University of Helsinki pilots business-oriented doctoral education with partners

The DSII pilot was launched with significant funding from the T, which made it possible for doctoral researchers to work with businesses and develop innovations at the intersection of research and industry.

“We wish to support solutions that boost expertise and competitiveness in Finland’s technology sector. The DSII pilot combines research and business needs effectively,” says Antti Aarnio, Executive Director of the Foundation.

The DSI doctoral school model, implemented collaboratively by tech companies and universities, was launched in Tampere roughly ten years ago. According to Maria Linkoaho-Nordling, the project manager for the pilot, l has expanded to the University of Helsinki, with collaboration with Tampere University and Tamlink Oy launched in the spring of 2021.

“The publication of research results and the proprietary rights to any resulting inventions do not cause any disagreement,” says Dean Sasu Tarkoma. According to Tarkoma, clear agreements were drawn up at the beginning of the collaboration, laying down the rules for all parties.

Eight doctoral researchers have been selected for the pilot, of whom four will complete their doctoral theses at the University of Helsinki and four at Tampere University. Employed by the universities, the researchers collaborate closely with corporate doctoral thesis supervisors. Doctoral research is also supervised by both universities.

A next-generation particle counter

In 2023, completed his master’s thesis in physics at the University of Vienna, Austria. He asked his supervisor about any open positions. His interest in postgraduate studies coincided with  a company that manufactures atmospheric measuring equipment, and the University of Helsinki’s search for a doctoral researcher for a four-year project. . 

He was familiar with Academician Markku Kulmala and the aerosol research conducted in Helsinki. Hartl moved to Helsinki two years ago. 

He has been tasked with further developing the condensation nucleus counter designed at Airmodus. With the project now at the halfway mark, Hartl’s first is about to be published.

“It’s interesting to see how a small business operates while also getting to know the functioning of the academic community. I receive support and have been given sufficient freedom. We are like a small family,” says Hartl.

Hartl is very happy with his industrially oriented doctoral research, and the pilot project provides a good starting point for an academic career or industry positions. However, that choice is still waiting in the future.

During the project, Hartl has also had the chance to witness what happens to a small business after corporate acquisition. 

Airmodus, a growth company founded on atmospheric research, was sold in late 2024 to , a French company developing measuring equipment in the natural sciences with 1,200 employees around the world. 

The Airmodus team continues to manufacture and develop condensation nucleus counters, including particle-size magnifiers (PSM), on Kumpula Campus in the Dynamicum building housing the Finnish Meteorological Institute. 

Additional research input for businesses

R&D Director Joonas Vanhanen, one of the founders of Airmodus, describes the DSII pilot as an ideal solution for the company. It provides the company with additional research-related resources. 

“The doctoral researcher is carrying out work that would usually not be possible in the company, as research by businesses is aimed at research and product development that has immediate commercialisation potential,” Vanhanen says.

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With the equipment sold for research use, it is important to help customers understand the data generated by the measuring instruments. 

Support for academic careers

Professor Katrianne Lehtipalo of the at the University of Helsinki supervises Herbert Hartl’s doctoral thesis. His supervisor at Tampere University is Topi Rönkkö. Both are closely familiar with the operations of Airmodus.

“The University and the company have the same goal in the pilot,” Lehtipalo says. According to her, the four-year project is now at the halfway point and has progressed as planned.

“The four-pronged collaboration supports the networking of doctoral researchers with other researchers in the programme. They also have the chance to explore other Finnish businesses at regular DSII Round-Up meetings organised several times a year,” says Jukka Matikainen, COO of Tamlink Oy.

Jointly drafted job ads

Milla Kosonen is writing her doctoral thesis at Tampere University under the supervision of Professor Mark van Gils, with Professor of Computer Science Tomi Männistö from the University of Helsinki as another supervisor.

Männistö considers company participation from the start as an asset of the DSII pilot. This way, the research topic, the phenomenon to be investigated and a suitable candidate are selected together with the business, and the goal of the doctoral thesis is described fairly precisely already in the job advertisement.

“The doctoral thesis is completed while being employed by the University, in compliance with the regular requirements for doctoral theses,” Männistö points out. The most common practice is to compile a doctoral thesis from articles published in refereed journals.

By reviewing the articles before publication, businesses can remove non-essential information that is confidential from the business perspective, such as terms, product details and other similar information.

Technical solutions that improve patient safety

 ended up writing her doctoral thesis after seeing a job ad last May. 

Kosonen’s research focuses on AI and machine learning solutions for optimising alerts sent by patient monitors and reducing false alarms. Patient monitors used in hospitals send alerts to the staff if a patient’s condition worsens. However, clinically irrelevant alerts are a big problem. At their worst, they can result in critical alarms going unnoticed. 

“I knew my supervisor from my undergraduate studies. I took his courses, whose topics I found interesting already at the time. I was particularly interested in the opportunity to work with GE HealthCare, the project’s business partner. The topic was concrete and meaningful, matching my interests and strengths well,” Kosonen says.

She finds the pilot particularly useful for enabling her to be part of the research community of the universities while working closely with a business in the field. This helps to see the tangible benefits of the research for patients. 

“My research group at Tampere University and GE HealthCare, the partner company, both have a great deal of expertise and many specialists from whom I can learn and who approach the problem from different perspectives,” Kosonen says.

Kosonen hopes that participation in the pilot will boost her employment opportunities, regardless of whether she pursues a career in research or at the company. 
 

Academic and industrial research join forces to boost Finland’s innovation capacity

“This model combines academic research and research conducted at businesses, creating a channel where skills travel both ways. This will create new solutions for industry needs and boost Finland’s research and innovation capabilities,” says Dean Tarkoma.

Further information on the pilot: