The roadmap for Finnish research infrastructures defines the significant long-term national research infrastructures that are part of the Finnish research ecosystem. The MAGICS infrastructure – a consortium of six Finnish universities – is now accepted to the roadmap and consequently receives 5.3-million-euro funding for the years 2025-2029. This will bolster MAGICS’ efforts to support high-quality scientific and artistic research and practices in socially sustainable digitalization and virtualization.
MAGICS was established in 2020 by Aalto University, Tampere University, and University of the Arts Helsinki, with three more partners – University of Lapland, Turku University of Applied Sciences, and University of Jyväskylä – joining the network in 2024. Being on the roadmap enables the infrastructure to expand significantly, including cutting-edge extended reality technologies and measurements of human behaviour under naturalistic conditions. These efforts are strongly crossdisciplinary and on the roadmap MAGICS stands out as the only infrastructure in Finland truly bridging art and science to spur new research and innovations.
Empowering research, innovation and art
The new funding allows MAGICS to invest in advanced extended reality technologies, mobile labs, and multimodal measurement systems. New research and innovations are supported in the areas of behavioral and experience studies, human-technology interaction, utilization of AI in design, arts and humanities, digital embodiments, sustainable environments (architecture and design), digitally augmented learning, immersive virtual realities, and metaverse technologies. Examples of the new infrastructure and technology investments include Aalto’s MAGICS cinema/theatre to study collective experiences of tens of subjects simultaneously, Uniarts’ AI-enhanced performance spaces, industrial XR metaverse applications in the Turku University of Applied Sciences, mobile XR Studio in University of Lapland, and XR facilities for educational studies in Tampere and Jyväskylä universities. The new MAGICS facilities are open to be used with academic, industrial and societal partners. MAGICS is committed to continue the development of open access policies that provide opportunities for different types of companies and partners to utilize its unique services through joint projects, open calls, and industrial usage. In addition to science and innovation, MAGICS provides new and unique spaces for creating, researching, and teaching art. The new mobile sensors, display and multisensory technologies, and remote presence equipment have great potential to enhance artistic practices and MAGICS is committed to amplify its existing strong collaboration with artists and cultural organizations.
Strategic Impact on Society
MAGICS actively collaborates with policymakers, industry leaders, and the public to shape a future where digitalization and virtualization are developed socially sustainably to increase human well-being. With the new funding, MAGICS is set to spearhead pioneering projects that redefine the relationship between technology and society, positioning Finland as a global leader in transformative research and artistic innovation. Explore more about MAGICS and its vision for the future at magics.fi.