Integration of the Regional Knowledge Ecosystems

• Savonia’s Commitment: Savonia actively supports the local working life and business community by producing over a thousand experts annually and engaging in research, development, and innovation (RDI) to boost regional competitiveness.
• Focus on Applied Research: The university excels in applied research, especially targeted at the business sector, using evidence-based knowledge to develop new solutions.
• Regional Knowledge Ecosystems: Six regional ecosystems promote business growth, internationalisation, and innovation, involving collaboration between companies, research institutions, universities, and educational institutions. Savonia coordinates many of these and plays a key role in connecting various stakeholders within the region.
• Ecosystem Impact: These ecosystems help address business challenges and form a dynamic network that supports the sustainable development of the region and improves the quality of life for its inhabitants.

Research fields in regional, national and international ecosystems

• Savonia’s Research Profiles: The institution focuses on three key research profiles—Comprehensive Security, Resource Wisdom, and Regenerative Industry—aiming to promote sustainable development and social responsibility through its research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities.
• Local and International Focus: Resource profiles stem from research traditions shaped by local needs but are applied internationally. Comprehensive Security addresses a key global societal challenge.
• Cross-Cutting Themes: Innovation, intelligence, and sustainability are central themes across all research profiles, emphasizing their broad applicability.
• Smart Specialisation: Savonia’s research areas align with the region’s smart specialisation strategy, covering research fields such as Bio and Circular Economy, Wellbeing, Machinery and Energy, Food Systems, Water Safety, and Sustainable Societies.

Solutions to common challenges across EU

We have extensive experience with EU-funded projects and are involved in approximately 15 to 20 international projects annually.

EU challenges

• Climate change
• Resilience
• Green Transition
• Digital Transition
• Societal changes
• Sustainable Growth

Place-based solutions

• Regional impact
• Smart Specialization
• Interregional Value Chains
• Innovation performance
  • NUTS
  • EU Transition region
• Superecosystem metacluster (ECCP-certified)

Actions

• RIA
• IA
• CSA
• Training
• Demostrations
• Pilots
• Living Labs

Infrastructure

Infrastructure of labs and learning environments:

• Water lab, VR/XR, Bioreactor, EMC lab, 3D printing facilities, Wellness Center, Design Center…
• Business Center
• DigiCenter

Project-based Applied research and innovation

Our researchers and educators actively utilise international project funding to enhance Savonia’s responsible impact. In our international projects, we often focus on the mid-range of the TRL (Technology Readiness Level) scale, from around TRL 2-3 up to TRL 7-8.

Savonia contribution in levels of technology readiness: strongest from 3 to 7

Water Safety

We play a key role in Kuopio Water Cluster ( Kuopio Water Cluster – Securing Clean Water ) and its growth into a valuable international partner. Savonia coordinates the implementation of the innovation ecosystem agreement between the City of Kuopio and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland.

RDI themes:

• Water treatment technologies in the Zero Emission Industry: Circular economy applications for water treatment/recovery/reuse and closing water cycles, Environment: Prevention of pollution of water and groundwater, management of agricultural water and industrial water, and Smart Water Solutions: Digitalisation in the water sector
• We offer testing and analysis services, prototyping and demonstrations, piloting services, expert consulting, data storage and analytics, and training for the water sector.
• We are involved in regionally, nationally, and internationally funded projects, connecting business and innovation partners, and enabling international cooperation opportunities and matchmaking.

Contact:

Eero Antikainen, R&D Manager, eero.antikainen@savonia.fi, t. +358 44 785 6325

Food Systems

We improve the vitality and well-being of the region by developing the local food systems. We increase the competences and capacities of companies operating in the food sector and in business development and launching new innovations in the sector’s ecosystems.

Central themes:

• Improving primary production processes and the profitability of producers’ businesses
• Improving the operational capacity of food businesses and generating new innovations
• Developing sustainability in the food service sector and promoting food tourism

Contact:

Petri Kainulainen, Director of Education R&D Manager, petri.kainulainen@savonia.fi, t. +358 44 785 6635

Bio and Circular Economy

Our research activities focus on bio-based products and material cycles and related piloting and processing solutions.

We make recycled fertilisers and soil improvers using industrial byproducts, agricultural field and biomass, with the aim of facilitating the nutrient cycle. We promote the implementation of know-how and new technologies in a way that strengthens the circular economy in the region.

Contact:

Harri Auvinen, R&D Manager, harri.auvinen@savonia.fi, t. +358 44 785 6923

Machinery and Energy

• Savonia supports sustainable business and green and digital transitions in the local mechanical engineering and energy industries together with sectoral ecosystems.
• Applications include product development and design in the technology industry, production and materials engineering, and production technologies and electricity distribution in the energy industry.
• Savonia’s main research subjects include product and plant innovation, additive manufacturing, renewable energy sources, new forms of energy and energy storage.

Contact:

Mechanical engineering, Esa Jääskeläinen, R&D Manager, esa.jaaskelainen@savonia.fi, t. +358 44 785 6271
Energy technology, Jarno Ruusunen, R&D Manager, jarno.ruusunen@savonia.fi, t. +358 44 785 6778

Wellbeing

We operate within the Kuopio Health ecosystem and coordinate the implementation of the ecosystem agreement between the City of Kuopio and Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland.

Central themes:

• Effective Sote service production and customer-oriented development of services using smart technologies, service design and business development.
• Sustainable and personalised promotion of well-being and the use of cultural well-being perspectives.
• Development of new learning environments – VR/XR technologies, appropriate learning platforms and gamification
• Child protection, inclusion, digitalisation of social work and the future of early childhood education and care.

Contact:

Mikko Ylilauri, R&D Manager, mikko.ylilauri@savonia.fi, t. +358 44 785 6152

Sustainable Societies

• We improve Savonia’s strategic competitiveness while focusing on the development of innovative economic thinking and innovation culture. We support sustainability investments made by other companies.
• We explore the social acceptability of innovations and develop value networks, innovation ecosystems and responsible business models.
• We improve the resilience of different actors in society as part of comprehensive security. We create new opportunities for developing disaster management.
• We support the resilience of residents in times of crisis. We integrate Savonia’s climate security and cultural expertise into regional, national and international development processes.

Contact:

Kaija Villman, R&D Manager, kaija.villman@savonia.fi, t. +358 44 785 6840