130 likes | 237 Views
University research , R&D and business co-operation. President Ritva Laakso-Manninen HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied Sciences Helsinki, Finland. Research and R&D. Research
E N D
Universityresearch, R&D and business co-operation President Ritva Laakso-Manninen HAAGA-HELIA University of Applied Sciences Helsinki, Finland
Research and R&D • Research • Basic scientific research, the purpose of which is to increase our understanding of the many phenomena of our world and society • Emphasis of which is on an international level and also it is more often supported by international research funds • Research and Development • Applied research geared toward the needs of business and industry, the purpose of which is not only to understand but also to be applied in day to day business operations • It often has a regional emphasis, and it is supported by national research funds and corporate funding
The position of traditional universities and UAS in the knowledge infrastructure
Applied research is growing rapidly, major drivers: • Meeting the needs of a knowledge-based economy • Boosting regional innovativeness • Focus on SME’s • Relevance for professional education • Relevance for professional practice • Applied research is itself a driver for the development of business and society as a whole • (EDUPROF 2009: Research in UAS in Europe)
Major challenges • Defining basic research and applied research in practical situations is not an easy task • Applied research is sometimes seen as having of less value • Applied research requires increased speed in order to keep up with the operating rhythm of companies • Companies (especially SME’s) are interested in research co-operation, but they are not very keen on paying for it • (EDUPROF 2009: Research in UAS in Europe)
Facts of HAAGA-HELIA • Private University of Applied Sciences • Student enrolment 10 000 (1000 int. students), 6 campuses • Personnel 650/450 teachers • Bachelor’s and Master’s level education • International • Degree Programmes in English, Finnish and Swedish • 180 international partner institutions www.haaga-helia.fi
R&D at HAAGA-HELIA • Our aim is to support the competitiveness of business • The needs of companies are the base for our R&D operations • We focus on the following strategic areas: • Service concepts and sales • New business opportunities and ICT supporting business • New learning solutions
Criteria of a good project at HAAGA-HELIA The project… • has a genuine business orientation • is one of HAAGA-HELIA’sstrategicfocusareas • is based on jointplanning and operation with corporatepartners • hasexternalfunding • includesstudentparticipants • poolsexpertisefromdifferentunits and hasparticipantsfromacross HAAGA-HELIA
Case example:Workplace communication R&D project Project objectives • to investigate what communication is like in knowledge-based organisations today • what kinds of expectations are targeted at such organisations • and also to develop methods for communication planning, implementation and assessment.
Workplace communication: Project phases • 1) Research of the situation in Finnish companies • 2) Analysis of results together with experts from diverse companies • 3) A book on the results (Juholin 2009: The Revolution in Communications ) • 4) Development of a measurement tool for communication assessment (ComBaro) • 5) The communication assessment tool was licenced to a corporate partner who is implementing it with its customers. • 6) Research in internationally operating companies • The project included HAAGA-HELIA’s experts and students. Students have participated in project tasks and completed theses on various aspects of the project. • Cooperation with companies has been tight, more than 800 participants from over 70 organisations. • The project has been funded by the Finnish Work Environment Fund, several companies and HAAGA-HELIA.
To summarize • Up-to-date research and R&D are core elements in advancing modern society, they both contribute to the development of business and society as a whole • Both basic and applied research are necessary, they both have a special role to play • The key element in national innovation systems is to integrate research, R&D and business • Also all higher education should be tied to research and R&D