Changing the world together with foundations

Foundations play an integral role in the development of Aalto's research and education. Around half of all donations to the university come from foundations. Foundations also support the university through grants and scholarships. 

‘We have an ongoing dialogue with foundations about the kind of change that universities and foundations can bring about in the world. We consider how we can work together to promote sustainable development in society and Finland's competitiveness, and what kind of initiatives are needed to achieve this,’ says Teppo Heiskanen, Director for Advancement and Corporate Engagement at Aalto. 

In addition to Finnish foundations, Aalto actively seeks collaboration with foreign foundations. The aim is to further increase the impact of cutting-edge research.

On the trail of the Holy Grail of physics

The global SuperC consortium is tackling one of the great challenges in physics: the room-temperature superconductor. The project is led by Professor Päivi Törmä. Modern computing could be made much more energy efficient if semiconductors were replaced with superconductors, in which electricity flows without resistance. 

‘Superconducting devices only work at extremely cold temperatures. If superconducting technology could be made to work at room temperature, it would be possible to build computers that consume up to 1000–5000 times less energy than today,’ says Törmä. 

The project aims to find a completely new type of superconducting material within a ten-year timeframe. This would be both a scientific and a technological breakthrough. The Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation is supporting the project with 2 million euros of funding and the Keele Foundation with 695,000 euros. 

'SuperC is a very demanding and ambitious project that involves the world’s best expertise. If all its objectives are met, it will have a huge impact on global energy consumption. It is great that science is pursuing major breakthroughs to mitigate climate change,' says Mika Anttonen, Chairman of the Board of the Keele Foundation. 

Ownership drives economic growth and prosperity

Samuli Knüpfer, the world's first Professor of Ownership, promotes knowledge and understanding of Finnish ownership.  

The professorship at the School of Business is backed by more than 100 donors representing different forms of ownership in Finland. Substantial donations from the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation and the Saastamoinen Foundation played a major role in establishing the professorship.

‘Entrepreneurship and ownership are central to a functioning and prosperous society. We hope the professorship will contribute to a broader understanding and dissemination of knowledge. It is great that the professorship was established by such a wide range of supporters. We are delighted to be involved in supporting a common cause,’ says Arto Mäenmaa, Executive Director of the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation. 

‘We hope that the professorship will increase the discussion and understanding of ownership and its importance to society. There is a real need for this in Finland, where the culture of ownership is still young,’ says Petteri Karttunen, Chairman of the Board of the Saastamoinen Foundation. 

Knüpfer's work strengthens the research and education of ownership and its societal impact. ‘I am currently studying Finnish business owners and their role in business and society. I am also very interested in households' investment and saving decisions. Finland has a uniquely extensive register of ownership,’ says Knüpfer.

Doctoral school for artistic research

The Kone Foundation supports the field of arts and design with a donation of 800,000 euros. The purpose is to safeguard research in fields of education that have suffered from funding cuts and educational policy prioritisation.

‘Discussions with universities revealed that there is a clear shortage of funding for arts research and artistic research in Finland. We want to support the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, where remarkable artistic research is carried out in a high-quality research environment,’ says Kalle Korhonen, Director of Funding at Kone Foundation. The AREA doctoral school, established with the donation, trains bold experts to tackle tough questions and bring up different options.

‘Art students are antennae observing the environment. They are willing to question things and address societal problems. Art can be a unifying bond between other disciplines, and artistic thinking can blow up the box when you want to look at things in a broader scope,’ says Laura Beloff, Associate Professor at the Department of Art and Media. ‘Funding for doctoral research in the arts is traditionally very scarce. The AREA doctoral school is a great opportunity to increase the impact of artistic research in Finland.’ 

Text: Marjukka Puolakka

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