Professor of Practice Erkki Ormala to evaluate adequacy of state funding for research and innovation

Minister of Economic Affairs Mika Lintilä has invited Professor pf Practice Erkki Ormala of the School of Business to evaluate the adequacy and relevance of government action with respect to resources for applied research as well as the role of VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. for research and innovation activities that serve the business community. The report is scheduled for completion in October 2018.

Finland is clearly falling behind its competitor countries when comparing corporate input into research and innovation activities. An experienced expert in research and innovation policy has been invited to serve as an investigator. Ormala has previously worked (1987–1999) as the chief planner of the state Science and Technology Policy Council and as Vice President of Technology Policy at Nokia. At present Ormala is a Professor at the Aalto University Department of Management Studies. The report will be presented to Minister Lintilä in October 2018.

The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment is also launching an external independent evaluation of the position and role of VTT in the research and innovation system. Gaia Consulting Oy was selected to implement the evaluation on the basis of a competition. 

The aim of the evaluation carried out by Gaia Consulting is to establish a vision of key development needs and recommendations both for VTT and the state for the development of corporate governance.  The evaluation will be completed in December 2018.

Since its organisational change in 2015 VTT has updated its strategy and implemented many reforms. Meanwhile, over the past ten years many fast changes have taken place in the operating environment to which VTT must be capable of reacting. One significant factor has been the cuts targeting RDI funding and the reduced desire of companies to invest into research and innovation activity. 

The larger impacts of the changes made in the organisation will not be seen until the coming years, but now is a good moment to examine the direction in which the changes that have been made are moving, as well as the new position and role of VTT as part of the national research and innovation system.

Further information:
Professor of Practice Erkki Ormala
Innovation Management
[email protected]
tel. +358 40 749 2779

The press release  was originally issued (in Finnish) by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment on 5 June 2018.