Business Finland Champions Awards 2026

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.

The event will be held in English. Welcome!

Where and when?

• March 10, 2026, 12:00–3:00 PM

• Saalastinsali, Linnanmaa Campus

• Register by March 5!

Programme

• 12:00–1:00 PM: Lunch for representatives of 2025 funded projects and participants in the Rise to Challenge call.

General programme

• 1:00 PM: Congratulations to the new 2025 projects / Petteri Alahuhta, Vice Rector for Cooperation

• 1:15–1:30 PM: Business Finland’s Strategy and Its Impact on Project Activities / Teija Lahti-Nuuttila, Director, see the slides here.

• 1:30-1:40 Rice to Challenge call: experiences from the 2025 search and what's next / Jani Jokitalo, senior advisor, see the slides here.

• 1:40–2:30 PM: Project presentations

  • Robert Van Der Have, Kerttu Saalasti Institute: BRIDGE - Breaking Roadblocks How Innovation Policy Can Boost Skilled Talent for SMEs International Growth to Develop Global Enterprises

  • Timo Rahkonen, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering (CAS): RF ECO3.

  • Tomi Väänänen, Faculty of Medicine (HST): Experiences from an R2B project AI Assisted Automatic Positioning Device.

  • Project potpourri, 2025 Business Finland funded projects presented.

• 2:30–3:00 PM: Coffee, cake, and discussion