The Mehtimäki Well-being and Sports Testing Center - Creating New Business, Services, and Entrepreneurship
Funders
The project is funded by Just Transition Fund (JTF). The project is implemented by University of Eastern Finland, City of Joensuu (coordinator), Karelia University of Applied Sciences and Sport Institute of Eastern Finland.
The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment estimates the size of the entire sports industry to be at least 5.5 billion euros (Statistics Center 2023). Significant growth has occurred in several different industries; in services, tourism, sports events, entertainment and experience services. During the years 2013–2018, for example, the number of companies in the sports sector has increased by more than 30%. (eSignals, Haaga-Helia, Häkkilä, Lehmusto 14.03.2020). The development of the sports and wellness business is one solution to the upheaval in North Karelia’s economic activity.
North Karelia’s regional Just Transition Fund (JTF) transition plan states: ‘At the core of the measures is the diversification and renewal of business operations. The creation of new jobs, the development of functioning companies and the founding of new companies are therefore of paramount importance. As a result of the challenges of the regional economy and the paucity of options for business activities, new ways and experiments are also needed to renew business activities in the region’.
The Mehtimäki project boldly seeks growth by creating a new kind of platform for sports business, learning and research. The Mehtimäki project is responsible for promoting the growth of companies and creating new jobs by creating a platform for exercise and well-being that enables the creation of new services and business opportunities. The platform also enables the creation of research-oriented businesses and student-oriented innovation activities. The platform creates multidisciplinary research and learning environment for the fields of exercise and well-being. The operation is physically located in the Joensuu Arena. The implementers of the project are the City of Joensuu, Sports Institute of Eastern Finland (ISLO), Karelia Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy and the University of Eastern Finland.
The project responds to the focus of the Joensuu City Strategy (2021–2025) and the ”Sports City Joensuu Program”.
Website: https://www.testlabmehtimaki.com/en
Main role and outcomes of the University of Eastern Finland
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Vision plays a central role in almost all forms of physical activity and sport. Within the investment project linked to the Mehtimäki development initiative, the University of Eastern Finland acquired SeeTrue eye‑tracking glasses developed in Joensuu. These glasses enable precise measurement of eye movements in a variety of situations and can also be used to train gaze control as part of broader training routines.The glasses are suitable for mobile use by both high‑performance athletes and everyday exercisers. They also offer extensive opportunities for thesis work and academic research.Please get in touch if you are interested in testing or borrowing the glasses!
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In enhancing movement efficiency and reducing the risk of injury, it is essential to pay attention to body positions during motion. At TestLab Mehtimäki, this is supported by the open‑source MMPose tool, which identifies key body points from video or images and creates a visual model of the mover based on these points.This model makes it possible to assess, for example, knee and elbow angles, which can also be examined numerically. The resulting information supports the analysis and development of technical performance, whether in sports, coaching, or physiotherapy.If you would like to try MMPose yourself, you can learn more and download the free installation package from the provided link. The software runs on Windows (version 10 or later). Please review the installation and user instructions included in the package carefully before installing.You can get in touch if you have further questions!
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How can an athlete’s true workload be identified? What about concentration, recovery, or the influence of emotional states on performance? How can early signs of declining motivation be detected before they become visible in results?To address these questions, the project invested in Galea, the world’s first XR headset that integrates virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), electroencephalography (EEG) monitoring, and physiological body tracking into a single system.The headset offers extensive opportunities for thesis work and academic research. Please get in touch if you are interested in learning more about the device and discussing how it could be used in your own activities.
Objectives and work packages of the project
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The objective of the project entity Mehtimäki Well‑being and Sports Testing Station – New Business, Services and Entrepreneurship is to establish a regional, multidisciplinary platform that serves a wide range of users and supports sports business, learning, and research.The project aims to:
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Create a new, recognisable, and accessible platform for sports and well‑being that enables the development of new sports‑related business, innovations, and well‑being services.
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Build an environment and a “functional well‑being platform” where
- students as well as micro and SME entrepreneurs can offer and develop their services
- multidisciplinary expertise meets and generates innovations, RDI activities accelerate, and collaboration and coordination among well‑being sector actors strengthen
- regional expertise in adapted physical activity is reinforced
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Establish a new multidisciplinary learning environment that deepens cooperation between educational institutions and increases the attractiveness of related study programmes.
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Promote research‑driven innovation activities in sports and well‑being, with a particular focus on photonics.
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Develop an operational model that enables smooth multidisciplinary cooperation and the optimal use of facilities.
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Create an operational model that, through the development of mobile services and various remote and hybrid solutions, supports sports and well‑being services and expertise across the entire region.
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Overall project coordination and communication
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Toteuttajien välisen yhteistyön kokonaiskoordinaatio
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Toimintamallin suunnittelun koordinointi
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Sidosryhmäyhteistyön johtaminen
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Viestintä- ja markkinointitoimien koordinointi
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Yhteistyö investointihankkeen kanssa
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Construction of Joensuu Areena’s testing and measurement environment
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Expert tasks in testing and coaching
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Planning and piloting of testing and measurement
services for different target groups -
Planning and implementation of trainings for
increasing testing skills and for efficient use of the
testing environment
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New business platform for the welfare services of
the future-
Mehtimäki as a platform for new kinds of sports
and wellness services and business -
Innovative development and experiments of the
service platform -
Productization of services
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Building a learning environment
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Developing the training environment for regional
mobile services and strengthening regional
cooperation -
Well-being is promoted by mobile services and
remote control expertise in the province -
Strengthening student entrepreneurship in the
welfare sector -
Strengthening the welfare expertise of
organizations and developing services
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Exercise and sports research and their combination with the possibilities of augmented reality
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Creating an environment that enables the research
of exercise and sports and their combination with
the possibilities of augmented reality -
The university’s extensive network of research
institutes and companies is utilized in the
development of the platform and in increasing the
know-how of the companies operating there -
Together, with the other actors of the project, a
new type of measurement and research
environment utilizing the latest applications will be
created, which will enable the creation of business
that utilizes high technology in connection with
exercise and sports -
Increasing the understanding of suitable and
unsuitable solutions for coaching
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