Fira Partners with Xinova to Design the Future of Construction and Living Systems

SEATTLE and HELSINKI, March 28, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Xinova, a global innovation market network with innovators, technologies and investors in over 120 countries, and Fira, a forerunner in the field of construction and built environments, announced an agreement to collaborate on new solutions for Fira's Production and Living Systems businesses. The new partnership will design solutions to improve productivity at construction sites, and deliver better living environments for occupants, whether at work, home or visiting.

Fira is pursuing the leading edge of innovation as it envisions big changes on the horizon for the global trillion-dollar construction industry. Xinova aligns talent, technology, capital and demand through the first-of-its-kind innovation market network, which utilizes machine learning, distributed computing and modern technology platforms to connect global resources.  The market network, supported by leading global executives from construction and industrial sectors, and Xinova's drive to solve the world's biggest problems is the unique value proposition that brought the two companies together. The companies aim to achieve breakthroughs by developing digital solutions for the build phase, and to support the entire lifecycle of a built environment.

"This collaboration combines two industry visionaries - Xinova's innovation methodology with Fira's pioneering expertise in the construction and living environment industries," said Jimmy Ruokolainen, Director, Fira Smart Services. "The construction industry is ripe for disruption. While many industries have benefited in productivity gains over the last few decades, the construction industry is an exception with an average annual gain of just 1 percent over the past 20 years. We are confident that working with Xinova will put us on track to lead the charge."

Xinova's Disruption Design process provides critical insights to understand the structural forces of change working to disrupt a business or industry, so emerging opportunities can be identified and targeted with the optimal response. This unique approach to analyzing and mapping industries results in tangible breakthroughs that reveal market inefficiencies and vulnerabilities.

"Most leaders think of disruption as a force that happens to you in the market, not something you proactively design to redefine and drive change in the competitive environment of your category," said Glenn Edens, Partner, Xinova. "We're excited Fira is determined to design their own future, rather than have it designed for them, as our model will help them identify the potential for new solutions that are enabled by technological progress."

In the first phase of the project, Xinova will conduct an Innovation Opportunity Analysis to map disruption points in the multi-family residential and commercial construction industry encompassing the design, build and operate (DBO) lifecycle. The results of the mapping phase will dictate the next phase of the collaboration, putting Fira on the path to the global market with the help of Xinova's network.

"Innovation is key to the future of the world. We must stand for progress when others are paralyzed by failure. We must represent optimism even when people propagate fear. The path to do that is to allow people around the world to share risk and reward in their journey to the future," said Xinova founder and CEO, Edward Jung. "I'm looking forward to partnering with the fearless innovators at Fira and magnify the famed Finnish ingenuity to change the construction industry worldwide in a way that benefits business, people and the environment; by bringing global resources into the mix."

About Fira
Cities grow and live together with people and under their terms. Fira is an innovator in the field of construction that builds cities together with people and creates living environments and enables new business. The Group's net sales and number of personnel have been growing since 2009. The Fira Group is comprised of Fira Oy, serving as the main contractor in a wide range of residential construction, commercial and office premises, modernisation and pipe renovation projects, as well as smart services that develop new services, products and approaches. Fira Group's head office is located in Vantaa, Finland. Read more at www.fira.fi/en

About Xinova
We believe problems are a good thing. There's a fundamental misalignment of the four key pillars of innovation—technology, talent, demand, and capital—resulting in an uneven risk-reward equation for enterprises and innovators alike. We leverage the power of our global network to connect the toughest problems with the smartest minds and best resources. This opens up the path to end-to-end innovation that moves companies from idea to product on-shelf faster and with more return. Xinova is headquartered in Seattle with offices in Bangalore, Beijing, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Sydney, Tel Aviv, Tokyo, and Vienna. www.xinova.com

Fira Media Contact:
Jimmy Ruokolainen, Vice President Smart Services
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +358 40 774 8935

Xinova Media Contacts:
(USA, English)
Andy Tolton, Public Relations & Marketing Manager
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1.425.681.2770

(Finland, Finnish)
Raine Hermans, Managing Director
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +358 (0)50 411 0967

SOURCE Xinova