Higher education institutions of Turku strengthen their cooperation in the field of technology
The University of Turku, Åbo Akademi, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Novia University of Applied Sciences and the City of Turku have agreed on tightening their cooperation in the field of technology. The Turku Future Technologies Competence Factory (TFT CF) cooperation agreement was signed on Wednesday 27 September.
The aim of the agreement is to intensify the wide-ranging development of competence and education in the interface between the regional businesses and institutions of higher education. The objective is to create modern and competitive infrastructures for research, development and education to be jointly utilized by higher education institutions in education in the field of technology and by so doing meet the constantly developing future needs of the regional businesses. A wide common objective is the long-term strengthening of the regional competitiveness and competence. Turku University of Applied Sciences coordinates the TFT CF operations and has applied for funding for the operations from the Ministry of Education and Culture. The decision will arrive in the near future.
In the agreement, the institutions of higher education commit to cooperative activity that complements the current collaboration in education and R&D operations and strengthens the prerequisites for them. Such cooperative activities will particularly serve the multidisciplinary, constantly developing requirements of the manufacturing sector in technology industry, construction and chemical industry in Turku and Southwest Finland.
The research, development and innovation community Turku Future Technologies (TFT), launched in the beginning of 2016, is a collaborative network formed by all technical universities in Finland and the higher education institutions in the Turku region, aiming at enhancing the utilization of high technology and the latest research in businesses. TFT offers businesses an effective access to the expertise and services of eight institutions of higher education. The operations of TFT are directed particularly at small and medium-sized enterprises. The operations focus on the field of marine technology and are centered especially around the economic regions of Turku and Rauma. The TFT cooperation is funded by the cities of Turku and Rauma as well as Turku Science Park Ltd.
The TFT cooperation and the new educational collaboration FITech, to be established in 2017 between the technical universities operating in Turku, require significant strengthening of the regional research, development and educational infrastructure. In Turku, this will materialize through the newly established TFT Competence Factory (TFT CF).
"Within the frames of the TFT Competence Factory cooperation, the institutions of higher education in Turku aim at building a shared educational and research infrastructure with businesses. The first thing we plan to do is to extend the environment of Machine Technology Center Turku Ltd. into a fully digital factory, paying attention to production automation and the digital product management process. In addition, research and learning environments for the user interfaces of virtual and augmented reality as well as novel energy solutions are needed. I want to challenge businesses to get involved in planning and building the TFT CF operations with us", says Juhani Soini, Vice Rector at Turku University of Applied Sciences.