Aalto University and Helsinki: major changes bring possibilities for improvement

Fast-paced change in the world and the impact of the coronavirus crisis require fast implementation of societal reform, the recognition of possibilities, and the better utilisation of the urban ecosystem. The goal of the five-year strategy of Aalto University and the City of Helsinki is to work together to develop a functioning and sustainable city.

The co-operation agreement emphasises the themes of sustainability and competitiveness, focusing on urban studies and the utilisation of the knowledge, innovations and entrepreneurship, teaching, and collaboration in the field of education, as well as design and the creative fields.

The range of cooperation is broad both in the array of topics and the size. While the city and at the university and their partners have substantial projects, cooperation also takes place directly among the university's professors, departments, and the different operations of the city.

Multidisciplinary urban studies and innovation cooperation

Urban studies are an area of research combining skills and knowledge from many branches of science, in which Aalto University and Helsinki have been intensely involved, especially in city planning, transport systems, and architecture, and in recent years, also in urban economics. Both also participate in the Urban Academy, together with the cities of the Greater Helsinki Area and the University of Helsinki, promoting the interaction of urban studies and practical urban development.

Helsinki and Aalto University are engaged in close cooperation in the building of innovation hubs, for example, in health technology and artificial intelligence. Another aim is to work together to promote the development of business incubator services in the Helsinki region.

Aalto University also cooperates with schools in Helsinki, offering opportunities to upper secondary school pupils to learn about university courses. Aalto Executive Education (AaltoEE) educates Helsinki personnel, many of whom have completed Aalto EE’s Executive MBA training.

Cooperation in creative fields have long traditions, which is reflected in the involvement of entrepreneurs, artists, and designers in the construction and culture of Helsinki.