The institute will support the positive structural change in Southwest Finland by means of university education and innovation activities.
All of the seven universities of technology in Finland, Technology Industries of Finland and Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland (TEK) have signed a letter of intent for the establishment of an institute carrying the working title FITech – Finnish Institute of Technology. FITech will strive to improve Finland’s innovation capacity by launching and implementing high-quality education, research and innovation activities in the field of technology as cooperation between universities and businesses.
The organisation of FITech will be light and agile. The actual operation will take place in FITech’s innovation communities, the first of which will quickly support the positive structural change in Southwest Finland by means of university education and innovation activities. A working group headed by Mikko Hupa, Rector of Åbo Akademi University, is currently drawing up an action plan, the intention of which is to bring together the students of all universities of technology and the opportunities offered by growth companies in Southwest Finland in the design and manufacture of new, innovative products. The development programme also contains conversion training for professionals and continuing education.
According to the preliminary plan, the universities of technology will provide the students of the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University with instruction in minor subjects in Turku, online and on the universities’ own campuses. Correspondingly, the University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University are planning to provide instruction in the minor subjects in their fields of speciality for master’s students of technology at Aalto University, Lappeenranta University of Technology LUT, Tampere University of Technology and the University of Vaasa in Turku.
The intention is to create opportunities for summer traineeships, course projects and the completion of master’s theses in growth companies in Southwest Finland.
Further information: President Ilkka Niemelä, Aalto University, tel. +358 50 511 301
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