Creating opportunities

The city of Oulu recently made a decision to finance Proof-of-Concept activities for the next three years at the University of Oulu, Oulu University of Applied Sciences and OSAO. The total amount is €150,000/year, of which the University of Oulu shares €100,000.

Rise to Challenge is by far Business Finland’s largest funding instrument for research organizations: project funding for five years can amount to as much as 5–10 million euros.

Business Finland and several European partnership programmes are currently offering a wide range of funding opportunities for researchers and research groups

The latest Business Finland Research to Business call closed on March 4, 2026. Researchers from the University of Oulu submitted a total of six applications. Experts at the Innovation Centre encourage those interested in the next call, opening in May, to get in touch as early as possible.

The PoC (Proof-of-Concept) funding for the year 2026 is now open for applications. It aims to execute the first implementation of an invention or idea having commercial potential.

Rise to Challenge generated great interest among researchers at the University of Oulu — and no wonder, as it is Business Finland’s most significant investment in research organizations.

The new R2B funding call is open until March 4th.

The University of Oulu will receive a total of 900 000 € in Kasvukipinä funding from LähiTapiola.

Business Finland’s partnership model funding call for Co-Research projects is open until March 31, 2026. This funding offers a unique opportunity to combine expertise from various scientific disciplines.

UBF2025 — what an incredible day bringing together 200 people: researchers, business leaders, companies, organizations, and students!

University Inventor Day 2026 brings the world of research and innovation closer to everyone in Oulu: we warmly invite researchers, experts, students, and the public to explore the University of Oulu’s innovation activities and inventions!

Learn valuable tips on how you can utilize copyrighted works in your own work. We will cover topics such as copyright limitations, Creative Commons licenses, principles of citation, and Kopiosto copying licenses.

Are you working in AI, biotechnology or some other cutting-edge field? Do you want to better understand how inventions in emerging technologies can be protected by patents? Join our webinar designed specifically for professionals working in academia.

Welcome to celebrate the projects that have received Business Finland funding in 2025! The event is a great opportunity to learn more about applying for BF-funded projects.

When planning a new research project, you are often asked to provide a list of background data. In the funding application, you must also describe what kinds of results data the project will produce. The webinar is useful for researchers who are preparing funding applications, for example to EU programmes or Business Finland.

Are you a researcher curious about entrepreneurship? Have you ever wondered what it really takes to turn academic research into a thriving startup? Join us for a webinar where a fellow university researcher shares his personal story.