New experts have joined the Innovation Centre team, and it’s time to introduce them! This time, we are introducing Business Development Specialist Ville Saarenpää and Business Development Manager Marika Koivuniemi.

My Christmas is always very easy-going: the Christmas Eve follows the same pattern, if it’s up to me (yes, I’m one of those crazy Christmas enthusiasts). Now that I’ve worked a while as a Communications Intern at the Innovation Centre, I started thinking about my Christmas celebration from an innovative perspective. What inventions would make my Christmas even smoother?

Finns are afraid of failure. This is evident at least in the fact that we dare not become entrepreneurs. Where does this fear come from? In other Nordic countries, people become entrepreneurs more boldly, so why does the situation change when we are inside the borders of Finland?

The goal of the Fossil Free Future project is to develop new fossil-free solutions that are used in the production and use of energy needed in industry and transport. Danfoss is currently looking for partners to design smart, sustainable and renewable energy source innovations in co-innovation projects funded by Business Finland and various EU-funded projects.

One of the projects underway at the University of Oulu is CAAMA, which stands for column-casted alkali-activated material adsorbent. The project’s goal is to introduce new alternatives for industrial wastewater treatment.

The University of Oulu is running a 6G Flagship research programme, which involves a wide range of research around 6G. One of the research projects is called EMETA (Enabling Metaverse).

The University of Oulu Innovation Centre helps the business community use research results and expertise in the development of its business operations and supports cooperation between researchers and companies. What all do our responsibilities include?

Based on research conducted at the University of Oulu, a startup company called IndoorAtlas has emerged and it provides solutions related to indoor positioning

The theme of this year's University Business Forum was "Future proofing and future boosting", around which the four thematic sessions of the event had been built. Session number two focused on how to make the future of the fashion industry truly greener.

Onnikka Health Oy is a startup that makes the digital lifestyle guidance application Onnikka.

SHAPE is an ecosystem of Mirka Oy, a manufacturer of abrasives, polishing compounds and tools, and its goal is to develop new sustainable solutions for industry and construction.

Could you imagine that one day our phones would be soft or even stretchy? Or that your smartwatch would rest around your wrist like an extra layer of skin you wouldn't even feel?

Marko Heikkinen, who is responsible for new business development at Pipelife, sees that cooperation is best achieved when ideas are processed and developed together. In addition, extensive networks between both small and large companies create new opportunities for collaboration.

The University of Oulu cooperates with both Finnish and international companies. Head of Research Pekka Kilpeläinen works on collaborative projects related to health and well-being.

The possibilities of artificial intelligence have been discussed for a long time, and its use is now expanding and growing rapidly in practice. This development can be achieved by studying the subject and implementing solutions already developed or developing new ones in cooperation with others.

Lloyd Ruddock works as a professor at the Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine at the University of Oulu. For a long time, the commercialization of research and all that related to it appeared similar to the dark side of the force in Star Wars to him. Now, however, he has been working with things connected with commercialization and innovation for more than a decade. What made him change his mind?

Juho Yliniemi, Assistant Professor at the University of Oulu, founded Keko Geopolymeerit Oy as a response to a practical need, and the business has grown steadily since the company was established. Yliniemi and Jouni Rissanen, the company's CEO, tell how the company was founded and how they ended up in the field.

Emedpatch, a startup heading for United States’ healthcare market, was formed after thorough groundwork. CEO Miika Miinala goes through how the company came to be.

LessonLab Oy on ollut olemassa vasta muutaman kuukauden, mutta sen tulevaisuuden varalle on jo suuria suunnitelmia. Miska Visuri kertoo, kuinka yritys sai alkunsa, ja kuinka R2B-projekti toi laajempaa näkökulmaa valmiiksi innostavan idean hyödyntämiseen.

Finland has official goal of increasing R&D investments into 4% of GDP by year 2030. For University of Oulu this means the increase in the volume of research projects. We intend to double the cooperation with different organizations by the year 2030.