Research opportunities at Aalto
Aalto University provides high-level facilities for research, teaching and innovation, including unique, nationally significant research infrastructures. Our large infrastructures are open to everyone in the Aalto community.
Driving excellence in research
Aalto University shines in international university rankings, especially in field-specific rankings in technology, art and business, as well as in those that compare young universities.
- Our long-term purpose in research: We excel and make breakthroughs in and across science, art, technology and business.
- Our current focus of development: Driving excellence. We create world-class clusters of excellence in our key research areas and bring complementary talent together to work on grand challenges.
- The planned actions: Attracting and fostering talent, developing selected research infrastructures, new collaboration across fields.
Key research areas
Aalto University’s research focuses on seven key areas combining four core competences in the fields of ICT, materials, arts, design and business together with three grand challenges related to energy, living environment, and health.
Latest research news
The Metex Prize 2026 winner is Hana Rehorčíková
The Metex Prize is awarded for excellence in Master’s thesis work done in collaboration with a technology company or to promote the significance and use of design and art in Finnish industry.
Ornamo Awards '26: The Design Forerunner Award to service designer Mariana Salgado
The Design Forerunner Award goes to service designer Mariana Salgado, who brings design into climate research and builds people’s participation in the sustainability transition.
Doctoral thesis: Kata Fodor examines sustainable diets – between the plate and the planet
In her doctoral thesis, Kata Fodor examines how more sustainable diets can be promoted through the design of environments, spaces, infrastructures, and cities.
Five things everyone should know about photonics
Most of the digital devices we use daily rely on photonics. As artificial intelligence continues to grow, photonics will continue to make data centres more energy-efficient, says Paul Verrinder, Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering at Aalto University.Campus
Aalto University's campus in Otaniemi is the home of an innovative community. Explore the campus virtually at virtualtour.aalto.fi.
