Wärtsilä has today signed a general agreement on research and development cooperation with Svenska yrkeshögskolan (Swedish language University of Applied Sciences), University of Applied Sciences and the University of Vaasa.
The purpose of the agreement is to increase cooperation between Wärtsilä and the University of Vaasa and the Universities of Applied Sciences in Vaasa, to lower the threshold for initiating research and development projects between Wärtsilä and the other parties to the agreement, and to increase the impact that the universities have on the region.
Juha Kytölä, President of Wärtsilä Finland Oy, states that the agreement will improve cooperation between the educational establishments and Wärtsilä. “It is significantly easier to start up research projects if the framework for cooperation has already been set out and research personnel and those who need the research can just focus on reaching agreement on the research topic,” says Kytölä.
Under the terms of the agreement signed now, the professors and research professors at the University of Vaasa and the senior lecturers at the universities of applied science, the experts with a doctor’s or licentiate’s degree, other teaching staff, and the laboratory engineers and machines, equipment and systems used in R&D operations are available to Wärtsilä under agreed terms.
Joint projects will give the students who participate in them opportunities for professional growth and to develop their expert knowledge while they are studying. “Thinking of future recruitment, it is a major advantage if students have worked on major projects for Wärtsilä at their place of study,” Kytölä points out.
Wärtsilä has already started joint projects with Svenska yrkeshögskolan and the Vaasa University of Applied Sciences connected to the agreement. They are related for example to the modelling of engine running noise, noise intensity measurements, EMC measurements and vibration testing. Preparations are also being made for a major joint project with Vaasa University of Applied Science relating to the use of testing equipment.
The University of Vaasa for its part is currently involved in a project to monitor and regulate the cleaning of exhaust emissions from ship engines. Negotiations are being held about developing a full service cleaning system. The university is also studying the suitability of animal-based biofuels produced from waste for use in engines.
“The main focus in R&D cooperation will be in technical areas, but certain aspects of commerce and management are other areas in which we have opportunities and needs for cooperation. Wärtsilä’s goal is to double the number of joint projects during the coming year,” states Juha Kytölä.
Further information: Juha Kytölä, President, Wärtsilä Finland Oy, tel. +358 40 500 2936.
