Business from technology

Effectiveness

VTT has created solutions worth hundreds of millions that help our customers and the society improve productiveness and wellbeing.

VTT's impacts on growth, employment and wellbeing come about mainly through the improvements of VTT customers' competitiveness. VTT's activities have impacts on business enterprises, the innovation environment and the society.

VTT creates business from technology (impacts on business enterprises)

By creating and applying new technology VTT improves the competitiveness of products and services and promotes the creation of new businesses. VTT can help its customers and co-operation partners at all stages of the innovation process providing services from technology foresight to product development, concept development, commercialisation, testing and venturing. VTT improves the productivity of R&D activities by developing and helping to speed up the innovation process.

VTT is an integral part of Finland's innovation system (impacts on the innovation system)

By creating science-based innovations VTT promotes confidence in the benefits of innovative activity. VTT helps to strengthen cutting-edge research in technology centres and promotes co-operation in the global innovation network. VTT boosts regional innovative activity and thereby creates wellbeing and new competitiveness.

VTT creates wellbeing in the society (impacts on the society)

Through the generation of new business opportunities based on new and improved products and processes VTT helps to create new jobs and wellbeing and enhance safety and security of our living environment. VTT promotes the development of industries and public services as well as norms and standards and provides a sound knowledge base that can be utilised in social decision-making.

Impact of VTT’s projects (Taloustutkimus Oy, VTT customer survey, 2011)

• 91% of the respondents to VTT’s customer survey reported that their knowledge base and expertise had improved.
  
• 74% had already commercially utilised the results of their VTT project or expect to do so within the next three years – 28% said that it wasn't even their goal.
  
• 67% believed that a VTT project had speeded up or otherwise improved research and development work.
  
• 66% confirmed that new products, services or processes were created.
  
• 55% thought that a VTT project had promoted networking.
  
• 55% believed that a VTT project had contributed positively towards the opening up of new business opportunities.
  
• 49% reported that their competitiveness had improved.
  
• 48% said that a VTT project had promoted their marketing.
  
• 28% reported that a whole new technology was adopted.
  
• 17% said that a new business concept or a new earnings model was created.
  

Significant prizes and accomplishments

• The Finnish Association of Purchasing and Logistics (LOGY) honoured Research Professor Nils-Olof Nylund with the Logistician of the year 2010 award for his accomplishments in the research on emission control of heavy-duty vehicles.
  
• Research Professor Tommi Karhela received the first VTT Award for exceptionally outstanding work.
  
• The concept proposing that water know-how will take Finland to the top received the most votes in the national Tehtävä Suomelle (Mission for Finland) competition organised and broadcast by MTV3. The winning idea is based on the SWEET water research centre established by VTT and Kemira.
  
• The Association of Finnish Chemical Societies awarded Research Scientist Katariina Nyman with the prize for the best Master’s thesis in biotechnology in 2009. Nyman’s thesis studied the possibilities of enzyme-aided de-inking of inkjet-printed paper.
  
• A surface cleanliness test developed by VTT and Orion Diagnostica received the Innovation Award of the Chemical Industry Federation of Finland. The solution received accolade on its multidisciplinary approach and successful cooperation among the business and research sectors.
  
• VTT was again voted most popular employer by Finnish technology students in a Universum Survey.
  
• President & CEO Erkki KM Leppävuori was appointed to the European High Level Expert Group on Key Enabling Technologies that was set up to promote European expertise, innovations and business in key enabling technologies (KETs), such as nanotechnology, micro- and nanoelectronics, biotechnology and photonics.
  
• The Circuit World journal honoured VTT with the Outstanding Paper Award for its researchers’ article on a new type of thermoplastic substrate material for printed circuit boards.
  
• VTT’s Head of Information Service, Kirsi Tuominen, was awarded the Vuoden Tietojohtaja 2010 (Knowledge Manager of the Year 2010) award in recognition of her role in the international knowledge sector and as a pioneer in knowledge management.
  
• Senior Research Scientist Tekla Tammelin’s doctoral thesis ‘The Surface of the Cellulose Fibre’ received the Akzo Nobel Nordic Prize in Surface and Colloid Chemistry for 2010.
  
• The Eco-mining concept developed by Research Scientist Elina Vestola and Special Research Scientists Mona Arnold and Jutta Laine-Ylijoki received the 2010 EARTO Innovation Prize - Highly Commended by the Jury. The process provides a cost-effective means of metal recovery from waste using bioleaching and other technologies.
  
• According to the Finnish Science Barometer 2010 published by the Finnish Society for Scientific Information, VTT is the most reliable research organisation in Finland.
  
• The ITEA-ARTEMIS Co-Summit 2010 presented the SOFIA and DiY Smart Experiences projects with the Exhibition Award, while the ESNA and CAM4Home projects received the ITEA Achievement Award.
  
• Tekes and Suomen Asuntotietokeskus honoured VTT with the housing market innovation award for achievements in research and development that promotes energy efficiency in buildings.