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Features:
Finnish science ranks among top OECD countries by number of publications and citations
New President appointed to Academy of Finland
Academy Vice President Anneli Pauli appointed to Joint Research Centre
Academy selects new national Centres of Excellence in Research
Finland to establish Strategic Centres of Excellence for Science, Technology and Innovation
New research programme responds to chancing challenges of work and well-being
India and Finland to launch research cooperation
Academy of Finland opens Xpert Search for the media
Academy's English-language magazine now available on the web
Season's greetings
Scroll down for more on these stories
FINNISH SCIENCE RANKS AMONG TOP OECD COUNTRIES BY NUMBER OF PUBLICATIONS AND CITATIONS
The number of publications by Finnish researchers in international esteemed scientific journals has increased 2.5-fold during the past 20 years. In 2005, Finnish researchers produced 8,300 publications, the highest figure on record. The growth was fastest in the early 1990s, when the number of publications increased at around eight per cent per annum. In the 2000s, the annual growth rate has slowed to a few per cent. The development is shown in the bibliometric analysis published by the Academy of Finland today. It surveys Finnish science in international comparison.
Relative to population and GDP, Finland is one of the world's biggest publishers, ahead of such traditionally strong countries in scientific research as the UK and Germany. In both comparisons, Finland is ranked fourth among 30 OECD countries.
Of Finnish publications, 43 per cent are in the field of natural sciences and 39 in the field of medical sciences. Publications in engineering and technology account for ten per cent, in the social sciences four per cent, in agricultural sciences three per cent and in the humanities one per cent. The Finnish publishing profile is quite similar to the average OECD profile; however, Finnish medical sciences account for a larger proportion.
The report Finnish Science in International Comparison: A Bibliometric Analysis provides a comparison of research outputs and the scientific impacts, visibility and quality of research in Finland with other OECD countries. The structure and level of Finnish scientific publishing is examined in closer detail by sector, organisation and major field of science. The publication is available on the Academy's website at www.aka.fi/bibliometrics and www.aka.fi/publications.
NEW PRESIDENT APPOINTED TO ACADEMY OF FINLAND
President of the Republic of Finland has appointed Doctor of Technology Markku Kalevi Mattila, Director at the Ministry of Education, to President of the Academy of Finland. His term will begin 1 March 2007 and end 29 December 2012.
ACADEMY VICE PRESIDENT ANNELI PAULI APPOINTED TO EU'S JOINT RESEARCH CENTRE
Dr Anneli Pauli, Vice President responsible for research and international affairs at the Academy of Finland, has been appointed Deputy Director-General of the EU's Joint Research Centre (JRC) starting from spring 2007. JRC is one of the European Commission's Directorates-General. It is headquartered in Brussels, but runs seven institutes in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. The Centre has a staff of 2,000 people and an annual budget of 300 million euros.
ACADEMY SELECTS NEW CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE IN RESEARCH
The Academy of Finland has selected 18 Centres of Excellence (CoE) to the national CoE programme for 2008–2013; eight are newcomers to the programme, ten have been involved in earlier programmes but have now updated and revised their research plans. At least 21 million euros has been earmarked for funding the CoEs during the first three-year term 2008–2010.
Dr Ritva Dammert, Director of the Programme Unit, says the investments made in science and research in Finland have certainly paid off. The applications submitted were scientifically even of a higher standard than before. A total of 80 per cent of the applicants were rated with the highest possible total grade, i.e. 35 of the 44 applications. In the previous round, this percentage was 75.
According to the CoE strategy, a CoE is a research and researcher training unit that comprises one or more high-level research teams working under a common management and sharing a common and clearly defined set of research objectives. A CoE may consist of units or research teams and researchers based at a university or research institute or spread across several different organisations. It may also work together with a university or research institute in the private sector. Currently, a total of 39 CoEs receive funding through two national CoE programmes; 16 units in the 2002–2007 programme and 23 units in the 2006–2011 programme. See more at www.aka.fi/coe.
FINLAND TO ESTABLISH STRATEGIC CENTRES FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Tekes and the Academy of Finland are establishing Strategic Centres for Excellence in Science, Technology and Innovation. According to the strategy of the Science and Technology Council of Finland, chaired by the Prime Minister, the centres are set to provide top-level research teams and enterprises applying research results a new way to carry out close collaboration. The centres, operating either at one site or in networks, will carry out research plans defined jointly by enterprises and research units. The centres will be application-driven and supporting multidisciplinarity.
The centres will be established in such areas of competence that are of key importance to the future of Finland's business sector and Finnish society. The first one to be started is on the forest cluster. The food sector has also expressed its interest in establishing strategic centres soonest possible. Other fields include energy and the environment, health and well-being, information and communication industry as well as metal products and mechanical engineering. The establishment of the centres is planned to be completed by next autumn, and they could start operating in 2008.
Strategic centres or clusters whose concept and operation to some extent correspond to Finnish Strategic Centres for Excellence in Science, Technology and Innovation include the Netherlands' Leading Technology Institutes (LTI, technical fields), Japan's Kita-Kyushu Eco Town Cluster (environmental technology), Belgium's Flemish Interuniversity Microelectronics Center IMEC (ICT) and Canada's Network Centers of Excellence (technical fields, health, biosciences and the environment).
NEW RESEARCH PROGRAMME RESPONDS TO CHANGING CHALLENGES OF WORK AND WELL-BEING
The Academy of Finland is launching in 2007 a new research programme on the future of work and well-being. The four-year programme combines social sciences and medical research and focuses research into work and well-being on new topical areas, based on that, in the future, different forms of work will vary in people's lives more than before.
The research programme is concerned to promote the application of new research methods in the field of work and well-being research. Another aim is to increase international researcher mobility, to coordinate scattered research environments and to intensify the flow of information and dissemination of research results among researchers and different stakeholder groups (business companies, public organisations, policy-makers, the media and citizens). The programme's key themes include the changing relationships between work, livelihood and the life sphere; the appeal of working life; structural unemployment and atypical employment contracts; health and work; and a systematic study of the relationship between the economic growth and well-being.
INDIA AND FINLAND TO LAUNCH RESEARCH COOPERATION
The Indian Government and Finland are initiating practical research cooperation. During their visit to India in November, Technology and Science Minister Kabil Sibal proposed to Academy President Raimo Väyrynen, Sitra's President Esko Aho, VTT Director General Erkki KM Leppävuori and Tekes Director General Veli-Pekka Saarnivaara the launch of a joint research programme on a rapid time scale. A preliminary agreement will be signed during President Tarja Halonen's visit to India in January.
ACADEMY OF FINLAND OPENS XPERT SEARCH FOR THE MEDIA
The Academy of Finland has opened Xpert Search, an online service for the international media (www.etsixpertti.fi). The service is a free tool to help journalists find the right researcher for expert commentary or background information or find a new angle on the subject at hand. All Finnish universities and most Finnish research institutes have signed up to the service. The service is maintained by the Academy of Finland. Contact: Communications Specialist Leena Vähäkylä etsi.xpertti@aka.fi.
ACADEMY'S ENGLISH-LANGUAGE MAGAZINE NOW AVAILABLE ON THE WEB
You can now read ProAcademia on the web. Issue 2/2006 is the first ProAcademia magazine available in electronic format. It contains an interview with Mr Janez Potoçnik, European Commissioner for Science and Research. He emphasises in the interview that basic research and innovation policies cannot be separated. In his view, both play a relevant role for Europe's competitiveness. Other articles include the role of inflammation in nervous system diseases, and the mobility services for researchers.
ProAcademia is the Academy of Finland's English-language magazine for interest groups. The subjects covered in the magazine include Academy-funded research, Finnish research and science policy and the international activities of the Academy. Together with brochures and the monthly electronic newsletter, ProAcademia forms an integral part of the Academy's international communications. See www.aka.fi/publication > Magazines.
SEASON'S GREETINGS: THE ACADEMY OF FINLAND WISHES ALL ITS PARTNERS HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!
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Academy of Finland in brief: The Academy's objective is to promote high-level scientific research through long-term quality-based research funding, research and science policy expertise and efforts to strengthen the position of science and scientific research. The Academy makes decisions on research funding worth 240 million euros. Each year about 5,000 people benefit from Academy research funding. For more information, go to www.aka.fi/eng or send a message to maj-lis.tanner(at)aka.fi.