Turku invests in cooperation between SMEs and universities in the region
The City of Turku is investing in an ambitious project to connect SMEs and universities in the region in a practical and effective way. The million-funded service concept will streamline access to the latest scientific research and the region’s significant engineering expertise and infrastructure for businesses in Finland. The Turku RDI Service (Research, Development and Innovation Service), which promotes business competitiveness, will serve as a channel for cooperation between businesses and universities.
According to a study by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment (2019), only 17% of Finnish SMEs use the RDI services of higher education institutions. In a regional comparison of the survey, Southwest Finland does not differ significantly from the average. The same message is echoed in Sitra’s Business School Survey (2021), which surveyed business decision-makers’ attitudes towards cooperation with educational institutions.
The Turku RDI Service, coordinated by TechCampus Turku and Turku Science Park Ltd, responds to this challenge by strengthening cooperation between business and industry, especially SMEs, and higher education institutions. The aim is to lower the threshold for companies to seek knowledge and cooperation from higher education institutions.
Turku’s technology cluster, which is in a strong growth phase, has already built up long-term networks between universities and businesses. The Faculty of Technology, which attracts international talent, together with Åbo Akademi, Turku University of Applied Sciences and Novia, forms a significant regional cluster of excellence.
“The cooperation between Turku’s universities has enabled a rapid strengthening of the engineering sector, which has received seamless and significant support from the region’s businesses. Now is the time to strengthen cooperation between the region’s universities and businesses. It is important that technology know-how is easily accessible, especially to SMEs in the region,” says Mika Hannula, Director of TechCampus Turku.
A new collaborative RDI voucher is planned, which will allow SMEs to receive co-funding for cooperation with higher education institutions, such as the commissioning of theses.
The cooperation model will boost the growth of all key sectors in the Turku region
Although the Turku RDI service primarily addresses the needs of companies in the technology sector, the model funded by the City of Turku will have an impact on all the key sectors in the Turku economic region. Designed to be practical and easy to use, the cooperation model aims to increase the competitiveness of the entire region’s business sector.
“By combining the similar needs and research problems of different companies, we can build multidisciplinary research projects and apply for large and international research funding,” says Hannula.
The Turku RDI Service, which has received five years of funding, is expected to be launched in early 2023.
For more information, contact
TechCampus Turku
Head of Research Mikko Helle
+358 40 5484 588
mikko.helle@abo.fi
TechCampus Turku
Director Mika Hannula
+358 29 450 4695
mika.hannula@utu.fi