Building on a successful first edition, WAN-IFRA launches the second GAMI Incubator #Finland: apply now!
The new edition builds on the success of the programme’s first edition in 2025-2026, during which three Finnish media companies collaborated with three technology companies to address specific innovation challenges. Initiated by WAN-IFRA’s Global Alliance for Media Innovation (GAMI), GAMI Incubator #Finland supports partnerships between media organisations and technology companies.
The programme aims to accelerate innovation within the Finnish media industry and contribute to the future of professional journalism by:
- Facilitating collaboration between legacy media and startups/tech companies
- Supporting new skills uptake and technology adoption in Finnish newsrooms
- Creating opportunities for promising international startups/tech companies in the Finnish media landscape
- Sharing best practices and lessons learned across the Finnish media industry
The first edition ran from March 2025 to April 2026 and included a six-month collaboration phase. Supported by a change management coach, three teams, each including a Finnish media company and a technology provider, worked together to address a specific technological challenge and develop a proof of concept. Read more about the successful first edition here.
“The media industry needs bold initiatives that break new ground and drive renewal. GAMI Incubator Finland is a great example of a forward-thinking programme that brings together journalistic, commercial and technological expertise to foster collaboration and develop innovative solutions. At the Media Industry Research Foundation of Finland, we are excited to support the next wave of innovation in Finnish media through the second edition of this programme,” said Nando Malmelin, Executive Director of the Media Industry Research Foundation of Finland.
“Seeing the first three teams present their results at the conference in Helsinki this spring was a real pleasure. In just six months, they had developed impressive tools for journalism, fact-checking and audience engagement. For me, it showed what media companies and technology startups can achieve together with the right support. We are grateful to the Media Industry Research Foundation of Finland for making this possible and very pleased to continue our collaboration with the Finnish Media Federation (Finnmedia). The first round has set a high bar, and I look forward to seeing what the next teams achieve” said Stig Ørskov, CEO of WAN-IFRA.
Open call to Finnish media organisations: Apply before 30 November 2026!
This call is open to Finnish media companies (news or magazine publishers), members of WAN-IFRA or Finnmedia eager to solve a challenge in the field of personalisation, data science, data journalism, fact-checking and disinformation, new tech for producing, processing and publishing content, AI and Generative AI, AR/VR immersive technologies etc.
➽ More details about GAMI Incubator #Finland, why apply, eligibility criteria for publishers, focus areas of the programme, and timeline can be found here.
➽ Apply here!
Following this open call, three Finnish news media organisations will be selected to take part in the programme. Each organisation will be matched with a carefully selected international startup or technology company and supported by a change management coach.
After an in-person kick-off event in Helsinki in March 2027, the teams will work together for six months to develop a proof of concept. At the end of the programme, participants will present the outcomes of their collaborations to representatives of the Finnish media industry, helping to share lessons and encourage further innovation across the sector.
Contact and Inquiries
Stephen Fozard, Project Director at GAMI, WAN-IFRA – stephen.fozard@wan-ifra.org
About the programme
WAN-IFRA, the World Association of News Publishers, is the global organisation of the world’s press, comprising 3,000 news publishers and technology companies and 40 national publishers’ associations representing 18,000 publications in 120 countries. With a mission to protect the rights of journalists and publishers around the world to operate independent media, WAN-IFRA provides its members with expertise and services to innovate and prosper in a digital world and perform their crucial role in society. Learn more about WAN-IFRA’s Global Alliance for Media Innovation.
The Finnish Media Federation (Finnmedia) is an advocacy organisation for private companies in the media and printing industries. Finnmedia focuses its advocacy on industrial policy and labour market policies while also promoting new growth in the media industry. Finnmedia’s member companies promote freedom of speech, Finnish culture and democracy by producing quality Finnish media products and services across all channels. Finnmedia and its member associations – Federation of the Printing Industry in Finland, Finnish Magazine Media Association, Finnish Publishers Association, News Media Finland and RadioMedia – include a total of 600 member companies. www.medialiitto.fi/finnmedia
The Media Industry Research Foundation of Finland contributes to the competitiveness of printed, electronic and content-based digital media as well as closely related activities. The Foundation supports research, development and innovation in business and technology, training and competence development in the media industry, and research into media users’ communication needs. It funds research projects and the publication of their results, supports professorships and awards grants and scholarships to advance the development of the Finnish media industry. www.mediaalantutkimussaatio.fi/saatiosta/english/
