In the spring 2022 application round of the Post Docs in Companies program (PoDoCo), 11 cooperation projects of postdocs and companies receive funding.

“The purpose of the PoDoCo program is to help companies innovate with the latest research knowledge and expertise. PoDoCo projects show that there are many ways to develop a new business. It is possible to make existing products even better, to create a completely new product or to prepare for the upcoming development that will completely change the industry”, says Dr. Seppo Tikkanen from DIMECC Oy, the leader of the PoDoCo program.

The PoDoCo program, launched in 2015, has already provided 212 PhDs to companies. As a result of fully implemented PoDoCo projects, 90 percent of grant recipients have been employed by a partner company.

New opportunities for post-stroke treatment

Doctor of Science Tuomas Mutanen from Aalto University and Bittium cooperate in developing more efficient electroencephalography (EEG) products that measure electrical signals of the brain. EEG device could, for example, potentially guide the usage of magnetic brain stimulation to cure damaged areas of stroke patients to achieve a stronger therapeutic effect.

”We have used the Bittium EEG-devices for several years in our experiments. This PoDoCo-project continues naturally the existing collaboration,” says Tuomas Mutanen.

Sustainable development by extending battery life

Venkata Bandi from Aalto University and Leapfrog Projects cooperate in developing an innovative plugin-device for electric Light Commercial Vehicles. The device prolongs the life of heavy-duty eLVC batteries and therefore promotes sustainable urban development in emerging markets.

“Venkata and I did field research on distributed renewable energy in India in 2016 as a part of the interdisciplinary New Global project in Aalto. With PoDoCo, we can now collaborate in a new way as we work to transform academic knowledge into globally relevant impact business” says Sara Lindeman, CEO of Leapfrog Projects.

Non-fungible tokens in the domestic design industry

PhD. Student Sebastian Schauman from Hanken is studying the impact of blockchain technology on the Finnish design industry in collaboration with Alice Labs Partners. Non-fungible tokens, NFTs, are already changing the art world, and the change is also expected to alter the fashion industry and the entire consumer culture. The collaboration will develop practices to help companies commercialize digital substitutes into profitable commercial alternatives.

“The phenomenon we are researching is associated with both a lot of expectations and uncertainty. The aim is to find out what value digital substitutes could create for consumers in the future and how the Finnish design industry could benefit from this,” says Sebastian Schauman.

PoDoCo program is funded by Finnish Cultural Foundation, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry, Svenska Kulturfonden, The Society of Swedish Literature in Finland (SLS), Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, Foundation for Economic Education, KAUTE Foundation and The Paulo Foundation. The total funding is up to million euros every year, which enables around 35 PoDoCo grants each year. The Finnish Cultural Foundation was funding the program from year 2015 to spring 2022.

The next grant application for the PoDoCo® program is open from 15 September to 31 October 2022. www.podoco.fi/

Projects supported by the Finnish Cultural Foundation:

Latest research expertise contributes to the twin transition in industry

– This round of applications highlighted twin transition projects. Companies are interested in developing technologies that make more efficient and environmentally friendly use of resources. With the help of postdocs, companies can utilize the latest information to reduce their carbon footprint, says the PoDoCo program leader Dr. Seppo Tikkanen from DIMECC Ltd.

Altogether 201 postdocs have used their expertise to renewal of companies since the beginning of the PoDoCo program in 2015. The program has received 397 applications for cooperation projects. Of the fully implemented PoDoCo projects, 90 percent have led to the employment of PhD in the partner company.

Four grants to postdocs of LUT University

Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology LUT was strongly represented in both the applications and the grants awarded. The companies will be able to utilize the expertise of LUT University’s electrical engineering postdocs in four funded PoDoCo projects.

Dmitry Egorov, PhD from the University of Lappeenranta, focuses on the development of electric motors with Danfoss Editron in his PoDoCo collaboration. As power densities increase, more knowledge is needed about the interrelationships between electromagnetism and thermal and structural design.

– The PoDoCo program with Danfoss Editron Oy represents a unique opportunity for me to get intensive training and industry-related experience in comprehensive design of electromechanical conversion systems, which otherwise I would not be able to grasp within my current affiliation or time equivalent to the duration of the program, says Dmitry Egorov.

Recovering rare-earth elements

In his PoDoCo project, Pasi Salonen, a recent PhD from the University of Turku, is developing a method for the treatment and recovery of rare earth elements (REE), especially from electronic scrap and industrial by-products. Rare-earth elements are used in many new solutions to combat climate change, such as wind farms and electric cars, so the demand has increased rapidly.

In the project promoting circular economy, Salonen, together with Weeefiner Ltd in Jyväskylä, is developing 4D-printed filters for capturing metals, which means 3D-printed filters that have been chemically functionalized.

– I have always been interested in the academic research world as well as industry, and PoDoCo combines both. The PoDoCo project involving 4D REE scavengers done in collaboration with Weeefiner Ltd is interesting and meaningful and allows me to utilize the knowledge obtained in my PhD in practice. The PoDoCo program makes academic and industrial careers simultaneously possible, says Pasi Salonen.

PoDoCo program:

The next PoDoCo grant application round takes place March 1 – April 15, 2022.

There are no limitations regarding the branch of science or branch of industry.

Further information:

PoDoCo-ohjelman vetäjä, Seppo Tikkanen,
DIMECC Oy, seppo.tikkanen(at)dimecc.com, puh. 040 840 2780

Projects supported by SKR:

Text: Antti Kivimäki
Photos: Anna Bui

– In the past, some of the by-products were supplied to fur farms and the rest to pet-food producers. With fur farming continuously declining, it is worth considering how the products could be more effectively put to use elsewhere, Salin says.

It is a simple idea but one which requires plenty of fine-tuning

New recipes are tested on pet dogs. Testing is used to examine the effects of diverse protein sources and gentle cooking on a dog’s ability to absorb the protein. The aim is to create a product that leads to optimal protein absorption, which then reduces environmental nitrogen pollution.

Vitamins and fibre are added to make a complete meal that provides all the nutrients needed by dogs.

– An actual raw food diet requires a lot of knowledge. For my own dog I keep a careful spreadsheet to ensure he receives all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, minerals and micronutrients, Salin explains.

– Many dog owners lack the time and competence required for this. Nor does defrosted raw food keep very long. With this new, gently cooked product selection, Snellman is looking to expand its clientele to dog owners who want feeding their dog to be a little easier.”

Salin’s journey to become a postdoctoral researcher has been unusual. After upper secondary school, she completed a Bachelor’s degree in business administration and worked as managing director and account manager of a sound design company, as well as running a riding school.

A love for animals and interest in dogs held since childhood brought Salin to the University of Helsinki to study animal sciences as a mature student in the early 2000s. While studying, she was an entrepreneur in the real estate business with her husband.

In her doctoral thesis, completed in 2020, Salin explored the effects of feed with an excessive energy content on insulin resistance, excess weight and metabolic disorders in dairy cows.  

– As such, insulin resistance and weight-gain mechanisms seem to work in similar ways in many mammals, including dogs, cows and humans.

Even before completing her PhD, Salin was a member of the DogRisk Research Group of the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. There she edited and analysed a large body of survey data related to Finnish dog-owners, looking for links between canine diets and diverse illnesses.

At dietary seminars in Finland, Salin met Magnus Pettersson, Business Director of Snellman Petfood.

– I was very active in contacting him and sharing my research ideas concerning the enhanced utilisation of the raw material by-products of human food production. We both agreed that there hadn’t been much academic research on canine nutrition in Finland, and that raw feeding and gently cooked products had been studied very little areound the world, Salin explains.

After a few meetings, Petterson was convinced by Salin’s idea, and Salin soon made a PoDoCo application.

The idea behind the PoDoCo (PostDocs in Companies) grant is to open channels for recent doctoral graduates to enter careers in companies. A PoDoCo project lasts for one or two years, with funding from foundations being provided for six or twelve months, followed by a matching period of employment with the partnering company.

Salin made a two-year contract with Snellman and is now a team member taking part in pet food product development.

– In these grant applications, it’s really important to be proactive. If you believe in your mission and agenda, it’s easy to convince others, but a suitable partner won’t just fall out of the sky: you have to have the courage to seek them out.

Salin points out that there are many pet food enterprises in Finland that would not have the resources to carry out scientific research to support their product development. If small companies were to get together as a consortium or cooperative, they might be able to employ a postdoctoral researcher via the PoDoCo system, for example.

Siru Salin, postdoctoral researcher in domestic animal nutrition, received a PoDoCo grant in 2021 to to explore whether the secondary abattoir products could be more effectively utilised in formulating a new dog food product.

Text: Antti Kivimäki

Brinter Oy Product Manager Sanna Turunen suggests that potential applicants first shortlist business partners according to their desired research topic, and after that start contacting them with confidence.

–Trade fairs and conferences are the easiest way to come within chatting distance of corporate executives, but during a pandemic this is naturally difficult. I recommend thinking back to the research you did at university and any business partners who might have been involved in that. Then contact them, Turunen says.

Turunen assumed a highly active role in her own PoDoCo application, taking care of practically everything herself.
In 2017, Turunen was at the University of Tampere, writing a thesis on microstructure fabrication using laser-based 3D printing. She happened to meet the founders of the Salo-based startup 3DTech, which specialises in industrial 3D printing, at a research meeting on bioprinting.

Turunen realised that she could help the company develop a bioprinter with the help of the PoDoCo programme. The company founders had never heard of the programme, but Turunen explained that it meant they could obtain a free researcher for a year.
They honed the research idea together. Turunen formulated the application, which was accepted by the Cultural Foundation. By February 2018, Turunen was employed by 3DTech, developing a bioprinter that combines various printing techniques and printheads.

Almost immediately, Turunen applied to have 3DTech included in the EU’s Horizon 2020 RESTORE initiative, which seeks new methods for fixing arthrosis damage to knee cartilage with the help of functional nanomaterials. One of the initiative’s two main areas of focus is bioprinting, and 3DTech was successful in securing a research grant of nearly EUR 400,000 for a period of three and a half years.  

According to the PoDoCo protocol, Turunen’s next phase from February 2019 onwards would have been a fixed-term employment contract with 3DTech, but the company decided to employ her directly as a permanent employee with the title of Product Manager.

–As it is a small company, my job involves all sorts of things. I am responsible for product development of the 3D bioprinter, but I also conduct research and testing on printerheads, acquire materials and offer technical support for sales and marketing, Turunen explains.  

At the beginning of 2021, the company split into two separate companies, with 3DTech continuing in the printing services business and Brinter Oy conducting bioprinter development and sales.

At the time of writing, Brinter had sold 3D bioprinters, mostly to Finnish research institutions and university research teams. A basic printer costs around EUR 25,000. The addition of diverse printerheads according to needs brings the price up to approximately EUR 40,000.

In a bioprinter, the bio ink cartridges are filled with a hydrogel carrying cells, support materials, growth agents and everything which is needed by living tissue. The aim is to turn these into an accurately shaped three-dimensional entity using the printer. Different components need different nozzles; cells, for example, require particularly gentle extrusion to stay alive.

The long-term objective for bioprinting is to produce entire organs, such as a liver or a pancreas, for those who need them. Turunen estimates that this will take another thirty or forty years to achieve, however.

At the moment, bioprinters serve as scientific aids, producing liver tissue, cancer tissue or skin for research purposes, thus reducing the need for animal testing.

–For large tissue sections and organs we have not yet discovered how to print functioning blood vessels. This is why our first applications are cartilage, bone and skin, which contain fewer blood vessels, Turunen explains.

Read more about PoDoCo grants

D. Sc. (Tech.) Sanna Turunen got a PoDoCo grant of 28 000 euros in 2018 for a post-doctoral study on combining various 3D-bioprinting techniques

Text: Laura Iisalo
Michael Oduor’s photo: Harri Tarvainen
Timo Perälä’s photo: Reijo Koirikivi, Studio P.S.V.

How to create an environment that encourages or even forces its inhabitants to be more active? The subject will be thoroughly examined in a project titled Urban Lifestyle Engineering, which combines expertise of postdoctoral researcher Michael Oduor, who received his PhD in 2018 at the Oulu University, with practical knowledge gathered throughout the years by Oulu-based design agency Navico.

The first phase of the research project is funded by the PoDoCo grant worth 28 000 euros. During this period the aim is to look into best practices across the globe and analyse their impact on both personal and societal level.

The focus will be especially on technology, and how it is utilized as part of urban design – this is a topic closely related to Oduor’s doctoral studies, which looked into persuasive systems design and its impact on human behavior.

– Technology could be used to inspire people towards a more active lifestyle, as it is a beneficial tool for tracking and summarizing habitual changes over time. The goal is to discover efficient ways to create healthier and more sustainable settings that increase social interaction, and make people appreciate their environment more by using technology. These so-called smart cities have been trending globally for a few years now, Oduor tells.

From research to concrete results

One of Navico’s founders, Timo Perälä, has worked and volunteered in sports long enough to notice that in the past few decades people’s physical performance has declined. He believes that changes in lifestyle are partly caused by the way cities are designed and built – for cars.

– People go to the gym more these days but they move less on a daily basis. They might workout vigorously for an hour but they don’t get enough low intensity movement, which is a bad combination for overall health. It is a global phenomenon, which is reflected in the society and economy. There is no point talking about increasing productivity if people are not feeling well, he says.

Health concerns occur at a younger and younger age. In his work Perälä has seen 16-year-old children that have back fractures or other problems in their support and musculoskeletal system, which can severely impact their future.

– Parents want to buy wellbeing and drive their children to sports practices, which reduces their daily movement. This makes the children susceptible to injuries and physical rehabilitation early on – how will they cope in working life if this is the trend, Perälä wonders.

The intention is to take the collected data from the Urban Lifestyle Engineering research project and put it to use as soon as possible in order to develop better design and operational practices, which can be applied internationally.

– The research side relies strongly on Michael’s skills and with his expertise we can measure the impact and deepen our understanding. We want to use the knowhow to improve people’s daily lives, because that’s where it really matters, Perälä concludes.

What is PoDoCo?

Grants awarded by PoDoCo foundation pool are intended for academic research investigating new innovative ideas to boost the strategic renewal of Finnish industry.

PoDoCo is a matchmaking program supporting long term competitiveness and strategic renewal of companies and employment of young doctors in the private sector. PoDoCo matches newly graduated doctors with companies, and financially supports the collaboration projects between doctors and companies. For more information go to www.podoco.fi

Teaching social and emotional skills from young age has proven to be beneficial in many ways. The ability to understand and regulate emotions is likely to result in more positive and supportive relationships, and can help children achieve at a higher level during early years in school.

The importance of the matter was officially recognized in 2016 when social and emotional skills were introduced to the Finnish early childhood educational plan. Postdoctoral Researcher Shupin Li is pleased about the recent developments.

– Learning these skills in kindergarten prepares children for school and protects them from having mental problems later in life, she says.

Scientific evidence matters

Funded by a research grant from the PoDoCo program worth 28 000€, Li has started collaboration with the University of Turku and Aittokoski Experience Oy, a Finnish startup company producing educational materials for young children based around a bird character called Pikkuli. What started off as a book was first turned into a TV series, and then a social emotional learning application developed together with kindergartens in the city of Espoo in 2018 and 2019.

The company is currently preparing to expand to the Chinese market, where they have already established partnerships and secured funding. In order to do so, Li and Aittokoski Experience will conduct a study in six kindergartens – three in Finland and three in China  – with 200 children aged from three to five. In the first part of the research project the children, their teachers, and parents use the existing Pikkuli app as part of their daily routine. After examining the results, the technical team at Aittokoski Experience will optimize the application for a second round of studies. The final outcome determines whether two different versions of the app are needed for adapting to two culturally different markets.

– We have already received great feedback from the users of the app and we know that the pedagogical content works. But considering that we operate with large organizations in educational market, it is important to have scientific evidence to back it up, says Metsämarja Aittokoski, founder of Aittokoski Experience and the creator of the Pikkuli brand.

Preparing children for future

Working with technology comes with preconceptions because it is sometimes thought to be harmful to young children. Li say that the subject is not black and white; it is proven that excess usage can indeed cause harm but she also points out that technology is unavoidable – especially in the future.

– That’s why it is important to provide guidance to children and prepare them for their future life. Playing outdoors with other kids is one way to learn social and emotional skills but technology provides new opportunities. We just need to teach children to use it in a productive way.

Text: Laura Iisalo
Photo: Ting Xu

17 doctoral and business partnership projects are funded in the fall 2019 application round of the PoDoCo program. The program received 30 collaboration applications from companies and doctors who have recently completed or will soon complete their degree. A total of 134 grants have been awarded in the PoDoCo program since 2015.

– Especially small and medium-sized enterprises have been active and successful in the PoDoCo program. In this application round, 75% of the collaborative projects funded are focused on research and innovation in small and medium-sized enterprises, says Dr. Seppo Tikkanen, leader of the PoDoCo program.

The transition time from research to business is shorter than before in the currently funded collaborative projects, as nearly half of the PhDs have been completed this year or will be completed in the spring. PoDoCo program has played a major role especially in the recruitment of doctors with foreign background to the private sector. In this fall application round, almost half of the PhDs are of foreign background.

The funded projects represent a wide range of disciplines and sectors, from medical to material technology and from applications that support children’s emotional development to active magnetic bearing. 

Weather forecasts with block accuracy

In the city, the weather conditions change from block to block. This is caused by different surface shapes. As the climate and environment change, it becomes even more important to understand the local weather conditions. Vaisala’s PoDoCo project is implemented in cooperation with the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Maria Filioglou explores in her research the wind forecasts of Helsinki using Vaisala’s new wind lidars for remote sensing of wind.

– The expected results of the project will provide information for the development of Vaisala’s Smart City business concept. The results will give a better understanding of how the best accuracy of urban environment weather forecasts could be best achieved on a block scale. Future citizen services, such as air taxis and drone-transport, need more accurate weather information to enable safer and more efficient operations, says Tapio Haarlaa, Head of Aviation, Strategy and Business Development, Vaisala’s Weather and Environment business area.

Studied plants for wall and table

Martina Angeleri, currently a Researcher of Plant Molecular Biology at the University of Turku, is studying the effects of light in small greenhouses in her PoDoCo collaboration with Plantui Ltd. The chemical composition and growth of plants grown in Plantui’s miniature greenhouses, which combine special light and aquaculture technology, has not been previously studied. The goal of the PoDoCo-project is to study the effects of changes in light conditions on the levels of vitamins and various antioxidant compounds as well sugars.

– In the project I am developing light conditions that affect the growth and taste of the plants. The idea is that everyone can enjoy the food they produce as they wish. I’ll start my research with lettuce, kale and tomatoes. The intention is to expand to other plants later. I look forward to the project because food science has always been close to my heart, and now I can integrate it into my research, Angeleri says.

Urban green infrastructure

Long Xie, a doctoral candidate from the University of Helsinki, has been researching microbial growth in vertical plants for six years. His PoDoCo research concentrates on the indoor and outdoor green walls and it is done in cooperation with a Finnish SME, InnoGreen.

According to Xie’s earlier investigations, beneficial microbes can have a major impact on the function of plant walls. In outdoor walls, especially stormwater management capacity is of interest.

– We hope that the results of the study will inspire consumer interest in plant walls and provide evidence of stormwater management in the new outdoor plant wall structure we have under development. The research is vital for InnoGreen in order to develop the best possible product for creating an urban green infrastructure and stormwater management. This lays the foundations for successful internationalization, says Mikko Sonninen, founder member of Innogreen.

Next grant application round in spring 2020

The next PoDoCo grant application round will be held March 1 – April 15, 2020. PoDoCo program is funded by Finnish Cultural Foundation, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry, Svenska Kulturfonden, Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, Foundation for Economic Education, KAUTE Foundation, The Paulo Foundation and Helsingin Sanomat Foundation. The total funding is up to million euros every year, which enables around 35 PoDoCo grants each year.

DIMECC Ltd. is responsible for the practical implementation of the programme. DIMECC is a co-creation platform owned by 67 leading Finnish companies, universities and research institutions.

Projects supported by SKR:

Additional information

PoDoCo program leader, Dr. Seppo Tikkanen seppo.tikkanen@dimecc.com, tel. +358 40 840 2780
Chairman of the PoDoCo Management Board Dr. Yrjö Neuvo, Aalto University, yrjo.neuvo@aalto.fi

PoDoCo is a matchmaking program supporting long term competitiveness and strategic renewal of companies and employment of young doctors in the private sector. PoDoCo matches newly graduated doctors with companies, and financially supports the collaboration projects between doctors and companies.

PoDoCo program offers research grants of 6-12 months to cover the costs of the first part of the project. Grants awarded by PoDoCo foundation pool are intended for academic research investigating new innovative ideas to boost the strategic renewal of Finnish industry. The aim is that after the grant phase the company hires the doctor for same period of time to deepen the research results and to create company-specific insight. A one-year research grant is EUR 28 000.

All companies operating in Finland and all young doctors who have recently completed or will soon complete their doctorate degree are welcome to join the PoDoCo program.

PoDoCo program opens application round for grants from 1st March 2019 to 15th April 2019. Results of the application round will be published at latest on June 2019.

PoDoCo program has two application rounds each year and awards some 17 postdoctoral grants in each round. Nine foundations will allocate altogether almost 1 000 000 euros to the program during year 2018. The program’s foundations are Finnish Cultural Foundation, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Svenska Kulturfonden, Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, The Foundation for Economic Education, KAUTE Foundation, the Paulo Foundation and Maa- ja Vesitekniikantuki ry. PoDoCo program is operated by DIMECC Ltd.

Further information about the program and the application round is available on PoDoCo website at www.podoco.fi, and from Program Manager Arto Nieminen, arto.nieminen@dimecc.com, +358 40 099 1226

Are you a company with cutting-edge renewal ideas and looking for the help of a talented postdoc to investigate your ideas? Are you a young postdoc interested in putting your research knowledge and expertise into practice? PoDoCo program may be just right for you!

PoDoCo is a matchmaking program supporting long term competitiveness and strategic renewal of companies and employment of young doctors in the private sector. The duration of PoDoCo period is 1-2 years and it consist of two phases: research period and targeted research period. PoDoCo program is funded by PoDoCo foundation pool and companies participating in the program. All companies operating in Finland and all young doctors who have recently completed or will soon complete their doctorate degree are welcome to join the PoDoCo program.

PoDoCo foundation pool offers research grants of 6-12 months for the research period. Grants awarded by PoDoCo foundation pool are intended for academic research investigating new innovative ideas to boost the strategic renewal of Finnish industry. A one-year research grant is EUR 28 000.

PoDoCo program opens application round for grants from 1st March 2018 to 15th April 2018. Results of the application round will be published at latest on June 2018.

PoDoCo program has two application rounds each year and awards some 17 postdoctoral grants in each round. Nine foundations will allocate altogether almost 1 000 000 euros to the program during year 2018. The program’s foundations are Finnish Cultural Foundation, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Maa- ja Vesitekniikantuki ry, Svenska Kulturfonden, Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation, The Foundation for Economic Education, KAUTE Foundation and Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation. PoDoCo program is operated by DIMECC Ltd.

Further information about the program and the application round is available on PoDoCo website at www.podoco.fi, and from Program Manager Essi Huttu, firstname.lastname@dimecc.com, tel. + 358 40 840 9259.