News

The Finnish Freshwater Competence Centre Aims to Boost Science, Education, and Business with Key Technologies

The main goal of the Freshwater Competence Centre is to promote the research infrastructure, equipment, and the outstanding Finnish freshwater competence and knowledge both nationally and internationally, in order to make wide-reaching science with concrete impact.
Freshwater Competence Centre

The Freshwater Competence Centre (FWCC) consists of Finnish universities and governmental research institutes: University of Turku, University of Oulu, Aalto University, Finnish Environment Institute, and Finnish Geospatial Research Institute. Currently, there are also 15 business organisations involved.

'Each one of these organisations has their own specific field of expertise within the research area of freshwater. The previous successful collaborations encouraged these organisations to finally start the Freshwater Competence Centre, to try and solve great challenges related to our valuable freshwater resources,' says the leader of the Centre Petteri Alho from the University of Turku.

The Freshwater Competence Centre focuses on three themes: green transition, networking, and digital transition. The centre is funded by the Academy of Finland via multiple Academy projects.

'We are developing a concept in which we take environmental values​ into account and utilise digitalisation in the examination of river basins. For example, westudy the effects of climate and land-use changes to the river basins, nutrients, suspended matter, and carbon loads. We also study the greener, ecosystem-based solutions for managing the upcoming challenges,' Alho says.

The researchers aim to create a digital twin of river basins, in particular, three supersites (River Vantaanjoki, Oulanka River, and Tana river), to develop next generation modeling research for fluvial environments in the context of water amount and quality.

'We also have wide-ranging expertise from peatland and ground water hydrology to fluvial dynamics and state-of-the-art 3D mapping and modeling of the river basin and the catchment area,' Alho says.

The researchers of the centre are developing a research, development and innovation ecosystem connecting the scientific actors in fluvial and water shed science as well as businesses in the field of freshwater in Finland. In this task, the University of Eastern Finland is also involved as a partner.

The hydrological research infrastructure of the centre will obtain and build a research infrastructure of sensors and models for freshwater research in a coordinated manner across the main science actors, consisting of latest available under- and above water sensor technologies as well as a wide variety of autonomous and human-operated platforms to mount the sensors on.

Akatemiatutkija, apulaisprofessori Eliisa-Lotsari. Kuva: Tuure Takala.
Eliisa Lotsari is an expert on northern river environment and the winter conditions water flow.

'In order to be better prepared for the predicted effects of climate change, it is important to study the seasonal changes in floods, material transport and erosion risk in the northern rivers,' reminds Academy Research Fellow Eliisa Lotsari, from the Department of Built Environment at Aalto University.

'It is also essential to develop new observation methods, digitize water environments, and improve the distribution of data so that information is made available to the widest possible range of users in addition to researchers,' she continues.

Contact us for more information:

PI, Professor Petteri Alho, University of Turku, [email protected], tel. +358 50 570 8333. Alho is an expert on measurement and modeling of river environments and river dynamics.

Assistant Professor Hannu Marttila, University of Oulu, [email protected], tel. +358 50 350 5605. Marttila is an expert on hydrological processes and catchment.  management issues in northern landscapes.

Academy Research Fellow Eliisa Lotsari, Aalto University, [email protected], tel. +358 50 473 2282 Lotsari is an expert on northern river environment and the winter conditions water flow.

Research Professor Cintia Uvo, Finnish Environment Institute, [email protected]., tel. +358 295 251 555. Uvo is an expert on hydrological research of large areas.

Research Professor Harri Kaartinen, Finnish Geospatial Research Institute, [email protected], tel. +358 29 531 4756. Marttila is an expert on new 3D measurement technologies.

We kindly invite researchers, businesses, and networks to join and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to get the up-to-date freshwater news from Finland.

Follow us on LinkedIn

Follow us on Twitter

www.freshwatercompetencecentre.com

  • Published:
  • Updated:

Read more news

Two students and a professor sitting around a table, talking and looking at laptop screen.
Research & Art, Studies Published:

Call for doctoral student tutors, November 2024

Sign-up to be a tutor for new doctoral students as part of the Aalto Doctoral Orientation Days!
Kaivuri työmaalla kahden rakennuksen välissä, maassa putkia ja muuta metallia.
Press releases, Research & Art Published:

Researchers develop first carbon-negative binder material - Significant impact on emissions from infra building

Researchers have developed a binder material that can replace carbon-intensive cement
Professor Maarit Karppinen
Appointments, Research & Art Published:

Professor Maarit Karppinen appointed as a member of the European Research Council

Maarit Karppinen, professor of inorganic materials chemistry at Aalto University, will begin her term as member of the ERC Scientific Council on January 1, 2025.
Shaking up tech 2023
Campus, Research & Art, Studies Published:

Shaking up Tech welcomes high school students to campuses in January

The keynote speaker this time is neuroscientist Minna Huotilainen. The purpose of the event is to introduce the field of technology to underrepresented groups.