Technology Industries of Finland is donating 1.2 million euros to Aalto University

Technology Industries of Finland donates a total of four million euros to universities with a responsibility for education in the field of technology. The donation to Aalto is 1.2 million euros. The impact of the donation will be increased by the Finnish government's matching funding campaign, which will continue until the end of June 2022.

‘Now, if ever, it's time to invest in the quality of education and research. The shortage of experts has long hampered the sustainable growth of businesses. Due to the changed situation in world politics, the need for green transition and related new competence is even more critical than before. As a nation, we need to strengthen our own capabilities. Technological competence and pioneering are the foundation the country can build on,’ says Minna Helle, Deputy CEO of Technology Industries of Finland.

According to a study by Technology Industries of Finland on the need for skills, the sector will need 130,000 new experts within ten years.

‘We’ve wanted to encourage universities to meet the demand for technology experts, and to strengthen research and business co-operation. This has been taken into account in the donation criteria. Other criteria have included the improvement of the employment rate of graduates in the fields of technology and ICT, and the increase of the share of women and the number of international students in these fields,’ says Touko Apajalahti, Advisor, Higher Education Policy at Technology Industries of Finland.

‘We’d like to thank the Technology Industries of Finland for the donation that will continue to help Aalto University assume responsibility as the largest university level educator in key fields of technology in Finland,’ says Ilkka Niemelä, President of Aalto University.

‘Aalto educates 37 per cent of Finnish Masters of Science in Technology and in Architecture. Over a five-year period, our goal is to increase the number of annual graduates in technology by 350 new Masters of Science in Technology. More than a quarter of all Master's degrees of international students are completed at Aalto University in Finland. In our new strategy, we’ve set the goal of shaping a more sustainable future. We see great opportunities for Finnish businesses and society in it, ‘Niemelä continues.

Technology Industries of Finland already participated in the Finnish government's matching funding campaign at the beginning of 2021 with a donation of one million euros, which was distributed equally between all technology and ICT educators. In recent years, Technology Industries of Finland, as well as its member businesses and Centennial Foundation have donated a total of about 160 million euros to higher education.