Outokumpu Initiates Cooperation with Aalto University
09/13/2010 - Outokumpu has donated a million euros to Aalto University, adding an artist perspective and profound design competence to its cooperation in such traditional technical subjects as economic sciences, metallurgy, and material, automation and process technologies.
Outokumpu has donated a million euros to Aalto University in support of higher education and research.
Traditionally, Outokumpu has engaged in cooperation in fields such as economic sciences, metallurgy, and material, automation and process technologies. Cooperation with Aalto has now added an artist perspective and profound design competence alongside these more technical aspects. Aalto's core research fields - materials research and design - will complement Outokumpu’s in-house R&D, offering new opportunities for innovation and exchanging know-how.
"Industry and commerce need to engage in close cooperation with universities and invest in enhancing top-level know-how,” commented CEO Juha Rantanen. “In order to generate fresh business concepts, our globally networked corporate world requires new kinds of leadership models, communal thinking, and knowledge sharing. Aalto University's multidisciplinary approach is appealing when considering stainless steel's potential as a building block of a sustainable future."
In its cooperation with higher education, Outokumpu seeks to safeguard top-level research and education in areas that are important to the company, to create a sufficient competence base, and to recruit new experts. Outokumpu’s support of Aalto University offers it the opportunity to harness top-level know-how and a multidisciplinary approach.
Cooperation was launched at Aalto University's Design Factory, with both Aalto University President Tuula Teeri and Outokumpu's CEO Juha Rantanen making speeches at the event.
Also as part of the event, Professor Panu Nykänen gave an overview of research cooperation and Kaisa Luukkanen presented her thesis, "The Essence of Kitchen" - stainless steel as a material for furniture design. Design Factory students also presented their ideas on new ways of using stainless steel.
Outokumpu is a global leader in stainless steel with the vision to be the undisputed number one. Customers in a wide range of industries use our stainless steel and services worldwide. Outokumpu employs some 7500 people in more than 30 countries, and its head office is located in Espoo, Finland.
Aalto University is a new multidisciplinary science and art community in the fields of science, economics, and art and design. Founded on Finnish strengths, the new University’s goal is to develop as a unique entity to become one of the world's top universities. Aalto University's cornerstones are education and research.
At the new University, there are 20,000 basic degree and graduate students as well as a staff of 4500, of which 300 are professors. The total budget for 2009 was close to EUR 368 million. In 2009, a total of 1567 Master's Degrees and 180 Doctorates were completed at the three Schools. The number of alumni totals 75,000.
