Business Networking Day brought research and business together
Business Networking Day is a networking event organised by the University of Jyväskylä, where companies and stakeholders can present their know-how and needs, and the university's researchers can showcase their expertise. The event was attended by organisations from the Central Finland region and other parts of Finland. The main themes were product development, innovation and working life cooperation, sustainability, responsibility, safety and well-being. More than 320 people from companies, stakeholders, university researchers and staff registered for the day.
Keynote speeches were given by Olli Ohtonen and Sanna Kankaanrinta, and the event also included themed talk sessions and short presentations where companies and researchers showcased their expertise and sought new partners.
Creative thinking motivates to different forms of collaboration
Simo Puro, a project researcher at the Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, came to the event with an open mind. "What motivates business cooperation is when researched knowledge can be combined with practice. I hope that we will have more and more business cooperation. Both the private and the public sector can benefit from research in our field of science," he said.
Associate Professor Riku Nikander from the Faculty of Exercise and Sport Sciences emphasised the creative thinking that collaboration brings: "The best thing about business and stakeholder collaboration is the opportunity to explore different ways of thinking. Collaboration fosters creativity and generates new ideas and innovations."
Networking opportunities also with students
Business Networking Day offers a wide range of networking opportunities with different stakeholders. It brings together actors from both the public and private sectors, many of whom are exploring new opportunities for cooperation or strengthening their links with students and potential future employees.
"We offer students the opportunity to do their internships or thesis with us. We work closely with students and are always looking for new ways to collaborate, including in other areas of research," said Nurana Atayeva from Harvia, a manufacturer of sauna stoves and saunas.
"We have collaborated with the University of Jyväskylä on graduation projects. As we are also alumni of the university, it was natural to come and represent here today. In the future, we hope to deepen our cooperation and together create solutions that can revolutionize our field and provide innovations for Finnish universities and internationally," said Otto Salmenkivi from IQM Quantum Computers, a company that builds quantum computers and applications.
