R&D and Innovation Centers


OTANIEMI IS NORTHERN EUROPE'S LEADING R&D AND INNOVATION HUB

Otaniemi Technology and Innovation Hub is the main hot spot for research and development in Finland. Otaniemi accounts for approximately 50 percent of Finland's R&D value. Currently, over 5,000 researchers and technical experts are involved in R&D activities within Otaniemi and its vicinity.

The following universities and R&D centers are located within Otaniemi and its surroundings and conduct strategic and applied research:

VTT Technical Research Center of Finland: multi-technological contract R&D center (largest in Northern Europe and third largest in Europe). VTT provides technology solutions and innovation services through its 3,000 tehcnical experts. VTT has 1,500 customers (310 of those being international companies), 290 notifications of inventions, 33 software notifciations and over 1,100 patents and patent applications.

Aalto University: merger of three universities namely the Helsinki University of Technology, Helsinki School of Economics and the Univeristy of Art and Design. In 2010,  Aalto has over 19,000 students, 338 professors and 184 doctoral degrees. Research focus are computation and modelling, materials research, design, ICT and media. Furthermore, Aalto has the Design Factory , Media Factory and Service Factory that are the platforms to combine the expertise at Aalto.

Laurea University of Applied Sciences: includes 7,500 students and 500 staff members. R&D focus are wefare competence (services and innovations), knowledge intensive services, security and safety.

Metropolia University of Applied Sciences: consists of 16,000 students and 1200 staff members. R&D focus are clean technology, intelligent systems and services, learning technologies and digital media, automotive-related technologies and innovations.

Philips Innohub Espoo: a joint venture of Royal Philps Electronics of the Netherlands and VTT Technical Research Center of Finland. The InnoHub is a one-stop shop for the entire innovation process from generating ideas, to concept development, prototyping, testing of products and all needed servces.

Active Life Village: centre for competence in the areas of welfare and well being. Core focus is to exploit the potential of informationa and communications technologies to create new services and innovations in the well being of mankind.

Orion R&D unit: focuses on three core therapy areas, namely the central nervous systems (mediacal treatments for neurology and psychiatry), critical care and oncology (such as medicines for cancer and critical care), and easy inhaler products (such as asthma and COPD)

Millilab: laboratory to support the European space industry and meet the demands of future ESA missions. Millilab provides services in device modelling, device characterization, millimetre wave measurement, testing and R&D.

Nokia Research Center (NRC) Otaniemi: collaborates extensively with Aalto University and VTT Technical Research Center of Finland. NRC Otaniemi focuses on research of new radio technologies such as cognitive radio.

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT ICT Labs): based in Otaniemi, along with ICT Labs in Eindhoven, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm aims to turn Europe into an ICT leader. EIT ICT Lab Otaniemi focus is on Empowering People in the Ubiquitois Society ans its thematic acion line is Smart Spaces. Core partners in Finland are VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, Aalto University and Nokia .

Helsinki Institute of Information Technology (HIIT): research institute for basic and applied research in information technologies. HIIT core focus areas are Internet architechture, mobile and human-centric computing, user-created media, analysis of of large sets of data and probable modelling of complex phenomena.

CSC - IT Center for Science: non-profit organization providing IT support and resources for academia, research institutes and companies. Services include modelling, computing and information services. CSC has the widest selection of scientific software and databases and Finland's most powerful supercomputing environment.

Joint research unit of Microsoft and Aalto University: consisting of two research projects with the objective of exploring new possibilities to make web searches in a domestic environment.

Nokia Siemens Networks R&D unit: dealing with telecommunications

Low Temperature Laboratory: coordinator of two national Centers of Excellence (funded by the Academy of Finland ). One of them is the Low Temperature Quantum Phenomena and Devices and the second one is the Systems Neuroscience and Neuroimaging Research.

Micronova: center for design, development and fabrication of micro-and nanosystems. Sectors of expertise include sensors based on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), optical and wireless sensors, wireless communications, photonics systems, biosensors and fluidistics, nano and quantum devices.

Nano House and National Nano-Microscopy Center: large microscopy cluster housing various high resolution microscopy equipment for soft, hard and biomaterial charactization including an ultrahigh resolution transmission electron microscope (TEM).

Finnish Centre for Nanocellulose Technologies: established jointly by VTT Technical Research Center of Finland , Aalto University and UPM . Focus is to create new applications for cellulose as a raw material, substance and end product.

KCL: provides laboratory services and pilot facilities for global companies in the paper and packaging ecosystem. One of the latest cases: Kodak .

Kemira R&D Center: develops technologies and applications for water intensive industries. In addition, in March 2010, Kemira and VTT Technical Research Center of Finland established the Center of Water Efficiency Excellence (SWEET).

GTK - Geological Survey of Finland: geoscience research and contract R&D center. GTK explores innovative ways to acquire and use geoinformation and apply geoscience expertise to industry in the areas of minerals, energy, land use and construction.

MIKES - Centre of Metrology and Accreditation: maintains and develops national measurement standards, provides top-level calibration and expert services, and acts as the national accreditation service for laboratories.