Research and higher education can address economic challenges, Aalto University President Ilkka Niemelä said during his speech to open the academic year on 2 September 2025.
In Finland, the productivity of work has not gone up as hoped and economic growth has been at a standstill for more than a decade. However, according to Niemelä, the situation is not so grim across the board.
Aalto University Professor Emeritus Matti Pohjola has analysed Finnish society’s growth challenges in different industries. It becomes clear in his report that there is actually strong growth in certain industries in Finland, such as deep tech and information technology companies.
'Aaltonians are contributing strongly to this, and many of these growth companies originate from Otaniemi. And the pace is ever increasing: the combined value of firms founded by Aalto alumni is more than 30 billion euros, and these firms have created more than 15 000 new jobs. We need the same kind of spirit of reinvention and growth for all industries in Finland,' says Niemelä.
The Government’s programme includes the important goal of ensuring that half of young people attain higher education—Finland is, in fact, behind the OECD-country average in higher education attainment among young adults.
Higher education institutions are striving to add education capacity, which means teaching staff, space and tools to provide high-quality education for all admitted students through to graduation. For this, universities require a more stable financial outlook, in other words long-term basic funding, says Niemelä.
University graduates power sustainable growth, which is why investment is needed in research and research-based education.
At the opening ceremony for the new academic year, the new Aalto Distinguished Professor, an honour given to an especially deserving professor, was announced. Professor of Economics Otto Toivanen from the Aalto University School of Business was named Aalto Distinguished Professor.
Toivanen’s research focuses particularly on innovation policy, inventors and the effects of invention at the individual level, the regulation of companies and markets (e.g., R&D subsidies), and competition in its various forms, particularly cartels and collusion between companies. He acted as the Helsinki Graduate School of Economics’ (Helsinki GSE) first academic director in 2018-2025.
At the opening ceremony community awards were also distributed. These yearly awards are given based on nominations from the community to Aaltonians, who have done outstanding work in support of Aalto’s success.
The Aalto Act of the Year was given for the launch of the Marsio building’s activities. Located at the heart of campus, Marsio is a meeting and event space open to everyone, and supports multidisciplinary research, art and teaching. Many people across functions have together developed the building’s events and service, making the university more open and accessible.
Open-to-all research and art event series continue in Marsio this autumn. The events are made possible through Aalto’s collaboration with the City of Espoo and Saastamoinen Foundation. At the same time, Marsio’s multi-functional and event area on the ground floor was named the Saastamoinen Foundation Stage.
Last spring, Saastamoinen Foundation granted Aalto University a donation of EUR 1.5 million. The donation is directed to the activities at the Marsio building supporting the cross-disciplinary fields of Aalto University. With the donation the university will be able to strengthen its art and media education and interdisciplinary research as well as societal interaction and impact.
Otto Toivanen, Professor of Economics at the School of Business, was appointed Aalto Distinguished Professor at the opening of the academic year on September 2, 2025.
The pioneers of Aalto's satellite research were awarded with the new Innovation Award
