Aalto Handbook

Management of impact

As a community of faculty, staff, students, alumni and partners, we build our innovation, creative and entrepreneurial ecosystem as a prominent node in global networks. Our long-term purpose is to renew society with research-based knowledge, creativity and entrepreneurial mindset, and generate innovative solutions to tackle global grand challenges.
Two people having an animated discussion, a third person working with laptop, everyone in space
Photo: Marc Fermenia

The university's management and services ensure long-term conditions for creating impact based on high-quality research, education and the utilization of an internationally networked ecosystem.

Aalto provides a strong foundation for scientifically and socially impactful research, education, artistic activities and innovations by securing a long-term funding base for them and by creating career systems that support academic and professional exellence.

Aalto has a national mission to strengthen Finland's innovation capacity. The university selects its research initiatives and projects carefully based on factors such as: scientific level and relevance, societal impact, global competition, and cooperation with international and domestic research and industrial partners.

Read more about the research, the key areas of the research and the principles guiding the research.

The Vice President for Innovation leads the innovation and ecosystem activities, which are supported by the Research and Innovation Ecosystem units and the Advancement and Corporate Engagement unit.

Strategic plans for impact have been done for the next four years 2022-2025. In accordance with the principle of a living strategy, we regularly review our choices. The plans are updated annually as part of our annual planning process (University Dialogue).

Aalto University strategy 3.0, web banner (square)

Our plan 2025-2028

Explore our strategic plans for 2025-2028

Our strategy

The mission of the universities as defined in the Universities Act is to promote independent academic research as well as academic and artistic education, to offer the highest quality research-based higher education and to educate students to serve their country and humanity at large. The universities are to promote lifelong learning, interact with the surrounding society and promote the social impact of university research findings and artistic activities.

Societal benefits are achieved via research results, innovations, open access publishing, and by optimal use of research data.

Business from research

According to Aalto's strategy, research activities will focus not only on strong basic research in the university's fields, but also on research collaboration with companies representing the best in their fields and on a vibrant innovation ecosystem.

The collaboration with Aalto offers companies a vantage point for the latest research data and opportunities to develop competitiveness, as well as an extensive network of experts. The collaboration also helps us at Aalto ensure that our education and research meet the changing needs of business. Together with companies, we are building an even better, more sustainable and more competitive Finland.

Aalto's research activities reform and change society through the efficient transfer of research results to innovations and commercial use.

Innovation services support the units in the creation of intellectual property rights, including the invention notification process, the protection of intellectual property rights, the preparation for the commercialization of innovations, licensing and transfer of intellectual property rights, and the creation of new businesses.

Aalto also offers its research infrastructures for its partners' use at a reasonable price.

For more information:

Aalto University Innovation ServicesAalto University Startup Center

Slush

Advancing entrepreneurship and innovations

Behind Aalto's entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem are both student-led entrepreneurial activities and the university's own research and innovation hubs.

Kaksi naista tekemässä kankaisia rintamerkkejä. Kuva: Marko Oikarinen / Aalto-yliopisto

Corporate collaboration

Research collaboration strengthens expertise and future business development. New product and service ideas are created in study projects. Our campus offers an inspiring operating and networking environment. At Aalto's recruitment events, companies meet the top talents of the future.

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