The reality of digitalisation: "Construction projects are also IT projects"

In his opening speech, Rasmus Vainio (SokoPro) set the tone for the day: construction projects are no longer just construction projects. They are IT projects involving hundreds of stakeholders, data sources, and dependencies. Through insights gained from customer dialogues, he demonstrated where the biggest challenges in today's projects actually lie:

• Rights and responsibility
• Data structures
• Fragmented information flows
• Trust and collaboration

"Information is the backbone of a construction project; if it fails, everything else falters," Rasmus described. He highlighted three pain points that SokoPro addresses in the daily life of projects:

• Chaos between drawings and versions
• Unclear roles and access rights
• Isolated information, when every party sits in its own silo

Integrations implemented via SokoPro API and SokoLink, which enable connecting systems instead of creating new silos, became a central part of the discussion.

Kesko: Digitalisation of an entire property universe

Anu Hannukkala from Kesko gave one of the most concrete insights of the day into how one of Finland's largest property owners has modernised its document and project information. Based on her long experience, she discussed how:

• They transitioned from old drawing archives to a digital structure.
• SokoPro Property Bank has become the backbone of document sharing.
• Standardization has brought time savings and consistent working methods.
• Secure document sharing has simplified cooperation with hundreds of partners.
• Integrations have changed the pace and traceability of projects.

It became clear that digitalisation is not about a new platform, but about creating a common logic. When everyone follows the same structure, projects become faster, safer, and less vulnerable.

Panel discussion: "How do we manage trust in increasingly complex digital projects?"

The day's panel gathered representatives from Vastuu Group, SmartCraft/Congrid, Vektorio, Kesko, and SokoPro. The discussion became one of the absolute highlights of the day.

Three themes dominated the discussion:

1. Digital trust requires more than technology
Historically, trust has been built over the coffee table. Now, it must be verified digitally through roles, rights, traceability, and data quality. The panel was unanimous that trust is not a product but a result of:

• transparent processes
• clear responsibility
• correct rights
• systems that support, rather than oppose, collaboration.

2. Integrations: risk or salvation?
When data moves between ten, twenty, or fifty systems, a central question arises: who owns the data? The panel highlighted the need for standardization, clear rules of the game, and a "choirmaster" who secures the data as it moves between systems.

3. What will the digital ecosystem look like in 2030?
The panel looked ahead and painted a picture of projects where:

• AI predicts risks and deviations
• Roles change from information producers to information managers
• Integrations are a self-evident standard
• Digital trust determines the success of projects

Keynote Kamilla Sultanova: age diversity as a strategic strength

Kamilla Sultanova gave an appreciated keynote speech on age diversity and inclusive culture. She pointed out that Finland is still struggling with age discrimination, but demonstrated how companies that actively invest in inclusive recruitment and psychological safety perform better and retain competence longer.
Her three pieces of advice were:

• Normalise conversations about an age-friendly work culture.
• Invest in inclusive recruitment and career paths for all ages.
• Show leadership by actively valuing different generations.