Civil Engineering invites companies to participate in future development work

This year, the theme of the event was "New opportunities for business growth through research collaboration". In addition to the speeches by the Department of Civil Engineering, the event featured excellent guest speakers. The Building 2030 research consortium participated in the discussions with several guests. Professor Olli Seppänen first spoke about the praised consortium, and then, Business Development Director Jan Elfving from Skanska, gave a speech from the business point of view. 

"Building 2030 started in 2016 when we contacted everyone we knew and didn't know and thought about what we could do together in the construction industry. This resulted in a consortium that currently includes dozens of partners," Seppänen says.

The project was especially aimed at productivity and halving construction times without reducing quality or increasing costs.

"Right at the beginning of the project, we noticed that the clients were most interested in quality, not speeding up construction times. Quality is included in the five main themes of the project: productivity," he continues.

Jan Elfving, Business Development Director at Skanska, confirms that there is still work to be done on the vision for 2030, but we are already well on our way. 

"Systematic innovation requires an ecosystem, and Building 2030 is the most important ecosystem in Finland. The consortium is a unit that generates a huge amount of information and is very useful to us. I believe that through cooperation we will accelerate innovation. It is also gratifying that the students are involved and interested in the project, which attracts experts.''

Cooperation is also available through a simple work model

Cooperation in building technology is extremely important. Jouni Punkki, Professor of Laboriousness and Deputy Head of the Department, presented the Aalto University CE Partner model at the Civil Engineering Day.

'The CE Partner programme at the Department of Civil Engineering offers companies a simple way to collaborate with Aalto University. Companies have the opportunity to influence and get to know the makers of the future and find the right cooperation model for themselves in teaching and research,' he says.

'Companies now have a good opportunity to present their activities to the students of the department at various events and to offer them master's thesis opportunities. With the light way, we familiarise ourselves with the research carried out at the department in an agile manner, and the company also has the opportunity to tell about its own research needs. I will be happy to tell anyone interested more," he continues.

Also listen to the new Building Technology 2030 podcast. In the first episode, Risto Kosonen and Piia Sormunen discuss the new wave of building services engineering. Link to the podcast.