University of Vaasa and Finnish National Defence University launch collaboration – games offer new tools for preparedness

The rectors of the University of Vaasa and the Finnish National Defence University signed a cooperation agreement in Vaasa on 12 August. The aim is to establish a long-term partnership encompassing joint research, education, student and researcher exchanges, and the development of national and international networks.

The collaboration will begin with the design of the T-REX gaming and training environment. The name stands for Training, Research and Exercise. The aim is to create an environment that brings together research, education, expertise and technical tools, allowing different types of crises and disruptions to be simulated and decision-making to be practised.

– T-REX will enable us to use game-based methods to strengthen preparedness and resilience, and to train students, researchers and decision-makers to operate in different crisis situations and tackle complex problems. The same environment can be used by students and researchers from both universities, says Minna Martikainen, Rector of the University of Vaasa.

The University of Vaasa and the Finnish National Defence University have previously collaborated on individual research projects. The aim now is to establish a more permanent structure for the partnership and extend it to education.

– This is a long-term research and education partnership that can strengthen the expertise of the future leaders educated by both universities. T-REX provides an innovative and pioneering environment for this purpose, Martikainen says.

Military and civilian expertise complement each other

The Finnish National Defence University brings expertise in defence, wargaming and simulations to the partnership. The University of Vaasa’s strengths include research on preparedness and resilience, as well as multidisciplinary expertise in game-based methods, management, economics and technology.

– We see the University of Vaasa as an innovative, forward-looking partner that gets things done. Our aim is to increase the use of wargames and simulations in education and research at different degree levels. When we heard about the T-REX initiative, we immediately saw it as an interesting idea that we wanted to be part of, says Jaro Kesänen, Rector of the Finnish National Defence University.

According to Kesänen, the Finnish National Defence University will contribute particular expertise in the military operating environment.

– When we talk about comprehensive security, resilience and preparedness, we bring the perspectives of defence and military operations to the partnership. We also have highly specialised and advanced expertise and experience in wargaming, Kesänen says.

Wargaming is not simply about practising warfare. It can also be used to examine society’s resilience to crises, how organisations operate during disruptions, and the consequences of decisions under changing conditions. Games and simulations help identify interdependencies within systems, test alternative courses of action and learn from decision-making.

Support for the international Master’s Programme in Preparedness and Resilience

Hanna Smith, Professor of Practice at the University of Vaasa, emphasises that today’s security challenges require collaboration across disciplines and between military and civilian actors.

– New tools are needed at every level of society to help us respond to today’s challenges and improve the way we operate. Wargaming requires a multidisciplinary approach, and the University of Vaasa already has extensive expertise in this area. We can now strengthen this capability through collaboration between military and civilian actors, Smith says.

T-REX is also intended to support the University of Vaasa’s international Master’s Programme in Preparedness and Resilience. Students could participate in its activities while also helping to develop new methods.

– T-REX will add further depth to the Master’s programme and equip students with new kinds of expertise. The partnership will also bring different generations together: the capabilities needed in the future will not be developed by today’s experts alone, but with young people actively involved in the process, Smith says.

The collaboration is already under way and will intensify during autumn 2026. The aim is to build an internationally recognised research and education network around T-REX, focusing on preparedness, resilience and wargaming.

Further information

University of Vaasa: Hanna Smith, Professor of Practice, hanna.smith@uwasa.fi
Finnish National Defence University: Wargaming.fndu@mil.fi