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 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 SMEs 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 SMEs) are interested in research co-operation, but they are not very keen on paying for it (EDUPROF 2009: Research in UAS in Europe)

Private University of Applied Sciences Student enrolment (1000 int. students), 6 campuses Personnel 650/450 teachers Bachelors and Masters level education International Degree Programmes in English, Finnish and Swedish 180 international partner institutions 5 Facts of HAAGA-HELIA

Fields of education Business Hotel and restaurant Tourism management Information technology Journalism Management assistant training Sports management

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-HELIAs strategic focus areas is based on joint planning and operation with corporate partners has external funding includes student participants pools expertise from different units and has participants from across 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-HELIAs 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

Thank you!