- Nokia and the University of Helsinki have collaborated successfully for decades,
- Fruits of this collaboration are evident in the everyday life of consumers in many ways. The partnership has generated novel solutions, such as for 5G technology, air quality and environmental observation, as well as information security.
- Besides a competitive advantage, the collaboration boosts Nokia’s position as a technology leader.
Strong trust, close personal relationships and a desire to aim high – this is one way to sum up the collaboration between the University of Helsinki and the telecommunications company Nokia. Right now, the focus of innovation is on 6G, AI and supercomputers.
How can devices be made to communicate with each other smartly in factories and cities? And how to ensure the quick recovery of networks from disruptions and their smooth use everywhere? Solid expertise in network architecture among University of Helsinki researchers helps in solving these problems.
“We have been utilising the University of Helsinki’s advanced research findings and collaborating constructively with them for decades, which has been valuable to Nokia’s own research and product development. It’s been absolutely awesome,” says Kari Aaltonen, a long-time Senior Research Manager at Nokia Bell Labs.
For the University, it is of the utmost importance to be able to join forces with the leading ICT company in Finland: researchers get to work on questions relevant to the industry, while the education provided to students can be tailored to employer expectations. Nokia’s research unit is renowned on its own, its researchers having garnered no fewer than
“It’s an honour to have the chance to collaborate with Nokia,” says Dean Sasu Tarkoma of the Faculty of Science.
The transdisciplinary element of collaboration is important to Nokia. For example, the company wishes to know how space weather affects telecommunications. With physicists working hard in Kumpula right next to computer scientists, the answer is within easy reach.
“This shows the benefits of the University’s broad scope,” says Jukka Rantala, Director of Research-to-Business Strategy at Nokia.
One current theme is the introduction of artificial intelligence and augmented reality into the factory environment. Nokia runs a project entitled
“We are good at making these kinds of products, and we can sell them abroad,” Tarkoma says.
Over the years, the collaboration has spawned numerous patents. Results that end up in products on the shop shelf are usually not visible to the consumer – everything just works as it should. Among other things, the University has helped Nokia in information security standardisation for different technology generations.
“Our devices are used by three billion people. This way, the solutions are part of everyone’s day-to-day lives,” says Nokia’s Head of Technology Center Espoo Vesa Kohtamäki.
Collaboration with students is also vibrant: Nokia provides topics for
Nokia has also played a significant role in the University of Helsinki’s
“Nokia’s contribution creates many connections to the industry and an encouraging environment that enables the growth and success of startups,” says Project Manager at Nexus Andres Archila.
Rantala estimates that high-quality publications written together with the University strengthen Nokia’s position as a tech leader. The company exploits academic expertise in other ways too – for example, Tarkoma sits on the board of the Nokia Foundation, which supports ICT researchers. The University’s professors also share with the company news from the global academic community, as well as from the field of research policy in Finland, Europe and the United States.
Good personal relationships are the cornerstone of smooth cooperation. For example, if Nokia needs solutions to specific problems, Tarkoma immediately suggests which researchers to contact. In the future, the aim is to further intensify joint efforts. There is plenty of innovation potential to draw from, and eureka moments occur in the laboratory often.
“It’s a long tradition, and a spirit that we wish to nurture,” Tarkoma sums up.
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