The Strategic Research Council (SRC) granted strategic research funding for the study of the future care work

The project, titled "Future Care Work: Exploring bottom-up and top-down innovations to alleviate care crisis" aims to enhance the impact and innovation capabilities in the field of care. The approach is multidisciplinary. 

The project will also investigate how local innovations can be transferred to the broader care system. Researchers will delve into the dynamics, impacts, and ethical sustainability of innovations in both the formal and informal care systems. Additionally, lessons will be learned from impactful innovations in other countries. The project will also organize a national innovation competition for various care sectors. 

A truly multidisciplinary project combines everyday nursing and research

The project involves nursing science, adult education, social sciences, information and data processing, social sciences, and public health science.

"What I find unique about the project is that it combines both the knowledge of everyday nursing and the depth of the research work. We can examine the care crisis from many perspectives and bring together employees from care work field, decision-makers, and researchers," says Project Manager, Principal Lecturer Arja Halkoaho from Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK). 

Halkoaho particularly values the focus on well-being in care work.

When employees are feeling well and their voices are heard, their ability to develop new solutions is also strengthened. It is important to keep the care sector attractive and to find sustainable, ethical ways to meet the growing care needs.

Arja Halkoaho

Nurses and relatives are also involved in innovation

The project will study the role and significance of innovations initiated by various actors in solving the labor shortage in care work and improving the attractiveness of the sector.

"I find it important that the project includes grassroots actors in innovation; nurses and relatives, whose expertise and knowledge often go unheard in development activities," adds Principal Lecturer Maria Åkerman.

There will be close cooperation between the schools at Tampere University of Applied Sciences. In addition to Halkoaho and Åkerman, the project involves Senior Expert Päivi Vartiainen from the Project Management Office, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Engineering Outi Tuisku, and Senior Lecturer in social Services and Health Care Mari Laaksonen.

Chief Researcher Eveliina Saari from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health is leading the consortium, and the partners are Tampere University of Applied Sciences (TAMK), University of Jyväskylä, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, and Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare.

The project is ongoing during 2025–2028. The Strategic Research Council (SRC) granted strategic research funding for the project from the "Skills, Labour Supply and Migration in Future Finland (SKILLS)" program. SRC is an independent body established within the Research Council of Finland. 

More information can be found on the Research.fi website: Future Care Work: Exploring bottom-up and top-down innovations to alleviate care crisis - Research.fi


 

More information: 

Arja Halkoaho 
Project Manager
Principal Lecturer | Applied Research Center 
Tampere University of Applied Sciences
arja.halkoaho [at] tuni.fi, +358 40 660 3307

Consortium Leader
Eveliina Saari
PhD, Docent, Chief Researcher
Finnish Institute of Occupational Health
eveliina.saari [at] ttl.fi, +358 40 526 1643