Companies from Satakunta's battery and technology metal cluster, together with the region's universities and the University of Vaasa, came up with ideas for higher education collaboration at a workshop held on Tuesday 28 November at SAMK's Pori campus.
In their presentations, the companies opened up opportunities and desires for cooperation with universities in both education and research. Among the needs for collaboration with universities, process expertise, environmental expertise and further training tailored to the needs of companies were highlighted. Companies were also willing to continue and increase the number of guest lectures given by their experts at SAMK and to organise visits to companies by SAMK students.
Dean Raine Hermans of the University of Vaasa's School of Technology and Innovation said the school's strong business collaboration roots go back 30 years. Hermans also presented plans for a joint professorship in robotics between SAMK and the University of Vaasa: robotics will be one of the orientation options in the Smart Energy Master's programme.
Lecturer Leena Nolvi opened the content of the degree programme in Process and Materials Engineering, which will start in autumn 2024. The versatility and practicality of the programme was praised by companies. Leena Nolvi said that the programme had been designed in good collaboration with companies in the region, while maintaining its universality.
The workshop was followed by a visit to the RoboAI laboratory. Pekka Suominen introduced the visitors to the laser spectrometer and told them about its potential applications in material identification.
The workshop was organised by the LISKO, SUMEA and AIST projects.
AIST - A novel AI-based Spectroscopic Technique and a future-ready research laboratory for recycling of battery materials
The project is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture (discretionary state funding for universities of applied sciences for research, development and innovation)
LISKO - More talents and skills for Satakunta through higher education cooperation: coordination project for the development of higher education
Funded by the Satakunta Federation
SUMEA - Leading the way internationally with molten metal analysis methods
Funded by the European Regional Development Fund ERDF and the City of Pori
