A quiet cluster builds momentum — and one startup breaks through

Tampere isn’t loud about it, but something important is happening there.

Over the past decades, the region has become a center for innovation in heavy machinery. 

The SIX Mobile Work Machines cluster, part of the Sustainable Industry X (SIX) initiative, exemplifies Tampere's commitment to advancing mobile machinery technology. This cluster brings together companies like Kalmar, Ponsse, Sandvik, Valmet Automotive, and Valtra, alongside research institutions such as Tampere University and the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Their joint efforts focus on electrification, intelligent control systems, and sustainable productivity in mobile work machines.

Together, they’ve formed what’s called the Mobile Work Machines Cluster — focused on automation, electrification, and real-world durability.

Tampere has what that kind of work needs:

• Deep industrial roots
• Technical universities
• Strong engineering talent
• A willingness to collaborate

It’s not about big launches. It’s about solving hard, slow problems — together.

Startups are part of it too

The cluster isn’t just for established manufacturers. There’s also a growing group of startups focused on machine control, diagnostics, simulation, robotics, and field safety.

That’s where we come in.

This month 05/2025, spogen.ai is listed as the #1 hottest startup in Finland (via startup100.net). We’re building an AI assistant that helps machine operators understand and fix problems faster — using their own words, in the moment, on site.

It’s not a chatbot.
It’s not a search engine.

It’s a practical tool that knows how complex real machines are — and meets operators where they are.

Being listed is nice. But what matters more is that the problem we’re solving is real — and shared by manufacturers, service teams, and job sites everywhere.

What's next

Tampere’s role in all this keeps growing. The cluster is producing research, hosting events like the Future Mobile Work Machine summit, and giving smaller players a seat at the table.

There’s room for startups that focus. That listen. That work directly with field teams to understand how support really happens when time, weather, and production lines are all in play.

That’s the work we care about.

And we’re just getting started.