University of Vaasa and ABB Collaboration Day strengthens research and education collaboration

The morning programme featured presentations on topics including the vitality of the Vaasa region, the energy transition, research and innovation activities, and future competence needs. In the afternoon, participants joined workshops designed to generate new ideas and initiatives for research and education collaboration.

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Opening the event, Minna Martikainen, Rector of the University of Vaasa, emphasised the university’s role in supporting society and regional businesses through research and expertise. According to Martikainen, the university’s researchers are key partners in developing solutions for the future.

– For companies to remain globally competitive, they need access to the latest research-based knowledge and expertise that can be rapidly integrated into their operations. The best solutions emerge when world-class research meets real-world business challenges. This is why the strategic partnership between the University of Vaasa and ABB is more important than ever, Martikainen said.

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Sailamarja Kähkönen, Country Holding Officer at ABB Oy, highlighted the importance of collaboration between industry and higher education in driving both innovation and future talent development.

– Collaboration built around research, education, innovation and competence development is important for the entire Vaasa region. The aim of the event was to identify practical new ideas and ways of working together even more effectively. At ABB, we want to strengthen the vitality of the region together with the University of Vaasa and other stakeholders, she said.

The programme also included a panel discussion on how collaboration between industry and higher education drives innovation, develops future talent and strengthens the competitiveness of the Vaasa region. The discussion featured Sailamarja Kähkönen, Country Holding Officer, and Sanna-Mari Kaakinen, Sustainability Manager from ABB’s Smart Power local division, alongside Mika Grundström, Vice Rector for Research, and Raine Hermans, Dean of the School of Technology and Innovations, from the University of Vaasa. The discussion was moderated by Aušrinė Šilenskytė, Assistant Professor at the University of Vaasa.

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Collaboration visible in both student life and research

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Collaboration between the University of Vaasa and ABB spans both education and research. For students, this cooperation takes the form of thesis projects, internships, company assignments, guest lectures and mentoring opportunities. It offers students valuable experience of real-world challenges already during their studies.

Discussions focusing on education collaboration highlighted future competence needs, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, risk management, self-leadership, leadership skills and the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams. Participants explored how these skills could be developed even more closely in collaboration with industry.

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Research collaboration workshops focused on ABB’s identified development needs and opportunities for new research, development and innovation projects. The aim was to identify areas where the university’s research expertise and ABB’s practical business challenges align.

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The day also showcased concrete examples of existing collaboration. Minnie Kontkanen, University Lecturer at the University of Vaasa, and Sanna-Mari Kaakinen, Sustainability Manager at ABB’s Smart Power local division, have collaborated for four years on the Sustainable Global Business in Practice course within the International Business Master’s Programme.

– This is a project-based course where ABB brings current business-related topics and challenges for students to solve. We have seen how this authenticity motivates students to give their best, knowing that company representatives will listen to their proposed solutions and provide feedback. It is a valuable learning experience that enables students to apply their knowledge in practice while developing their problem-solving skills, Kontkanen said.

– From ABB’s side, we have provided the students with different case studies around the topic of sustainability. The course has developed over the years, and we have gained many valuable insights from the students. I think it is important to give students real-life case examples of the kinds of questions and challenges we are dealing with in business life. Through their work, we have received new ideas and perspectives on how we can work around these topics these within our business, Kaakinen said.

Towards more impactful collaboration

A key theme throughout the day was the ambition to make existing collaboration more visible and to build more systematic models around it. One example discussed was the development of shared doctoral pathways that strengthen knowledge exchange between academia and industry. The University of Vaasa already offers an opportunity through its CoDoc collaboration model, which enables close cooperation between doctoral researchers and companies throughout the doctoral research process.

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Philipp Holtkamp, Ecosystems and Innovations Manager at the University of Vaasa, and Emilia Mäkitalo, Employer Branding Partner at ABB, were the principal organisers of the event.

– We organised this collaboration day to strengthen our existing partnership and to build on the great collaboration we have already. We want to promote joint development in areas that are strategically important for both the University and ABB, while lowering the threshold for launching new forms of collaboration, Holtkamp said.

– One of the most important objectives of the day was to help people from the two organisations get to know each other better. Stronger networks create new ideas and collaboration opportunities. We hope the day will lead to concrete actions and collaborative projects in the future, Mäkitalo added.