Tour de Finland

The management of the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, represented by Dean Kamila Janovská, Vice-Dean for Studies Kateřina Skotnicová and Vice-Dean for Cooperation with Industry Lukáš Peter, went on a working trip to Finland a month ago. The aim of this visit, which took place in cooperation with the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Finland, was to establish and deepen cooperation in the field of science and research, studies, and mobility with prestigious Finland universities.

The programme was busy. Representatives of the faculty management visited Tampere University, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, LAB University of Applied Sciences and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. During the meeting with the management and teachers of these institutions, not only was there an introduction of our faculty and a tour of individual departments of Finland universities, but also a very intensive discussion about the possibilities of cooperation in the field of research projects and mobility of students and teachers.

On the first day, the delegation headed to Tampere and started their programme at Tampere University, where they met with the management of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology. During the meeting, presentations were made on the research activities of both universities and discussions were held on the possibilities of cooperation. In the afternoon, the delegation moved on to SCHOTT Primoceler, a company that manufactures hermetic housings for microelectronics. Here, the faculty representatives learned about the latest technologies and manufacturing processes in the field of medical implants, aerospace, MEMS and micro-optics.

Tuesday morning was dedicated to a visit to Vaasa University of Applied Sciences. During the meeting with the university management, the university and its research activities were presented. A discussion followed on the possibilities of cooperation in the field of research, development and innovation, as well as in the field of student and teacher mobility. In the afternoon, the delegation took a tour of Technobothnia, a centre for advanced technologies, which houses laboratories and workshops shared by three universities – University of Vaasa, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences and Novia University of Applied Sciences. Technobothnia is one of Finland's leading technology centres, serving the educational needs of approximately 2400 engineering students from the three universities mentioned above, and also acting as a platform for research and close interaction with local industry. It was established to deepen the cooperation between technical education in Vaasa and the technology industry in the region through joint projects.

Wednesday was dedicated to a visit to LAB University of Applied Sciences in Lahti. The morning was again devoted to the presentation of the universities and a discussion on possible cooperation not only in the field of science and research, but also in the field of study and mobility of students and staff. In the afternoon, a tour of the laboratories of the LAB University of Applied Sciences took place.

The final day of the trip was a visit to the Metropolia University of Applied Sciences in Helsinki. After an introductory presentation of the participating universities and a discussion on cooperation, a meeting with the institutional coordinator for the European University U!REKA, of which our university is a part, followed. The delegation then visited HyMy Village, Simulation Hospital and SmartLab. HyMy Village is a multidisciplinary and people-centered learning and development environment that provides private welfare and health services. Simulation Hospital is an internationally unique, fully equipped and standards compliant simulation hospital including an outpatient clinic, reception, delivery room, operating room and intensive care unit. SmartLab serves as a development platform for smart homes. It is an apartment in the Myllypuro campus dedicated to the development and testing of user-friendly technological solutions for housing, which serves as a testing ground for innovative projects and theses. It is a joint project between Skanska, ABB and Metropolia and aims to use the results to design next generation housing.

The last item on the agenda was a visit to UPM – The Biofore Company. There was an interesting discussion about the possibilities of cooperation in the field of research and development of biomaterials for medical applications.

Finland is world-renowned for its cutting-edge research and innovation in materials science and technology. Finnish R&D itself is becoming increasingly internationalised and the degree of involvement in international cooperation is increasingly a measure of the individual institutions' own success.    For our faculty, these visits represent a tremendous opportunity to strengthen international links and to gain valuable experience of the Finnish educational and scientific environment.