Annual report 2022

Insta is a one-stop-shop for industrial automation, electrification, and digital solutions. Our strength is the management of the entire value chain through our expertise in turnkey deliveries, engineering, cabinet manufacturing, installations, and life-cycle management.

A competent partner for industrial data projects

Insta’s continuous improvement of competence has made us an attractive partner, and it enables an even more comprehensive range of services and the ability to deliver. Our customers’ growing demands in terms of business, the environment, and quality require seamless, efficient, and secure systems for automation, electrification, production control, and simulation. With our committed employees, who thoroughly know our customers’ operations and processes, we have the capacity to execute even more intelligent and extensive system deliveries from automation and electrification to the highest-level digitalization.

The strong utilization of a scalable data platform creates new opportunities for our industrial customers in terms of data-based management and the acceleration of digitalization. We help our customers improve the profitability, efficiency, and security of their business.

An expert in critical infrastructure and renewable energy

Our industrial business functions serve a broad range of critical functions of society, such as our customers in the energy and food industry, water supply, and the pharmaceutical sector.
 
The number of automation and electrical system deliveries is rapidly growing in the energy sector. The importance of sustainable energy production and renewable energy sources is growing globally.

We support sustainable development and strengthen the competitive advantage of our critical infrastructure customers by offering automation and digitalization solutions that make production processes more efficient while reducing the environmental impacts.

A comprehensive life-cycle approach

We utilize our expertise in a comprehensive manner – our broad portfolio as a platform-independent provider enables us to offer our customers cost-efficient solutions that are profitable and secure across the life cycle.

We deliver large-scale automation as well as electrical and digitalization projects at a quick turnaround time. Our maintenance and life-cycle services ensure that the customer receives a secure, comprehensive service from our 24-hour on-call service to process and equipment maintenance as well as the verification of operability.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2022:

Insta is one of Finland’s most significant cyber security partners. We offer a wide range of cyber security services from consulting to cyber defence and from network security to secure digital identity. Our services, products, and broad international partner network are trusted by corporations and public sector organizations in Finland and abroad.

We work with large companies as well as public administration, defense, and municipal sector customers. Our aim is to be our customers’ number one partner in cyber security. It is important to listen to the customer and understand their industry’s special characteristics. We have been commended for our flexible, quick, and reliable approach as well as our extensive expertise. Accordingly, we have a very high customer satisfaction rating (NPS 83). We have a very skilled team, and our employee satisfaction is, similarly, on a very good level (eNPS 56).

Continuous development of competence and offering

In 2022, we continued our efforts to further develop our cyber security products and services as well as to expand our business.

Early in the year, our Security Operations Center (SOC) was expanded to become a 24/7 service, which enables us to monitor our customers’ cyber security every day around the clock and to respond to any deviations. In addition, we continued developing the digital key management service as well as signing services for applications and licenses. In terms of products, special focus was put on the development of the next generation version of the Insta Certifier CA software and the development of data communication encryption products.

Continuous improvement of competence through training and recruitment is a key element of our operations. In 2022, our team received various new certificates (including CISA, CISSP, SANS, and ITIL), and we succeeded in hiring new cyber security professionals. At the turn of the year, our team comprised more than 140 experts in this field.

Growth and international expansion

In the cyber security business, net sales in 2022 grew by 16% from the previous year, and cyber security solution sales had record-high growth of 40% compared to 2021. In addition, in 2022, our cyber security services completed the largest contract in the business area’s history worth €4.2 million. Already, approximately one fifth of our business is directed toward the international market, and we want to work on and expand this development in the future. Partners play a significant role in terms of internationalization.

We believe in strong growth in the coming years and we are confident that we are able to continue offering interesting opportunities to cyber security professionals in the future. Furthermore, we are actively looking into potential acquisitions in the cyber security sector.

Highlights in 2022:

Cyber security 24/7
Insta’s SOC activities expanded – now we are able to monitor our customers’ cyber security 24/7. Read more.

Safe data transfers
Insta Yhdyskäytävä is a gateway product approved by Traficom’s National Communications Security Authority. It can be used for data transfers between networks of differing security classes up until safety class II (SECRET). Read more.

Interesting opportunities for new Insta personnel
We managed to hire new skilled professionals to supplement our diverse team. More than 60 new employees started in our Cyber Security and Digital units.  

Products and services

In terms of products, special focus was placed on the next generation version of Insta Certifier and on network security solutions compliant with safety class II. 

As regards services, we continued developing the digital key management service as well as signing services for applications and licenses.

Insta offers agile, comprehensive software consulting services. Our strong competence helps our customers evolve, develop further, and create a unique customer experience in the increasingly connected world.

We differentiate ourselves with professionalism that emphasizes a strong understanding of the industrial environment, information security, experience in implementing critical systems, and expertise in modern, reliable technologies.

Secure turnkey solutions

Our operations follow high standards of quality and are based on solid professional skill, an in-depth understanding of our customers’ business, and a diverse offering of consulting and services. Our competence covers the entire value chain from coming up with the idea for a new service to execution, quality assurance and, eventually, maintenance. 

We offer broad turnkey solutions that combine software development, analytics, customer-centric service design and user experience, digital twins, and state-of-the-art information security.  At the core of our analytics business is Insta’s data platform, which increases our customers’ net sales, reduces costs, and boosts production efficiency by utilizing AI and data.

We are experts in the development of digital business and in ensuring the continuity and efficiency of business. We work in close collaboration with Insta’s other business units in order to be able to offer our services as broadly and quickly as possible and further accelerate our customers’ digitalization.

We have extensive experience in demanding industrial software development projects and information security-critical development. We do much more than just individual implementations. We are able to broadly consider our customers’ special product development needs, whether they are related to design, embedded devices, IoT, or quality assurance.

Close to the customer

Our software projects utilize agile methods and a flexible cell approach to product development, in which the composition of a team can be modified according to the stage of the project. We use the technologies chosen by the customer or we provide assistance in making the choice.

Our customers operate in a wide range of fields, including the energy, forest, extractives, pharmaceuticals, port, agriculture, transport, food, and process industry. Our expertise is used in a comprehensive way in the healthcare, banking, and insurance sectors as well as by public sector operators.

In 2022, we managed to hire a lot of new skilled people and we reached record levels of employee retention and job satisfaction. Professional pride, a sense of community, and teamwork are strongly present in everything that we do. We want to grow and create teams of experts who enjoy their work and whose know-how is seen and felt by our customers through even more innovative and effective collaboration and higher quality.

Highlights in 2022:

Strategic partnerships and mobile machinery
New customer projects in the mobile machinery sector lay the foundation for long-term partnerships.

More skilled experts
We managed to hire new experts to supplement our diverse team. Our job satisfaction is record high.

Products and services:

Industrial software development
We have extensive experience in demanding industrial software projects and information security-critical development.

Good design results in better business
Good design ensures that a solution is successful: that it is easy and intuitive to use and that it also solves the right problems from a business sense.

AI and data analytics
In the industry, data-centric solutions and AI enable the optimization of production and quality, anticipation of errors, and improvement of safety.

Customer story:

Case Sandvik - A groundbreaking new tool enables modeling Sandvik’s electric equipment, bolsters the companies’ shared vision, and facilitates communication

Insta is a front-runner in solutions and services for networked defence, a supplier of smart command & control systems, and a provider of life-cycle support services for security of supply. As a long-term strategic partner of the Finnish Defence Forces, we have an important role in ensuring the security of supply and in securing industrial self-sufficiency.

We work closely with the other actors in the field. As an expert in state-of-the-art technology, we are able to offer purposeful products and solutions to the international defence technology market and unique positions for software professionals.

International opportunities

Typical features of the command & control systems and comprehensive systems that we develop include a network-centric approach, national and international compatibility, robust information security, and built-in training capabilities. The command & control systems that we develop are integrated into our customers’ operating environments.

The NATO membership will also bring opportunities for exporting the solutions to other NATO member countries.

Future solutions are built together

We have worked with the Finnish Defence Forces for more than 50 years. This, as well as our determined work according to high standards of quality, enables Insta’s strong role as a provider of avionics maintenance services for the new F-35 fighter fleet.

We will continue to focus on unmanned aviation as well as products of high technology, offering our customers state-of-the-art solutions. Among other things, we have developed solutions that support the pilot’s performance, such as the Insta ANR active noise reduction system and the IPBAM system (Insta Pilot's Breath Air Monitor).

By combining our unique research, the possibilities from international partnerships and the close, long-term collaboration with the Finnish Defence Forces as a strategic partner, we are able to offer our expertise to the defence technology market even more comprehensively than before.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2022

Better performance through collaboration
Our close partnership and working together with the Finnish Defence Forces continued as planned. Insta’s determined work according to high standards of quality enables our strong role as a provider of avionics maintenance services for the F-35 fighter fleet, for example.

Our employees have first rate software expertise in defence technology
As an expert in state-of-the-art technology, we are able to offer purposeful products and solutions to the international defence technology market and unique positions for our employees.

Strong growth
Our defence sector net sales and financial performance developed as expected.

Products & services:

Internationally compatible systems

Examples include the Insta SafeLink encryption service and the secure CDS gateway solution designed for military environments. We expect the international market to open up especially in terms of air defence C2 systems.

Insta Blue Aware™ situational awareness system

The Insta Blue Aware™ situational awareness system has been used successfully in the SURE urban security project by the City of Tampere, where it was tested by paramedics, among others. In addition, the system was used during the Ice Hockey World Championships at the Nokia Arena in spring 2022. The versatile system has been applied by the Voluntary Rescue Service as well as by security operators and security personnel of large events, such as the Ruisrock music festival and Särkänniemi theme park.

The growth in unmanned aviation continues

The number of unmanned aviation concepts is growing, and, thanks to our competent personnel, we are able to offer our customers modern technology solutions and leading service expertise.

Products that support pilots’ safety and performance

We attracted international interest with the Insta ANR active noise reduction system, which we delivered to SAAB, and the internationally tested Insta Pilot’s Breath Air Monitor (IPBAM), among other things.

Insta helps Gripen aircrew improve performance

Insta helps U.S. Air Force keep their aircrew safe