VTT has joined ELLIS Institute Finland, which brings together international and Finnish top researchers to strengthen fundamental research in artificial intelligence in Finland. Membership enhances VTT’s ability to benefit from the results of university-driven basic research generated within the network and to transform them into practical solutions for businesses, industry, and the public sector.
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- ELLIS Institute Finland, coordinated by Aalto University, aims to position Finland at the forefront of international AI research by attracting top researchers and emphasising sustainable technological development.
- The institute will introduce new professorships and renowned researchers to Finland, supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture, universities, and private donors, enhancing the Finnish research environment.
- The ELLIS network, founded in 2018, now includes a second European institute in Finland.
This summary is written by AI and checked by a human.
ELLIS Institute Finland is part of the ELLIS network (European Laboratory for Learning and Intelligent Systems), which focuses on fundamental research in AI and machine learning.
“The institute strengthens Finland’s already high-quality AI research. That is why it is important for VTT to be part of ELLIS Institute Finland: when the institute produces new knowledge through basic research, VTT has the expertise to transform it into practical applications that serve businesses and the public sector,” says Tua Huomo, Executive Vice President for Sustainable Products and Materials at VTT.
The institute will bring renowned international researchers and a substantial number of new professorships to Finland, funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture, universities, and private donors. The first international top researchers have already started their work in Finland.
The institute is coordinated by Aalto University.
“ELLIS Institute Finland strengthens Finland’s position at the forefront of international AI research. It enables us to attract the world’s best researchers and build a research environment that reflects European values and sustainable technological development,” says Samuel Kaski, Director of the Institute and Professor at Aalto University.
A long tradition of AI research, new breakthroughs ahead
AI research has deep roots at VTT.
“Computer scientist Seppo Linnainmaa, who worked as a researcher at VTT for many years, developed methods in his 1970s doctoral thesis that led to a breakthrough in neural networks. By the 1980s, VTT already had several AI research teams,” Huomo explains.
Today, AI is a tool that enables VTT to accelerate and simplify scientific discovery.
“We apply AI, for example, in the development of new materials, which play a key role in the renewal of many industries. Materials research lays the foundation for solutions that support Finland’s sustainable growth and competitiveness across multiple sectors.”
The second ELLIS Institute in Europe
The ELLIS network was founded in 2018 to advance European fundamental research in AI, innovation, and societal impact. It currently comprises over 40 units in 17 countries and now two institutes: one in Tübingen, Germany, and one in Finland. The coordinated network brings together Europe’s leading researchers and ensures that research remains of high quality and relevance.
“ELLIS membership is a mark of recognition and expertise for researchers. The establishment of an institute in Finland is a strong signal that we have both the capability and the ambition to advance AI research,” Kaski says.
The new institute builds on the foundation laid by the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI), which has been Finland’s flagship programme in AI research and one of the country’s most significant research initiatives in the field. FCAI’s eight-year programme will continue until the end of 2026.
