

This year’s theme, “Beyond Human Horizons”, takes us to the intersection of XR, AI, robotics, and other intelligent systems.

Meet the experts joining us to explore what lies ahead and the possibilities that emerge when these emerging technologies converge:

🎤 Jeremy Dalton, XRHQ

As an XR strategist, author, and founder of XRHQ, Jeremy has spent years exploring how immersive technologies create real-world value. His live demo, Invisible Evidence, will take us through some of the most impactful XR use cases across industries — and look at how we can better capture the evidence behind them.

🌍 Michael Barngrover, XR4Europe

Managing Director of XR4Europe and a passionate XR capacity builder, developer, and researcher, Michael works to strengthen XR communities across Europe and beyond.

👓 Valerie Riffaud Cangelosi, CNXR

Valerie is a recognized specialist in connected glasses, with deep expertise spanning AI, AR, and wearable technology. Through her work with CNXR and the SILMO Circle of Experts, she helps bridge the gap between the optical and tech industries.

🎬 Heleen Rouw, CIIIC

From film and media to immersive experiences, Heleen has built her career around bringing creative ideas and audiences together. Today, as Programme Director of CIIIC, she works to strengthen the Dutch immersive ecosystem and bring creators, researchers, businesses, and public organisations to the same table.

🏢 Mark Sage, AR for Enterprise Alliance

What does it actually take to make enterprise AR work past the pilot stage? As Executive Director of the Augmented Reality for Enterprise Alliance (AREA), Mark will share insights into practical AR adoption, from the problems it can solve today to the ROI businesses are seeing — and the barriers that still stand in the way of scale.

And this is just the beginning! Make sure to follow MatchXR to stay updated on the latest news.

🎫 What are you waiting for? Grab your FREE ticket from the link in bio!

MatchXR 2026 is made possible by Metaverse Finland Ecosystem, DIMECC, and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.

We’re finally back from the summer break, and so are our Monthly AI Meetups! 🤩We’re kicking off the new season with an i...
05/08/2026

We’re finally back from the summer break, and so are our Monthly AI Meetups! 🤩

We’re kicking off the new season with an interesting fireside chat joined by three seasoned AI community builders Reidar Wasenius, Bambi Dang, and Valto Loikkanen.

Together, we’ll discuss how AI communities — including our own Monthly AI Meetup — can better support the practical adoption of AI. What activities, connections, and learning opportunities can help people move from curiosity to capability, and help small businesses turn AI into greater productivity and new business opportunities?

This session will be an open dialogue rather than a series of presentations. Our guest speakers will share their perspectives and experiences, but we encourage everyone to take part in the conversation! 💬

And, as per usual, there’ll be snacks and drinks, plus plenty of time to connect with others and work on your personal projects.

If you haven’t done so yet, sign up for the August meetup from the link in bio or at aimeetup.fi.

Looking forward to seeing you all next week! 👋

🗓️ When: Wednesday, 12 August, 2026, 17:00–19:00 (doors 16:30)
📍 Where: Helsinki XR Center, Hämeentie 135 A, 00560 Helsinki
💰Cost: Free! 🌏 Language: English

💭 What is the Monthly AI Meetup?

Co-hosted by Helsinki XR Center, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Digiole, and Finnish AI Region, this free community club will boost your AI skills! Every second Wednesday of the month, we gather at the HXRC office to hear expert talks, network, experiment with AI tools, and work together on our personal projects. The meetups are open to anyone, no technical background needed!

🎓 Hey students! Looking for a chance to meet Finnish AI startups, work on real challenges, and see what AI can actually ...
03/08/2026

🎓 Hey students! Looking for a chance to meet Finnish AI startups, work on real challenges, and see what AI can actually do beyond the classroom? 👀

Then keep reading! AI Solution Sprint is a two-day hackathon-style event in Helsinki where students from different fields team up with innovative Finnish AI startups to tackle real-world challenges.

You’ll be put into a team with other like-minded students, meet a startup that brings you a real challenge, and work together to come up with ideas and solutions. 💡

This is a great opportunity to:

🤝 Connect with other students and AI startups
🚀 Put your AI skills into practice
💡 Learn by doing
🌱 Get a glimpse into Finland’s growing AI ecosystem

And the best part? You don’t need any previous AI experience to attend! Whether you study business, design, technology, media, or something completely different, your perspective can bring something valuable to the team.

☝️Read more and apply by 16 August from the link in bio!

🗓️ When: 9–10 September, 2026
📍 Where: Maria 01, Lapinlahdenkatu 16, 00180 Helsinki
💰Cost: Free! 🌏 Language: English

This hackathon is organized by Business Helsinki, Metropolia University of Applied Sciences, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences and AIStart Incubator, co-funded by the European Union.

01/06/2026

📢 Calling all XR artists, filmmakers, and creatives!

Want to showcase your work in the heart of Helsinki? 😎

This year, MatchXR is partnering with the architecturally significant Oodi Library for a special art exhibition ”ODE to XR” on November 13, 2026 to celebrate XR art, film, and immersive experiences from all around the world.

👉 Read more and submit your piece by June 30 via MatchXR website, link in bio!

26/05/2026

Reimagining music education with AI! 🎶

How can AI make learning new instruments more engaging and effective? Let us introduce you to Chen Qu and Jeremy Wong — professional musicians and Co-Founders behind Bravori.

Bravori is a music learning platform that combines pedagogical frameworks with gamification features to strengthen the communication between teachers and students. It helps teachers monitor progress and supports students in staying motivated and committed to their learning journey. 📱📚

Chen and Jeremy had already taken steps toward implementing AI features into the app to improve the user experience, but were looking for ways to deliver more personalized feedback to students.

Through our AI Proof-of-Concept service, they got to talk to experts, gain practical insights into the technical landscape of AI, and validate their concept. “The team of experts made the complicated things simple, so that even non-technical experts like ourselves were able to understand and follow”, said Jeremy.

This Proof-of-Concept was delivered through the FAIR, an EU-co-founded initiative that supports SMEs in digitalization and AI implementation.

XR is not just for big brands with big budgets, and we’re here to prove it! 🙅‍♀️👉 We took 6 most common myths that are k...
07/05/2026

XR is not just for big brands with big budgets, and we’re here to prove it! 🙅‍♀️

👉 We took 6 most common myths that are keeping small business owners from using extended reality, and debunked them with real data and practical yet creative ways to get started today.

From fun AR filters to virtual tours you can shoot with your phine, XR is more accessible and cost-effective than ever. It only takes a bit of effort. 💪

Save this post for inspiration and check out the full article for more tips, tricks, and useful links on Metrospective Pro!

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