Meyer Turku donates EUR 800,000 to Aalto University

Meyer Turku is investing in shipbuilders of the future by donating EUR 800,000 to Aalto University. With the donation, Aalto will establish a five-year Professor of Practice to the School of Engineering to accelerate developments in marine technology and secure expertise in the field in Finland. This new donation is part of Meyer Turku’s broad collaboration with educational institutions and research. 

Aalto University’s new Professor of Practice in Interdisciplinary Naval Architecture will combine marine technology and engineering with economics, finance, contract law, as well as architecture and design. The aim is to develop shipbuilding holistically and strengthen collaboration between research and industry. This cross-disciplinary approach supports the renewal of the marine industry and responds to the sector’s growing competence needs. 

Recruitment for the five-year Professor of Practice will begin later this year. If the position is part-time, the donated funds may also be used to hire post-doc researchers or PhD candidates and to support other activities that advance interdisciplinary shipbuilding. 

’Our order book extending to 2030 and a framework agreement with our customer through 2036 bring unprecedented predictability to the company’s operations. They enable exceptionally long-term investments in competence, research, and international collaboration. These investments support the education of a new, broadly qualified generation of shipbuilders and strengthen the long-term competitiveness of Finnish marine industry,’ says Casimir Lindholm, CEO of Meyer Turku. 

’We are extremely grateful for Meyer Turku’s significant donation, which further strengthens Aalto’s top-level research and education in marine technology. The interdisciplinary perspective of the new Professor of Practice in shipbuilding reflects Aalto University’s core idea and creates excellent conditions for cooperation with industry,” says Ilkka Niemelä, President of Aalto University. 

Aalto University’s Professor of Practice continues Meyer Turku’s long-term investments in competence development. The donation-funded professorship in mechanical engineering launched at the University of Turku in 2021 has strengthened the region’s technical expertise and responded to companies’ concrete needs. 

Meyer Turku promotes awareness of the marine industry starting from primary and secondary education. Collaboration with vocational institutions is extensive and includes Meyer Turku’s own Shipbuilding School (Laivanrakennusoppilaitos), which has operated for over 60 years. With universities and universities of applied sciences, cooperation ranges from improving the industry’s visibility and attractiveness to research. 

A key platform for research collaboration is the MERiON program co-funded by Business Finland, which develops technologies, competencies, and operating models for the marine industry. Meyer Turku’s GTLab coordinates the program’s projects in close cooperation with partner institutions. In addition, the company participates in international NORSI collaboration, which connects the Finnish marine industry to global technology and innovation networks.