The professors encourage researchers to apply for Business Finland funding.
Easy language for business communications
Professor of Finnish Tiina Onikki-Rantajääskö’s project entitled ‘Easy Language for accessible workplace communication’ aims to promote the use of plain language in business communication processes.
“There is a structural need to recruit employees from abroad or individuals whose Finnish language skills are otherwise still developing or who have difficulties, for example, understanding text written in standard language,” Onikki-Rantajääskö says.
“This pertains to, among other things, recruitment and orientation processes, agreements, safety, security and work instructions, as well as customer interfaces. It is critical for Business Finland projects to strive for international business operations, which means that the model will also be developed for the international market without tying it to any specific languages.”
With funding amounting to roughly €60,000, the six-month Co-Creation project is aiming for the next application stage (Co-Innovation). In addition to Onikki-Rantajääskö, the project’s second leading professor is Roman Yangarber. Also contributing to the project is a doctoral researcher and coordinating University Researcher, Docent of General Linguistics Ulla Vanhatalo. The project’s business partner is Barona.
Tools for conflict prevention
Professor of Area and Cultural Studies Jussi Pakkasvirta’s Pulp or Conflict project represents multidisciplinary research in the field, investigating the methods used by various operators in both criticising and defending the pulp industry.
“Finland has increasingly invested in the Latin American forest industry. At the same time, the transition of pulp production to newly established eucalyptus fields has generated new environmental and societal effects. Discussions on, for example, soil degradation, water sufficiency, the strain on waterways and corporate tax treatment have increased,” says Pakkasvirta.
Environmental organisations in particular have criticised pulp production in Latin America and the Global South in general. According to Pakkasvirta, this kind of criticism is often referred to as ‘extractivism’. It has been based on research knowledge and emotions, but also partly on beliefs. In their responses to the criticism, pulp industry representatives have relied on scientific research.
”The project will provide concrete tools for companies to proactively deal with conflicts, which often follow global investments and become costly, based on the best multidisciplinary research knowledge.”
The project’s duration is six months. The funding awarded by Business Finland and other external parties amounts to €64,000. Alongside Pakkasvirta, working in the project are Emilio Del Pupo, a doctoral researcher in Latin American Studies, and Professor Andrés Rivarola from Stockholm University. Also contributing is the media company BoostHelsinki. In the first stage, the project’s business partner is UPM, with NGOs also to be invited and interviewed in both Finland and Uruguay.
Training material for innovation policymakers
Professor of Russian Environmental Studies Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen is involved in the project Challenge-led Innovation Policy, Geopolitical Uncertainty and Security (CIPGeS), which combines analyses of geopolitical and security contexts with the development of innovation and growth policy. The project supports the innovation and growth potential of Finnish decision-makers, businesses and regions by utilising prior research on transformative politics.
“The project stems from the geopolitical changes brought about by Russia’s war of aggression. Among other things, the project’s purpose is to analyse how the changing geopolitical context affects Finland’s innovation environment and its establishment of a new challenge-driven innovation policy.”
The research group brings together expertise in the sustainability transition and innovation policy as well as geopolitics and security studies, with the Finnish Environment Institute and Utrecht University as collaboration partners. The project is headed by Paula Kivimaa from the Finnish Environment Institute.
The project provides policy guidelines and training material for innovation policymakers and business operators in a rapidly changing field.
“Among other things, we will produce a guide for assessing the geopolitical and security aspects of future innovation and industrial policy.”
The funding for the two-year project is €500,000, of which the share of the sub-project carried out at the University of Helsinki is one-fifth.
Funding for humanities research should be applied without hesitation
According to Pakkasvirta, the channels for applying for research funding are fairly established, sometimes even overly so, in the humanities and social sciences.
“Most often, support is sought from the Research Council of Finland, the EU and foundations. Even so, many research ideas make it possible to seek funding from many different sources. Business Finland’s funding calls are also clear, and applicants can receive feedback from the funder even before submitting their application.”
Onikki-Rantajääskö points out that the University’s Research Funding Services unit also provides support for applying.
According to Tynkkynen, Business Finland funding has practical goals, such as creating new innovations, strengthening business competitiveness and supporting regional development.
“This ethos of applied research may sow doubt among researchers dedicated to basic research, but projects funded by Business Finland are based on solid expertise in basic research. Of course, policy-oriented research is also an important element of the third statutory mission of Finnish universities, which is to strengthen public engagement and the impact of research.”
“For many researchers, business negotiations aimed at research and development mean stepping to the perimeter of their comfort zone,” says Onikki-Rantajääskö.
“In the current economy, it may not be easy to achieve a satisfactory result for everyone. However, the humanities have a lot to contribute to society. The challenge is to come up with feasible means for them to do so.”