A small northern country can successfully manage in international competition only one way.
‘Our trump card rests in our know-how – and it’s got to be better than that of others in at least some specific fields,’ Jorma Eloranta emphasises.
Mr Eloranta's words have weight: he is an alumnus of the Helsinki University of Technology who managed to spend 28 years of his career as a chief executive officer, mainly in the employment of Finnish industrial enterprises. In addition, he functioned as the Chairperson of the Board of the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation, and is still Chairperson of the Board of the Finnish Foundation for the Promotion of Technological Advances. Mr Eloranta was also actively involved in collecting capital – totalling MEUR 200 – for the establishment of Aalto University.
‘Technological industries contributed well over half of the sum which, given the economic situation at the time, was quite an impressive endeavour. The significance of universities of technology to the success of Finnish industry and via the same for the prosperity of the entire community is nevertheless so large that we regarded consolidating the funding foundation as worthy of the investment,’ Mr Eloranta avers.
Strengthen – and weed out
In addition to sufficient funding, a top university requires a new type of management. At Aalto, the university’s board, made up of external specialists observing the foundation model, selects the president who has a strong mandate for both inspiring others and for conceptualisation and the renewal of structures, as well as for making difficult decisions.
‘The university must create an atmosphere for encouragement, put real effort into the best fields and weed out the weaker areas,’ Jorma Eloranta believes.
‘Deciding on the best things is generally pleasant, whereas specifying what is weaker is a thankless task – the same goes in the world of business. Nevertheless, it's essential, because one can't be best at everything, and the district championship level isn’t enough to make it in international competition.’
Cooperation is also required in the quest for success – both between universities and with industry. Mr Eloranta sees the various partnership networks – where solutions and applications are looked for and conceptualised for big global questions – as particularly important.
‘Digitalisation, energy efficiency, urbanisation, getting older…’ he lists some examples.
‘One of the bigger themes is the reduction of environmental loading so that the standard of living can continue rising at the same time. This equation can succeed only by means of technology. The significance of innovations to humankind is enormous: up to 85 per cent of productivity and the gross national product are due to their contribution.’
Start-up spirit and positive brainstorming
During its five-year rise, Aalto University has put a lot of effort into business cooperation, research and internationalisation. In Jorma Eloranta's opinion, one change is nevertheless more important than any other.
‘There’s a completely different sort of start-up spirit at Aalto than at the Helsinki University of Technology ten years ago. Students are being urged to become entrepreneurs and to apply technology in practice. Previously, getting into a big firm as a low-level boss and advancing from there was regarded as the most tempting career alternative. Now students are establishing their own start-up enterprises or trying to get into them for jobs,’ he says with enthusiasm.
Mr Eloranta does not wish to venture an estimate on how successful Aalto’s specialised schools and departments will be. By reference to his former disciplines, however, he has followed the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management with special interest.
‘In industrial engineering and management, they’re following their own interests bravely and really don’t dream of simply becoming part of the School of Business. There’s a positive sort of brainstorming going on there,’ Mr Jorma Eloranta says appreciatively.
Text: Minna Hölttä
Photo: Tomi Parkkonen
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