Research Council of Finland awards funding to support the commercialisation of research results
The Research Council of Finland has allocated grants totalling €9.7 million to 27 projects, comprising 41 subprojects, through its 2025 Proof of Concept call.
The Research Council of Finland’s Proof of Concept scheme supports researchers in advancing their ideas towards commercialisation and achieving broader societal impact. This funding enables researchers to, for example, test their research results in practical settings or develop new approaches to meet the needs of industry, the public sector or the third sector.
The 2025 Proof of Concept call was implemented using additional R&D appropriations provided by the Finnish Government.
In addition to Academy Project funding, many applicants had produced their research results with Academy Research Fellowship funding or funding from the Strategic Research Council (SRC).
At Tampere University, six projects secured grants totalling €1,15 million.
Funded research projects at Tampere University
Matti Mäntysalo: Utilization of high-resolution printing and low-temperature laser-assisted ALD for sustainable large-area electronics (ROPALD). Grant: €224,689 (leader of a project consortium).
The ROPALD project develops a new, environmentally friendly manufacturing method for large-area electronics. By working closely with industry partners, the project aims to bring these sustainable electronics solutions closer to commercial use and strengthen Finland’s pioneering role in green electronics manufacturing. See the funding decision
Veikko Sariola: Micropneumatic strain, force and tactile sensors (MISFITS). Grant: €299,998.
This project will validate and refine sensor technology and test its functionality in three proof-of-concept applications. In addition, the commercialisation of this technology will be advanced through market research, IP analysis and sustainability planning. The long-term goal is to make the technology available for industrial and medical applications where conventional strain sensors fall short. See the funding decision.
Esa Rahtu: Proof-of-Concept: Next-Generation 3D Vision Systems. Grant: €223,981.
This project aims to improve the technology behind self-driving vehicles and virtual reality experiences by developing better ways for machines to understand and navigate the world around them without relying on GPS. The researchers will collaborate with Finnish companies to make these new technologies widely accessible and practical for everyday use. See the funding decision.
Liisa Häikiö: Role-play methods for interaction and impact assessment in sustainable public procurement (ROMEO). Grant: €79,995 (as a partner in a consortium coordinated by Aalto University).
The ROMEO project will develop an interactive role-playing-based method for assessing the impacts of sustainability-oriented public procurement and specifying procurement needs. The game responds to the need to involve stakeholders and anticipate procurement impacts. The project will be conducted in cooperation with a public procurement unit. See the funding decision.
Gaurav Mohanty: High-entropy carbides by tailored carbothermic reduction of metal oxides (HECTOR). Grant: €149,943 (as a partner in a consortium coordinated by the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland).
High entropy carbides (HECs) are multi-metal carbides with typically five or more metal atoms in near-equal concentrations. Due to sensitivity to compositional variation in manufacturing, HECs are not yet industrially utilised. This project will manufacture HECs using sustainable and inexpensive raw materials and demonstrate their performance under conditions relevant to industrial applications. The project is a collaborative effort involving the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland and Tampere University. See the funding decision.
Kaarina Nikunen: A toolkit for tackling hate speech – managing the production, experiencing, and witnessing of hate speech in the digital age (TACKLEHATE). Grant: €179,443 (as a partner in a consortium coordinated by the University of Eastern Finland).
This project will implement a toolkit designed to help the producers and distributors of hate speech, targets of hate speech, witnesses of online hate as well as education professionals, decision-makers and moderators. The data archive published during the project will provide a permanent and easily accessible resource that is continuously maintained. See the funding decision.
Read the full press release from the Research Council of Finland
