EUR 11 million for research infrastructures

The Academy of Finland has granted a total of more than EUR 11 million in funding to Aalto University for the development of significant research infrastructures that promote scientific research.

Of the funded research environments, Aalto University is involved in eight, of which five are on the Research infrastructures roadmap 2021–2024. The roadmap is a list of strategically important research infrastructure services for Finnish research, education and innovation activities.

Aalto University’s research infrastructure constitutes a long-term foundation for research. In the case of research environments on the roadmap, the funding strengthens the fabrication of micro and nanostructures, quantum and high-performance computing, research and testing of future wireless networks, biomedical imaging, and research on linguistics and language resources.

In addition, the funded infrastructures include other significant research environments that promote, among other things, arctic research, open spatial information systems and the research and knowledge of aquatic environment (marine research, hydrology, ice and wave formation).

FIRI2021 - Research infrastructures 2021–2024 roadmap and Finland’s international RI members

OtaNano for micro-, nano- and quantum technologies

OtaNano offers a wide variety of fabrication processes and equipment for micro- and nanostructures. Financing ensures investments that enable characterization, measurement and monitoring of more complex nanostructures, systems and processes characterization.

Finnish Quantum Computing Infrastructure (FiQCI)

Quantum computing is expected to impact numerous areas of research. In order to achieve this, quantum computers need tailor-made algorithms and software. The Finnish Quantum Computing Infrastructure provides researchers an open-access environment for this development work.  

Future Wireless Networks

The FUWIRI research and test network environment is an infrastructure for the research, development and testing of hardware solutions of new wireless 5G / 6G networks, algorithms, software and applications. Aalto University offers extensive measuring environment for research and design of electronics equipment. Read more about 5G/6G networks

Biomedical imaging

The Finnish Biomedical Imaging Node FiBI is part of a network of Europe’s leading imaging services. Through FiBi, researchers have open access to various cutting-edge imaging technologies in biological and medical sciences. The services are key for research into neuroscience, cancer treatment, and viruses. Read more: MEG Core

FIN-CLARIAH for human sciences and language research

Infrastructure extensively serves the research needs of human sciences from various language materials (FIN-CLARIN) to broad materials in humanities and social sciences (Dariah-FI).

FIRI2021 – Other significant non-roadmap research infrastructures

Aalto Ice Tank, multipurpose basin for arctic research

Aalto Ice and Wave Tank is the only model-scale basin that can produce both sea ice and form waves. Experiments are needed to study the physical phenomena associated with ice, waves, ships and structures.

Hydrological Research Infrastructure Platform

Boreal and subarctic areas are particularly sensitive to environmental changes, such as erosion and floods. The competence cluster has of a large pool of unique measuring instruments that will enable sustainable solutions to water resources management, decision-making, efficient knowledge transfer and future environmental assessment

Open Geospatial Information Infrastructure for Research

Open virtual infrastructure provides easy access to geospatial data served from spatial data infrastructures and other sources, and geocomputing solutions for many disciplines using geospatial data. The research infrastructure brings together massive geospatial datasets, high-performance geocomputing and virtualization environments.

Research infrastructures are instruments, equipment, information networks, databases, materials and services that serve to facilitate research, promote research collaboration and reinforce research and innovation capacity and know-how.

Further information (> Academy of Finland release 1 Feb 2022)