SFINNO 2.0 – Advancing the Database of Finnish Innovations

OVERVIEW
SFINNO 2.0 represents a major evolution of the original SFINNO® database, one of the most extensive and detailed longitudinal databases of product, service, and process innovations. Designed to track industrial renewal, the database documents significant Finnish innovations, offering valuable insights for academic research, policy analysis, and innovation studies.

With SFINNO 2.0, we introduce enhanced methodologies, expanded data coverage, and advanced digital research infrastructure capabilities. This upgrade reflects contemporary advancements in data science, artificial intelligence, and information retrieval, ensuring that the database remains a robust and comprehensive tool for understanding Finnish industrial transformation.
The combined database currently spans several thousand significant innovations commercialized between 1985 and 2025, with an expanded historical dataset covering the period from 1945 to 1984. The newly developed SFINNO 2.0 extends its reach through improved machine learning algorithms, knowledge graphs, and language models that enhance data extraction, categorization, and analysis. The result is a richer, more precise, and scalable repository of innovation insights, that introduces the integration of inter-actor dynamics such as collaborations.

DATA
Methodology and Collection Process The innovations in SFINNO 2.0 continue to stem from a systematic literature-based innovation output (LBIO) methodology, ensuring validity and reliability across industries. The SFINNO® dataset is compiled from technical and trade journals, as well as additional sources such as business registers and company records. However, SFINNO 2.0 introduces several enhancements:

• Advanced Information Extraction: Leveraging machine learning and large language models (LLMs), the identification of innovation-related attributes and the mapping of networks and interlinkages within innovation cycles have been significantly enhanced. The scalability of the proposed automated textual information extraction was the key enabler for extending the identification of innovation and collaboration to company websites.

• Knowledge Graph Integration: Innovations are now linked within a structured knowledge graph, allowing for detection and visualization of the connectivity between innovations, organizations, and sectors.

• Enhanced Survey and Questionnaire Data: Since 1985, SFINNO has gathered detailed information from innovators. SFINNO 2.0 enhances this by expanding the detail and context captured through the information retrieval process. Additionally, the dataset now extends to company websites, enabling the direct collection of innovation disclosures from their original sources.

SFINNO 2.0 adheres to international best practices in data collection and reporting, including the OECD’s Oslo Manual, ensuring consistency and compatibility with global innovation studies.

UTILIZATION
SFINNO 2.0 is a valuable resource for researchers, policymakers, and businesses. Its integration with digital research infrastructure presents the potential to link innovation data with external sources such as regional, enterprise, patent, and R&D subsidy datasets. As development continues, this capability aims to provide a deeper understanding of innovation patterns, enabling:
• Longitudinal Analysis: Tracking the evolution of Finnish industrial renewal over multiple decades.
• Regional and Sectoral Insights: Examining innovation dynamics across different geographical locations and industries.
• Policy Evaluation: Assessing the impact of public sector support on innovation outcomes.
• Strategic Business Insights: Identifying emerging trends and competitive advantages in technological development.

Furthermore, SFINNO 2.0 now includes interactive visualizations that make it easier for users to explore key dimensions such as innovation distribution over time, collaboration networks, and geographic concentration.

A Collaborative and Evolving Resource The development of SFINNO 2.0 is a collaborative effort involving leading experts in AI, information retrieval, and innovation studies. It is designed to be a dynamic, continuously evolving platform that adapts to new research challenges and technological advances. As a key resource for international discussions on science and innovation policy, SFINNO 2.0 will contribute to major academic conferences, including the Eu-SPRI Forum Conference, where it will facilitate discourse on AI-driven innovation analysis.

CONCLUSION
SFINNO 2.0 stands at the forefront of innovation research, offering unparalleled insights into the mechanisms driving technological change and industrial renewal in Finland. By integrating advanced data analytics, AI-enhanced information retrieval, and knowledge graph structures, it serves as a comprehensive model for studying innovation ecosystems worldwide. As we continue to expand and refine this database, SFINNO 2.0 will remain a vital tool for shaping innovation policies, supporting economic growth, and fostering entrepreneurship in Finland and beyond.

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