Building a New Operating Model and AI Governance at Scale
VTT partnered with Vuono Group to redesign its support function operating model and establish the foundation for a company-wide AI Center of Excellence. This created the governance and capability structure needed to deliver scientific impact in the AI era..
“Vuono Group helped us take the next leap in organising for the AI era, shaping both a new operating model and the foundation for our AI Center of Excellence and governance. This strengthened our ability to deliver scientific impact.”
The Starting Point
VTT is one of Europe’s leading research and technology organisations, operating at the intersection of science, technology and society. With a mission to turn large global challenges into sustainable growth and solve the biggest challenges of our time, VTT needed its internal operating model to keep pace with rapidly evolving AI capabilities and organisational complexity.
As AI began reshaping how research organisations work and create value, VTT recognised that the right structure and governance had to come first to realise that potential at scale. Support functions, value streams, and development initiatives had grown organically, and the organisation needed clarity on roles, ownership, and how cross-functional work could flow more effectively. At the same time, VTT wanted to establish a dedicated capability to lead AI, not just adopt it, across research, products, and operations.
How We Helped?
Vuono Group conducted a thorough organisational and value stream analysis, combining stakeholder interviews, desktop research, and peer benchmarking to build a complete picture of VTT's current state.
We assessed how the organisation's units were structured, how decision rights and ownership were distributed, and where the current value streams created friction or lacked clarity. From there, we developed a set of alternative organisational scenarios with concrete pros and cons, which gave VTT's leadership a structured basis for making clear decisions about the future operating model in the AI era.
We also designed the structure for VTT's new AI Center of Excellence defining its governance model, capability requirements, and leadership principles to ensure AI could be scaled consistently and responsibly across the organisation.
Key Outcomes
A new operating model designed for the AI era. VTT gained a clear, evidence-based view of its organisational options, with actionable scenarios that connected structure to strategy and enabled leadership to make confident decisions about the path forward.
AI Center of Excellence established. VTT now has a dedicated organisational home for AI leadership, with governance and capability structures that enable scaling AI initiatives across research, products, and operations in a coordinated and sustainable way.
Clarity on value streams and governance. The engagement gave VTT a clear view of where ownership sat and where coordination could be strengthened. This creates a solid basis for the next phases of organisational development.
About VTT
VTT is a forerunner in research, development and innovation, and one of Europe’s leading research and technology organisations. With over 80 years of experience and more than 2,300 experts, VTT creates solutions that support sustainable growth, help build a better society, and tackle the global challenges of our time. VTT operates across sectors including energy, health, digital technologies, and advanced manufacturing.