Inspiring drive and radical cooperation
What kind of innovation cooperation is carried out in the Otaniemi-Keilaniemi area? Why is interdisciplinary research and development so important? How is the area's welfare culture built?
Many organisations have chosen Espoo and Otaniemi as their place of business. It is home to VTT’s largest office in Finland, one of Europe's leading research institutes. VTT is a visionary research, development and innovation partner owned by the Finnish state whose task is to promote the utilisation and commercialisation of research and technology in business and society. VTT tackles global scientific and technological challenges. This results in sustainable growth, new jobs, well-being and, most importantly, hope for the world and hope for a better future.
The spine of Otaniemi is formed by the Aalto University campus. It is a cluster of unique cooperation and innovative research that provides a wide range of facilities for studying, living and leisure alike. Traditionally, university campuses have been divided into different buildings based on the school of study, but Aalto University has chosen a different approach: the campus facilities have been placed according to the research focus, supporting multidisciplinary cooperation. The proximity of the departments makes it possible to test new functional solutions and share creative spaces with a low threshold. The six schools of Aalto University are located on the campus: School of Engineering, School of Business, School of Chemical Engineering, School of Science, School of Electrical Engineering as well as School of Arts, Design and Architecture.
The Otaniemi campus also includes various services, most of which can be found in the A Bloc and A Blanc shopping centres. A Bloc, which is connected to the Aalto University metro station, is Finland's most innovative shopping centre and the “living room” of the campus. A Blanc, located on the edge of the Alvarinaukio square, is in turn a meeting place that offers local services to support everyday life, such as restaurants, shops and offices. The aim for the future is to bring local companies, start-ups, technology parks and the university campus even closer together to support the creation of new knowledge and innovations.
“Otaniemi is a highly international and versatile innovation, research and expertise cluster that creates new innovations and solutions for the future. It offers jobs and well-being for experts of various fields. We invest in psychological safety and are building an operating culture that encourages cooperation and leaves room for creativity”, Kirsi Nuotto, Senior Vice President of Human Resources, VTT.
“The discussion at Aalto centres around the operational environmental footprint and sustainability impact. Aalto University creates sustainability impact when research, education and innovations are transferred for the benefit of society. The aim is to maximise the sustainability impact while minimizing the environmental footprint”, Janne Laine, Vice President for Innovation, Aalto University.
“The best things about the innovation community in Otaniemi and Espoo as a whole are its unexpectedness and creative inventiveness, which arise from deep expertise, radical cooperation between different actors, mutual trust and a common will to solve even major global problems. The drive in Otaniemi is inspiring and internationally unique”, Mervi Heinaro, Deputy Mayor for Economic Development, Sports and Culture, City of Espoo.
“If you want to come up with creative solutions to the complex problems of our time, you need interdisciplinary research and development cooperation. Thanks to the centralisation and expansion of Aalto University, the Otaniemi campus area is without a doubt one of Finland's most important centres for sustainable innovation", Tea Auramo, Strategist, Fluff Stuff.
“Innovation in the Otaniemi-Keilaniemi area is based on radical cross-disciplinary cooperation. The area houses 25 research centres, 400 research and development units, 5,000 researchers and 16,000 experts in ICT and information-intensive fields. Aalto University and VTT form a core that brings together start-ups, leading companies, researchers, students and citizens to create innovations for a better life”, Erja Turunen, Executive Vice President, VTT.
“For Neste, sustainability, innovations and cooperation are very important. Our location in Otaniemi close to our partners and experts of the future is a natural choice for us”, Minna Aila, Executive Vice President of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs, Neste.
“In Finland, top experts with an immigrant background are taking the lead in different sectors, from public services to business life. It’s important that Finnish society adapts to the new wave of immigration. Diversity, inclusion and equality in leading roles strengthen Finland's position also internationally”, Himadri Majumdar, CEO, SemiQon.
Text: Maria Paldanius
This article was published as a part of a publication Impact when Otaniemi flaps its wings.