Aalto to lead four strategic research programmes

The 16 consortia for the first strategic research programmes were selected by the Strategic Research Council (SRC) on 14 September 2015. Aalto University leads four consortia and participates in three other consortia.

Aalto University as leader of consortium:  

• Professor Martti Mäntylä: DDI - Digital Disruption of Industry
• Professor Ville Kyrki: ROSE - Robots and the Future of Welfare Services
• Professor Raimo Lovio: SET - Smart Energy Transition - Realizing its potential for sustainable growth for Finland's second century
• PVN - Platform Value Now: Value capturing in the fast emerging platform ecosystem.

Aalto participates in the following projects:

• COMBAT - Competence-Based Growth Through Integrated Disruptive Technologies of 3D Digitalization, Robotics, Geospatial Information and Image Processing/Computing – Point Cloud Ecosystem: Professor Hannu Hyyppä and Professor Arto Visala.
• WIP - Work, Inequality and Public Policy: Professor Pekka Ilmakunnas.
• PSE - Preventing Social Exclusion: What Works and Why? Dr. Kristiina Huttunen.

The programmes will involve 16 extensive consortium projects composed of a total of 119 research teams. About half of the researchers in these teams are based at universities and one in three at research institutes. Nearly all consortia intend to collaborate with business companies.  The total funding budget for the years 2015–2017 is 52.5 million euros.

In the first review round, applications were reviewed in programme-specific panels that assessed the projects for their societal relevance and impact, quality of interaction and programme compatibility. The panels, which convened in May 2015, consisted of both Finnish and foreign experts with extensive experience not only in science and research funding but also in evidence-based management and policy. The scientific review showed that the applicants and the applications were of a very high standard.

The per-project funding amounts will be decided in October. Before the decisions are made, the SRC will negotiate with consortium representatives on the objectives for the planned research and interaction. The exact funding instalments for the consortia will be determined after this negotiation stage.