Rise to Challenge call generated great interest at the University of Oulu

In the latest Business Finland Rise to Challenge funding call, the aim was to identify world-class ideas without any thematic restrictions. The call closed on 31 October 2025. 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. Funding for a single project over five years can amount to as much as 5–10 million euros. Given the scale of this investment from Business Finland, high expectations are also placed on the research organizations.

“The bar is set high in this call, and we were able to provide coaching for 23 strong project ideas”, says Maria Juurikka, Innovation Centre's Company Specialist. 

“We would like to thank everyone who participated in the call and wish them the best of luck in the next stages”, adds Kaisa Still, Customer Manager at the Innovation Centre.

Maria and Kaisa are aware of five projects that have been selected for the pitching stage. The representatives of these projects have also been offered presentation coaching for the next phase.

There will also be good opportunities for further development for other co-research projects.

“Even if your project did not advance to the next round in the Rise to Challenge call, it may still be a great fit for another funding call. So please get in touch and let’s find the right opportunity for you together”, Juurikka says.

Contact the Innovation Centre if you already have a co-research project that needs additional expertise and support. The coaching will culminate in a workshop held at the Business Finland Champions Awards on 10 March 2026 from 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM, where we aim to have leading company representatives present. Register for the workshop by sending a message to Maria Juurikka: maria.juurikka(at)oulu.fi. Register for Business Finland Champions Awards 2026 here.

Together, we can help move your project forward and find needed expertise — so get in touch as soon as possible!

Maria Juurikka
maria.juurikka(at)oulu.fi

Kaisa Still
kaisa.still(at)oulu.fi