Outi Vanharanta, Doctor of Science in Economics and Business Administration, has been appointed into the newly created role of Research Impact Officer at the Finnish Research Impact Foundation, starting 1 September 2022. Key aspects of this role include the development of funding programme evaluations and new funding instruments. We are delighted to introduce our new team member!
What motivated you to join us at FRIF?
– The Finnish Research Impact Foundation plays a significant role in our society in promoting research-driven cooperation with industry. My own role at FRIF will allow me to explore and develop new ways of improving this cooperation even further. I’m convinced there is still untapped potential in this field – and really excited to have this opportunity to get involved in strengthening this cooperation and ultimately the impact of research excellence in Finland.
First impressions of the foundation?
– My first impressions of FRIF are extremely good! Despite its young age the foundation has already done a great deal to promote research impact. It’s a small team but one that’s highly dedicated and motivated to find the best ways of increasing interaction between academic research and the rest of society. And importantly, there’s a strong commitment to constantly improve the foundation’s performance.
What’s your background?´Before joining FRIF I spent ten years as project manager and researcher at Aalto University’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, working on various research projects concerned with innovation, organizational change and changes in the labour market. That was a great opportunity to get to work with different national and international stakeholder groups as well as with SMEs. It was truly motivating to get to do research that was academically interesting and at once relevant from a business perspective.
– Before joining FRIF I spent ten years as project manager and researcher at Aalto University’s Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, working on various research projects concerned with innovation, organizational change and changes in the labour market. That was a great opportunity to get to work with different national and international stakeholder groups as well as with SMEs. It was truly motivating to get to do research that was academically interesting and at once relevant from a business perspective.
What’s the most important goal you are pursuing right now?
– At the moment I’m working on a research plan for assessing the performance of FRIF’s funding programmes. The aim will be to identify ways of developing existing instruments and to create a framework for assessing the impact of industry collaborations. During the autumn I will also be looking to get to know our key stakeholder groups and to gain an overall impression of the RDI system from the funding agency’s perspective.
What are your top tips for achieving impact in industry–academia cooperation?
– Impact is a complex and multidimensional phenomenon involving a wide range of underlying factors. In the context of industry–academia cooperation, achieving impact requires at least the solid commitment of both partners and a shared view of the goals of cooperation. Furthermore, it requires mutual trust, open interaction and a preparedness to question one’s own ways of thinking and working. With these elements in place, you stand a good chance of producing research with high social impact.
What do you like to do outside of work?
– My main interests are low-threshold outdoor sports such as running, cycling and swimming in the wild all year round, as well as forest hikes with the family. But I also enjoy lots of reading and studying foreign languages.
