Valmet and Aalto strengthen cooperation - AI and green transition as future themes

Valmet CEO Thomas Hinnerskov (second from left) and other Executive Team members visited Otaniemi in February. (Photo by: Joonas Lehtovaara)

The new agreement builds on a long-standing cooperation in both research and education. In recent years, the focus has been on energy technology and the development of carbon-neutral production. In the future, the cooperation will increasingly focus on the green transition and artificial intelligence. 

"The use of AI in R&D is a natural development for the future of green transition technologies," says Viivi Villa-Nuottajärvi, Vice President of Research and Development at Valmet. Aalto University is involved in dozens of projects as part of Valmet's Beyond Circularity programme, which aims to innovate new solutions to advance the carbon neutrality and green transition goals of customer industries.  

The cooperation with Valmet has included theses and dissertations, course collaboration and research projects. Valmet also participates in the Aalto International Talent programme, which aims to bring together international students and Finnish companies. The Valmet brand is also visible to students in a tangible way: the opening of the Valmet Hall was celebrated on campus last year.  

"Valmet is a very important and long-standing partner for Aalto. Themes that are important to both parties, such as sustainable development, creativity and artificial intelligence, will continue to strengthen our common direction in the future," says Ilkka Niemelä, President of Aalto University.  

The cooperation is also strengthened by the appointment of Mika Karaila, Research Director of Valmet's Automation Systems business line, as Professor of Practice at the School of Engineering from February 1. Karaila will serve a five-year term and he will work on research and education in Industrial Internet in Professor Petri Kuosmanen's research group.  

In this role at Aalto University, Mika will be instrumental in fostering innovation and bridging the gap between academia and industry. He will focus on integrating cutting-edge technologies into Aalto University’s curriculum and research initiatives. 

Mika has a long history from year 1986 in developing, implementing and using distributed control systems. His latest work includes pioneering the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technologies to enhance industrial processes and maintenance. 

“I envision the role as a catalyst for innovation and collaboration. I’m aiming to create a dynamic learning environment where students can engage with real-world challenges and develop practical solutions. We will use Valmet’s new DNAe platform to test these solutions. My plan is to introduce new methodologies and technologies that will prepare students for the evolving demands of the digital age.”, Mika says. We have now two good Master of Science thesis that are implemented as part of DNAe.