Researchers and companies generate ideas together

Digitalisation is quickly changing both the industry as well as the entire society. Future economic growth and well-being of Finland will emerge from new innovations, new kind of business activities and cooperation across boundaries.

In Aalto University's Make it Digital! workshop on 26 April, dozens of researchers from the university and representatives of companies are focusing on questions of digitalisation and reflecting on the opportunities provided by industrial internet, cyber security, wireless 5G network and big data. In the event, they create ideas and drafts for high-level research projects shared by companies and the university.

- The industrial internet offers groundbreaking opportunities for traditional industry. The actors must be bold enough to change the familiar operating models and operating environments, emphasises Tero Hottinen of Wärtsilä, who will speak at the event.

- Two themes important for Aalto University will be nicely combined at this workshop: our strong competence in the field of digitalisation and promoting innovations for the good of the society, notes Vice President Tuija Pulkkinen of Aalto University, who will open the event.

Two foundations, Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation and Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, act as the drivers of the event. During this spring, they have opened a funding call for strategic research ideas. The programme is open for Finnish universities, and the foundations have reserved up to 3 million € for high-level research openings. The foundations wish to encourage joint actions that focus on universities' strategic strengths and spark new growth.

- We hope that the new, more open application process will for its part encourage increasingly close and systematic cooperation between universities, companies and those providing research funding, explains Laura Juvonen, managing director of Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation.

Read more:
Funding call for strategic research ideas (teknologiateollisuus.fi)