UNIVERSITY OF OULU
Center for Internet Excellence

Press Release
August 27, 2008

 

A multi-community Center for Internet Excellence in Oulu

A Center for Internet Excellence (CIE) is being set up in Oulu. A Center for Internet Excellence (CIE) is being set up in Oulu. A maximum of 100-200 Finnish and international researchers from the University of Oulu, Nokia, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the Oulu University of Applied Sciences, and research groups from other future project partners will come to work at the Center for Internet Excellence to be set up at the University of Oulu. The City of Oulu will play a key role and Technopolis Oyj will also take part in founding the Center.

The goal of the Center for Internet Excellence is to produce research of a high international standard, pioneering technology, and innovations in the growing areas driven by the Internet and the service sector. Subjects of research will include the ubiquitous Internet technologies, interaction between people and the Internet, and new multimedia applications and means of communication. Priority in basic and applied research will eventually be determined in working groups made up of the member organizations. The Center is scheduled to begin operations in 2009.

Research and a product development model based on cooperation between research institutes, educational institutions, businesses and the public sector at the Center combined with a community-based work culture is a new concept in Finland. Broad multidisciplinarity, transparency, the benefits of global research networks, a joint testing infrastructure and also networking and a result-oriented mode of operations will be typical of the Center.

The Center of Internet Excellence will be an independent unit of the University of Oulu. The choice of the University as the site for the Center was based on the high standard of competence of the scientific community there and on multidisciplinarity, which will enable Internet research from the perspective of telecommunications, information technology and software research, economics and the humanities.

Information technology and wireless communications is one of the three main areas at the University of Oulu and there are numerous research groups in different sectors.

“The Center for Internet Excellence and its operational concept will enhance our basic research and promote our primary objective, which is to develop into a world-class research university. This is the profile that we have chosen in the Finnish university community. Hence we will also be able to contribute more effectively to the success of our operating environment,” says Rector Lauri Lajunen of the University of Oulu.

The long history of institutions in the Oulu area as innovators and a globally sufficient cluster of competence are the main reasons why Nokia decided to take part in the establishment of the Center. Nokia, like the other equal partners, played a role in developing the concept of the Center, the basic funding, and especially the projects, for which Nokia will locate its own personnel in the facilities of the Center, depending on the need. Nokia already has a significant R&D cluster of its own in Oulu.

“The Oulu Internet Center for Excellence is an important new opening for Nokia in a key business area. It will increase competitiveness, create new business opportunities, and promote realization of a new environment of collaboration," explains Erkki Ormala, Nokia’s Vice President, Technology and Trade Policy.

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland will develop mobile Internet technology and business competence together with the other partners in the Center for Excellence. Research will be supported by a joint professorship at VTT and the University of Oulu in mobile telecommunications business competence.

“We’ll increase interaction among researchers by combining research groups from different institutions and support entrepreneurship on the part of researchers. New concepts that combine new technology, business know-how, ease of use, and data security will be tested in the research,” predicts Jussi Paakkari, Technology Director at VTT.

The City of Oulu will assist in starting up the Center and in funding its projects according to the funding agreement for the current 2007-2013 EU programme period. In addition, the City will take part along with the other players in building the testing environment and infrastructure and include its own related development projects and perhaps project personnel as well.

“The Center for Internet Excellence is a significant concrete step in restructuring wireless technology research and business operations in Oulu. I myself particularly expect that the model for collaboration will enable the Center to better support the commercialization of global top-level basic and applied research,” explains Matti Pennanen, Mayor of Oulu.

The Oulu University of Applied Sciences will contribute its lengthy experience in content production for cross-disciplinary Internet technology and applied research.
“In collaboration with other researchers, the University of Applied Sciences will produce new knowledge that it can immediately integrate with education. The Center for Excellence will offer the University of Applied Sciences an opportunity to work in direct and active contact with companies and other researchers in the region,” Rector Lauri Lantto says.

 

For additional information:

Rector Lauri Lajunen, University of Oulu, tel. +358 (0)8 553 4071
 
Nokia Press Services, tel. +358 (0)7180 34900, press.services@nokia.com

Mayor Matti Pennanen, City of Oulu, tel. +358 (0)8 558 41110

Deputy Mayor Timo Kenakkala, City of Oulu, tel. +358 (0)8 558 41112

Technology Director Jussi Paakkari, VTT Telecommunications, tel. +358 (0)40 548 5286

Rector Lauri Lantto, Oulu University of Applied Sciences, tel. +358 (0)8 010 27 22651