REINFORCE project receives €2.5 million to develop smart industrial design platform

Industrial design is becoming increasingly complex, while human cognitive abilities remain limited. The REINFORCE project (Automatic detection and correction of industrial design flaws – Towards fail-safe industries) aims to address this challenge by developing a computer-aided design platform that supports engineers in design, manufacturing, robot control and cybersecurity. It employs the DACM (Dimensional Analysis Conceptual Modelling) framework to automate complicated design phases, detect and correct flaws, and ensure fail-safe industrial systems.

“The platform improves system quality and performance by addressing critical issues early in the design process, where significant costs and constraints are determined,” says Eric Coatanea, Professor at Tampere University and Principal Investigator of the REINFORCE project. 

The total funding is distributed among three partners, with Tampere University receiving €1 million and the University of Helsinki and the University of Jyväskylä each receiving €750,000. The project is part of Business Finland’s Defence and Digital Resilience programme.

According to Professor Coatanea, the platform automates model generation and the detection and elimination of design flaws and cybersecurity vulnerabilities by leveraging directed coloured graphs in combination with Dimensional Analysis theory and forming the DACM (Dimensional Analysis Conceptual Modelling) framework, which is used to represent system architecture and behaviour. Coatanea has been working on this research theme for 20 years.

The universities of Helsinki and Jyväskylä will contribute their expertise in generative AI and cyber security to extend the scope and level of automation within the platform. 

“We integrate formal industrial design methods with Generative AI (GenAI) and neuro-symbolic reasoning into a system capable of both exploring novel designs and verifying their processes and outcomes. The formal foundation is essential for advancing next-generation AI-driven design and for enabling explainable automation in the design workflow. The project targets a significant breakthrough in industrial design,” says Professor Sasu Tarkoma, Dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Helsinki.

Professor Tapio Frantti from the University of Jyväskylä says that effective cybersecurity of the systems must be built-in property. It’s an essential part of the system design, not an afterthought.

Current research and early analyses indicate a breakthrough potential, with industrial process performance improvements exceeding 40%. In Finland, preliminary estimates suggest that a 20% increase in manufacturing and factory performance could raise annual output by approximately €7 billion.

Together, the partners will build an international community of researchers and industrial users. Other academic and industrial collaborators are also involved, and many European universities and companies have already expressed interest in the project.

The goal of the Rise to the Challenge funding is to build the expertise and capabilities required by future growth sectors. The theme of the pilot call was digital solutions that promote safety, security and the continuity of operations. Only universities and other research organisations were eligible to receive funding under this call.

Further information

Eric Coatanea 
eric.coatanea [at] tuni.fi
+358 503605273

Sasu Tarkoma
sasu.tarkoma [at] helsinki.fi
+358 40 5062163

Tapio Frantti
tapio.k.frantti [at] jyu.fi

Edited 18.8.2025: Added the quotation and contact information of Professor Tapio Frantti from the University of Jyväskylä.