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Aalto University and European Commission’s in-house science service Joint Research Centre (JRC) will tighten their collaboration. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Aalto University Provost Ilkka Niemelä and Joint Research Centre Director-General Vladimír Šucha on 26 April.

In the photo (from left): Tuomas Aura, Olli Varis, Sirkku Linna, Mikko Möttönen, Ella Bingham, Ilkka Niemelä, Samuel Kaski, Vladimír Šucha, Riku Jäntti, Taina Tukiainen, Krisztina Cziner, Monica Österberg, Hele Savin and Markku Markkula. Photo Mikko Raskinen.

Areas of common interest for both parties are regional innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurship, advanced energy solutions, sustainable use of natural resources, biomaterials, text and data mining, cyber security, quantum technologies, wireless communications and 5G networks and urban agenda.

At the event Aalto University faculty presented the current cutting-edge research done in Aalto by Professors Tuomas Aura, Samuel Kaski, Hele Savin, Monica Österberg, Riku Jäntti and Dr. Mikko Möttönen.

"If you have smart people and do the right things, you can change things. Aalto University has made a remarkable cultural change and has achieved great results", said Vladimír Šucha.

The Memorandum of Understanding now signed will increase Joint Research Centre's awareness of Aalto University and thus facilitate Aalto researchers' collaboration with JRC researchers and resources. JRC focuses on science for policy and decision-making. In addition it has research infrastructures and facilities in many specific areas such as materials research, energy storage, solar panels, and high performance computing.

Report: Aalto is an orchestrating innovation actor

The Joint Research Centre has recently published a analyzing the innovation ecosystems of Aalto University and Espoo Innovation Garden. The report presents a case study that aims to identify key success factors of the ecosystems, with particular attention to the role of Aalto University as an example of an entrepreneurial university.  The report finds that Aalto University is a strong orchestrating actor who has stimulated the synergistic activities of other actors. It finds the cross-disciplinary thinking at Aalto one of the success factors.

The policy report seeks to inform policies aimed at supporting the strengthening and emergence of existing or new place-based innovation ecosystems and entrepreneurial universities in other EU regions and cities.

Further information:
In case you are interested to establish research collaboration with European Commission’s Joint Research Centre (JRC) or you wish to receive further information about the collaboration agreement details, please contact Project Manager Dr. Krisztina Cziner, krisztina.cziner@aalto.fi, 050 316 1028.

As the Commission's in-house science service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC)'s mission is to provide EU policies with independent, evidence-based scientific and technical support throughout the whole policy cycle.