Eco-innovations aim to decrease the negative environmental impact and increase resource efficiency. It is seen as a critical means to achieve the carbon neutral circular economy society. Developing eco-innovations in the manufacturing industry could be an impactful activity in terms of green transition. In fact, manufacturing industry produces a great deal of CO2 emissions. On the other hand, the manufacturing industry is not able to take advantage of sustainable manufacturing technologies nor digital technologies. In this paper, we conduct a qualitative and multiple case study in Finland. We seek answers for what actions manufacturing SMEs are taking in terms of green and digital transition. The interview data were collected in January 2025 and was constructed as six case descriptions for content analysis. The potential for developing eco-innovations in these case companies relates to the data-based tools to help improve operational efficiency of case companies. University is seen as potential development partner in this kind of development, but the need to adjust the level of communication to the level of small companies is highlighted.