ABB Oy donates 360,000 euros to Aalto University
'The world is undergoing a major transformation, and it is important to take care of competence development. High-quality research and future top experts will continue to support Finland's competitiveness,' says Pekka Tiitinen, CEO of ABB Oy.
ABB Oy donates a total of 1 million euros to Finnish universities. The donation received by Aalto University is 360,000 euros. The impact of the donation will be increased by the Finnish government’s matching funding campaign, which will continue until the end of June 2022.
‘ABB Finland has global responsibility for the development of several business operations of ABB Group, which operates in more than 100 countries. The development of our state-of-the-art technologies is based on close cooperation with universities and various educational institutions as well as on a culture of continuous learning,’ says Pekka Tiitinen, CEO of ABB Oy.
‘The world is undergoing a major transformation, and it is important to take care of competence development. High-quality research and future top experts will continue to support Finland’s competitiveness,’ Tiitinen emphasises.
‘Warmest thanks for the significant donation. We have developed world-class innovations and competence in cooperation with ABB for a long time. By creating pioneering solutions for sustainable development, we are building a better future for Finland and the entire world together,’ says Ilkka Niemelä, President of Aalto University.
Long and extensive cooperation
Cooperation between Aalto University and ABB has 130 years of history. The main focus of the cooperation has been the control of electric drives and grid-connected converters, which has been the subject of some 20 doctoral theses since 2001. Cooperation has also been carried out in the development of ships’ bridges and energy solutions as well as in the areas of digital twins, power electronics, electricity networks, process automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning.
‘As the digitalisation of society progresses, talented experts educated by universities are needed for a wide range of tasks. ABB develops state-of-the-art technologies that have a broad impact on future smart systems. Ensuring the continuity of high-quality software development in particular plays a key role at ABB while we are investing in the green transition and building a more sustainable world,’ says Matti Kauhanen, Vice President, Technology Manager, Business Unit Drives at ABB Oy.
Aalto University students have completed approximately 40 master’s theses and 5 doctoral degrees each year for ABB. ABB is also a significant employer of Aalto University students and alumni.