University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute's Newsletter 2/2023

University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute's Newsletter | 30.11.2023

News from University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute and its research groups Micro-Entrepreneurship Centre MicroENTRE®, Regional Excellence (REx) and Future Manufacturing technologies (FMT)

The consistency of innovation activities of Finnish construction companies studied at the University of Oulu

Construction companies are generally considered conservative and slow to adopt new technology. Kai Hänninen from the Kerttu Saalasti Institute of the University of Oulu, Jouni Juntunen from the Business School and Harri Haapasalo from the Industrial Engineering and Management Research Unit studied the consistency of innovation activities of Finnish construction companies. The study identified factors that promote innovation activities and barriers to the activities.

A revolutionary approach to observing matter, time and place – Research article showcases the possibilities of muography

A brand new research article presents the many ways of utilizing particles called muons. They penetrate deep into all matter at almost the speed of light, making it possible to see inside that matter. Muons are also suitable for positioning and navigation in seemingly impossible places, and they help in synchronizing accurate clocks. They can even enable secure communication in environments where traditional technologies cannot be used.

Open spatial data on agricultural parcels help to develop regional circular economy activities

Circular economy is increasingly important also in agriculture and in strengthening the environmental and economic sustainability of agricultural production. Circular economy aims to close the cycle of materials and products so that, for example, by-products of production remain in the economy for as long as possible. Open spatial data sets describing agricultural parcels offer opportunities for the exploitation of agricultural by-products and side streams.

Self-assessment is a hidden resource in working life – Riitta Forsten-Astikainen's dissertation on self-reflection and holistic perception of competence

Riitta Forsten-Astikainen, project director of the Regional Council of Pohjois-Savo, who previously also worked as a project researcher at the University of Oulu, Kerttu Saalasti Institute, defended her doctoral thesis at the University of Oulu on 27 October 2023. The theme of the thesis was "Self-reflection in work competencies evaluation". The topic of Forsten-Astikainen's dissertation is very current, as the transformation of work, globalisation, digitalisation and looming labour shortages call for a reassessment of competences and the need for new assessment methods.

Boosting community at Laukaan Yritystankkaamo – Collaboration project between the University of Oulu's Kerttu Saalasti Institute and the Municipality of Laukaa

Community and networks play an important role in enhancing entrepreneurs' resilience and the need was recognized in the municipality of Laukaa. In collaboration with the University of Oulu's Kerttu Saalasti Institute, a joint initiative known as the Laukaan Yritystankkaamo project has been launched. The primary objective of the project is to develop a new communal model that supports the resilience, innovation, R&D activities, peer learning, as well as the mental well-being and resilience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The project will run until the end of August 2025.

Using 3D printing of large pieces is promoted with an extensive joint project in Finland – The University of Oulu is the leader in the 3.2-million-euro project

3D printing of large pieces is brought to the use of the manufacturing industry with a national 3-million-euro 3D printing collaboration project (3DTY). The industrial introduction of 3D printing of large structures is promoted by researching and testing, in addition to plastic and metal printing equipment, the post-processing of parts, quality assurance as well as joining and interfaces.

PODCASTS

Finland – the place for a prospective entrepreneur Muntaser Al Hamad as guest of Santeri Halonen

For an international entrepreneur, Finland offers a great ecosystem with variety of support services to start one’s business. However, coming from another culture can encompass challenges on the way. Santeri Halonen and his guest Muntaser Al Hamad from Startup Refugees are discussing the topic of starting and developing a company in Finland from a foreigner’s perspective. Muntaser provides helpful tips on being entrepreneur in Finland and navigating in the Finnish entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Muntaser Al Hamad, also an entrepreneur himself, is working as a business program manager at Startup Refugees. He has extensive experience helping new entrepreneurs to starting and developing their businesses.

Listen here

TRAININGS

Welcome to the "Introduction to starting a company in Finland" course!

After completing this course, you´ll have the basic knowledge of starting a company in Finland (ie. main funding sources, main supportive organizations, rights and responsibilities, different company type. You also know what the main supportive organizations and main funding sources are, as well as your rights and responsibilities as an entrepreneur. You also learn to know different company types in Finland.

Read more and register

BLOGS

On the way to better corporate responsibility expertise for small businesses

In the years 2022–2023, we carried out training in the corporate responsibility competence of micro-enterprises in Northern Ostrobothnia to improve the ability of entrepreneurs to respond to changes in the operating environment and customer demands in the future. The aim was to make responsibility a part of the systematic development work of micro-enterprises and the communication of responsibility. We provided quick and practical training to increase the responsibility competence of micro-enterprises and to utilize it in the company's operations. The development of companies' responsibility competence will continue with a project aimed at facilitating companies' strategy work and foresight.

What are supply chain practices in SME growth management like?

Although growth is often a goal for companies, uncontrolled growth can have fatal consequences. The growth of an SME brings various challenges and pain points, which are also evident in supply chain management. Growth management refers to various measures and strategies that help identify, anticipate, and manage the challenges brought about by growth.

The green transition, digitalisation, co-creation and increasing competence became the main themes of the Kerttu Saalasti seminar

The Kerttu Saalasti seminar on 18 September 2023 highlighted the latest information and opportunities on the development of the metal and mechanical engineering industry regionally, nationally and internationally. Digitalisation and industrial renewal were also seen as centrally related to environmental issues. The seminar, organised for the 23rd time, provided answers to these challenges, such as increasing competence and new innovations through co-creation across organisational boundaries. The Kerttu Saalasti award was also presented at the event for the work done for transfers of ownership.

Circular economy in mines: multiple opportunities for reuse of mines

A thematic workshop on mine reuse brought together people interested in and working on the topic in Oulu in September 2023, with case studies from Europe, the United States and Canada. Participants also visited Callio in Lake Pyhäjärvi, where reuse of the mining environment has been extensively tested and planned.

Observations on micro-entrepreneurship and being an employer

Micro-enterprises are an important group for Finnish entrepreneurship, as the majority, more than 90%, of Finnish companies are micro-enterprises. Micro-enterprises are also important employers, as more than one fifth of all jobs provided by companies are in micro-enterprises. Micro-enterprises are often innovative and flexible. They have the opportunity to react quickly to market changes and develop new products or services. Micro-enterprises are also often decentralised to different regions, including smaller municipalities and rural areas. They can contribute to regional development and balance in the distribution of jobs and economic activity.

You don't always have to manage alone – community as the foundation for well-being and resilience

The importance of community and relationships for an individual's well-being are significant. People have a fundamental need to belong to a community. In research, community, alongside autonomy and competency, has been recognized as a basic human need. At its best, community offers support, encouragement, and security. It also reinforces learning and personal growth, providing meaning to life. Community and networks are integral in enhancing resilience.

Micro-enterprise – How to become part of the opportunities offered by global upheavals?

Europe and the world are undergoing major changes, such as the green transition and, hopefully, the reconstruction of Ukraine soon. Companies play an important role in both, but as a small company it may be difficult to participate in value networks. This blog explores the role of customers and specialisation in opening up opportunities. Finland's export euros come from cooperation.

How are the metal and engineering industries renewed?

Many reasons are behind the need for industrial renewal, from political issues to the breakdown of international markets and the increase in competition between companies, not forgetting the utilization of the latest production technology. In Finland, high-quality products have traditionally been manufactured based on the quality of materials, design and manufacturing expertise. New knowledge and new technologies enable the development of even better materials, more efficient utilization of material properties as superiority factors of end products, and sustainable development. On the other hand, the mechanization and automation of processes in metal and machine shops already today enable globally competitive production.

Statistical report on Finnish micro-enterprises – Statistics on micro-enterprises updated

There has been demand for statistical and monitoring data focusing on micro-enterprises. A micro-enterprise is defined as a company with fewer than ten employees and turnover of less than 2 million. Of the 343 909 companies operating in Finland, 319 815, or 93%, are micro-enterprises. The University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute publishes an annual statistical report focusing on micro-enterprises; Statistics on micro-enterprises. The aim is to provide comprehensive up-to-date statistics on the state, development picture and impact of micro-enterprises on the vitality of regions.

New boost for nature tourism in Northern Ostrobothnia from industrial tourism?

The best thing about project work is the opportunities it brings for different encounters and, through them, for learning and insights. The discussions are very rewarding: we meet some of the best tourism entrepreneurs in the region and hear about their services and products. In the context of the UMBR-ELLA and LAKU projects, we travelled together to Poland, to Warsaw and Poznan, to meet potential partners in the provision of tourism services. These meetings made me realize how much Northern Ostrobothnia has to offer in terms of quality to meet the growing interest of international tourists, especially in nature tourism and experiences. Industrial tourism is also a growing trend.

What goes around, comes around in nature and in networks

For some people, teamwork online comes naturally. Some people are able to understand directly how they could use their own expertise and networks to help others and how to help move the community forward towards its goals. Team spirit is sort of a service minded attitude that some people have in their backbone. A team-oriented person sees the community's interest and his own interest as the same thing.

Responsible food industry companies: How climate-smart actions are taken into consideration in the food sector?

Responsibility has been a central topic of discussion in many industries in recent years. The terminology related to responsibility is diverse, and many terms related to responsibility don't have clear equivalents in Finnish language. In the food industry, a key perspective that can be highlighted is "climate-smart", which in Finnish is "ilmastoviisas". Food industry companies are hoped for, expected, and in the future, increasingly demanded to act in a climate-smart manner. Therefore, it is worth get to know this topic in more detail.

Social relationships have an impact on the resilience of young people

The theme of the Youth Barometer 2022 was the resilience of young people – the ability to be flexible, to adapt and recover. The research data was collected from persons aged 15 to 29 living in mainland Finland using the telephone interview method. The research interview was conducted with a total of 1,864 people. The Youth Barometer only tells about the situation of young people at one moment, and it is not possible to monitor the coping and recovery of young people comprehensively. However, research can be used to make visible the factors affecting resilience and the young age groups' perception of their own resilience.

Three tips for the seller and buyer of a business

Business transfer is an umbrella concept that includes the partial or complete transfer of a business to a new owner, either through a share or business transaction or through a family transfer. Each business transfer story is unique, but some common features can be identified. Here are three tips for buyers and sellers.

Entrepreneurship education creates a sustainable future together

Entrepreneurship education strengthens knowledge, skills and attitudes that individuals use to build their own path towards the future. What is entrepreneurship education in practice and how can it be implemented? How to create an entrepreneurial culture and make the future sustainable? How do digitalisation and internationalisation help on the path of entrepreneurship? The renewed model for entrepreneurship education in North Ostrobothnia was published in spring 2023 and its implementation work has begun.

Artificial intelligence – threat or opportunity?

In spring 2023, I was at the Kuopio Music Centre at the graduation ceremony for new matriculation examination graduates. There, an older lady who was a graduate from 50 years ago touched on artificial intelligence in her opening speech, as did the principal of the upper secondary school in their speech. Students use artificial intelligence in their assignments, for example, and this is known by teachers, but in the words of the principal: the students may not know how much the teachers use artificial intelligence.

The Icelander still wins

With two weeks of the research visit hosted by the University of Iceland's School of Business now behind us, it's time to look in the rear-view mirror. This is the first in a series of research visits funded by the Academy of Finland's GenZ project. The other destinations are Denmark, Sweden and Norway, which I will be heading to later this year. The Arctic Researchers' Network ARN also contributed to the funding.

MakeLearn & TIIM PIConf conference – a valuable experience even from your home computer

The conferences have been the highlights of my research career and doctoral studies so far. It's great when a long period of hard work with your own research is rewarded, and you get a moment in the spotlight with the most important subject in the world. To receive comments and ideas for improvement and discuss the topic. This was also the case with the annual MakeLearn, TIIM & PIConf 2023 conference on 19-20 May, where I participated remotely as a presenter and a participant. This year's event took place in Malta and its thematic focus was on digital transformation, enabling the transition to a new normal.

Exploring sustainable tourism entrepreneurship in Australia

This spring, I was on a six-week research visit to the Australian states of Victoria and Tasmania. The research objective of the visit was to learn about the sustainability practices of small tourism companies for an international benchmarking study. I interviewed company representatives to identify and compare responsible business management practices and sustainability actions in tourism companies in different peripheral environments. I discussed with owners or managers of 18 locally based tourism businesses in both urban and rural areas.

Live&Learn model: Support for international students to promote success and well-being

International students make up a significant proportion of vocational schools, colleges and cities, and it is important to support their success. Cities, in particular, have an important role to play in attracting and integrating international students." The Live&Learn model has been developed with this very purpose in mind. It focuses on supporting international students' success in their studies, employment, career development and well-being, as well as strengthening their language skills and understanding of Finnish culture.

Determined Finns believe in the future and build it

Amidst a changing environment and societal changes, we Finns still have a strong belief in the future. Even in the midst of surprises and crises, we feel that we can make a difference to the future. This was reflected in Sitra's latest Future Barometer and the publication Megatrends 2023.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCHERS

Ho-Don Yan: Research and local culture in Oulu

In 2019, I took a sabbatical leave and was delighted to have Matti Muhos along with the faculty of the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute (UniOuluKSI) to be my host to visit Oulu 3 months from August to November. After four years, in June of 2023, I was very lucky to come back to Finland again. From a city (Taichung, Taiwan) with 2 million habitants, congested with people and heavy traffic in the central part of Taiwan, Oulu is like an idyllic garden, with huge space, and sparsely populated town.

Veronica Freitas de Paula: My three-month research stay in Oulu and Nivala

In August 2023 I started my three-month stay as a visiting researcher at the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute. Funded by Academy of Finland's GenZ Project, and developed in collaboration with Universidade Federal de Uberlandia (UFU, Brazil), we are conducting a multiple case study aiming to clarify the management priorities of digital service startups and to shed light on digital business development in Finland.

Atef Hamada: A Journey of Exploration and Collaboration – My experience at the University of Oulu

Allow me to take you on a journey through my academic ventures and research experiences at the esteemed University of Oulu. I am Atef Hamada, originally from Egypt, and my story is one of academic pursuit, collaboration, and a deep appreciation for the Finnish culture. First I tell about my Academic Odyssey from PhD to Senior Researhcer.

Ahmed Abdelghany: Exploring Horizons – A Postdoctoral Researcher's Tale in Oulu and FMT

My academic journey as a researcher has been characterized by a deep-seated curiosity and a passion for mechanical and material science engineering started more than a decade ago at the majestic Faculty of Engineering, Ain Shams University, Egypt, established in 1839. Holding a background in Material Science Engineering, I embarked on this postdoctoral expedition hoping to contribute to the global scientific community. For me, University of Oulu´s Future Manufacturing Technologies (FMT) research group has been an intellectual haven.