Stories from SHAPE: Mirka on data, dialogue and dedication: how DDSM collaboration played out in practice
In the DDSM project, Mirka brought their learnings on data-driven sustainability management to the table. In this interview in the Stories from SHAPE series, we take a closer look at how the collaboration played out in practice and why being honest about challenges is essential.
Mirka is a global, family-owned company from Finland, dedicated to innovative surface finishing technology. For Development Engineer William Antus, the Data-driven Sustainability Management (DDSM) project was the first project he was involved with as a full-time employee. With a background in energy studies, the project landed in just the right territory of his interests, and he became project lead from Mirka’s side.
"I wanted to solve how collected data could be used for LCA calculations and how to make them more automated," he says.
The challenge and reward of getting production data right
When calculating a product’s environmental impact, Mirka often relied on estimated values pulled manually from their ERP system.
"Once you have the data available, it works well. The hurdle is getting it measured and defined at the product level. We could have measurements from an entire production line, but specifying them for a single product, that was a challenge."
Through the DDSM project collaboration, Mirka worked closely together with researchers from Åbo Akademi and University of Turku to figure out how to transfer that data into a usable format.
"The biggest contribution from our side was that we could supply real data as an industrial example. This way, we could get theoretical things tested in practice, not just built on synthetic or simulated data," Antus says.
Reaching that point required extensive work across teams, including getting hands-on by installing energy sensors and steam meters on one of Mirka’s main production machines. However, the reward came during a project demo where Mirka's production data was successfully used to generate automated LCA results.
“It actually works," Antus recalls thinking. "As long as we have the data available, it's completely possible to do it quickly and smoothly."
Beyond the proof of concept for automated LCA, the DDSM project on Mirka’s side also produced:
A health index proof of concept, tracking dust exposure and vibrations affecting operators during grinding
Performance ratio concept exploring how a product's environmental footprint should be weighed against how well it actually performs
Openness is what keeps a cross-sector collaboration productive
With six additional partners across different organisations and industries, maintaining effective communication was essential. For Antus, this project experience made it clear how important it is to keep communication active and honest.
"You need to be active and open, share what has worked, but also what challenges you've had. And you need to actually keep the communication going so everyone stays involved."
That openness is also what makes an ecosystem worth being part of in the first place. Companies across entirely different industries often turn out to be facing the same challenges, and a project partner might know the answer to a challenge that has given another team headaches for weeks.
"The most value comes from sharing your own challenges - another company may have already solved it, or know exactly how to."
Mirka participated in the Data Driven Sustainability Management project as part of the SHAPE Ecosystem, coordinated by Åbo Akademi University. The project ran from 2023-2025.