Long-standing co-operation between Finland’s Åbo Akademi and cruise shipbuilder Meyer Turku was further strengthened at the Turku shipyard on 4th October by the signing of a partnership agreement.
This latest agreement runs for five years focusing initially on Åbo Akademi’s Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology and Meyer Turku’s Business Finland funded green transition programme NEcOLEAP.
An important part of the practical co-operation will be the ‘Green transition lab’, a shared workspace to be established on the Åbo Akademi campus, which will support the interaction between researchers and industry.
The number of researchers at the Perno shipyard will also be increased within the framework of joint projects.
A long-term goal is also to create inter-disciplinary strategic co-operation between several different Åbo Akademi faculties and Meyer Turku, they said.
The partnership agreement includes a sponsored professorship, doctoral student positions and a range of courses adapted for lifelong learning in the shipbuilding industry.
“To support the ambitious goals in the agreement, we will initially focus on appointing the professorship in sustainability that Meyer finances with a particular focus on process technology, energy technology and industrial engineering and management. This is a very significant and highly valued collaboration for us,” said Kim Wikström, Professor of Industrial Engineering and Management at Åbo Akademi.
“We are very satisfied with this agreement, which will bring our company’s and Åbo Akademi University’s scientific expertise even closer together. Technical fields naturally play a key role in shipbuilding, but our common goal, a more sustainable maritime industry, requires top experts also from many other disciplines.
“Turku as a thriving study and working region offers a strong framework for this. The now signed agreement ensures that we will also expand the interaction between the Academy and the business world,” added Tim Meyer, Meyer Turku CEO.
“Partnerships between industry and universities is valuable. The co-operation with Meyer towards an important goal like the green transition is very meaningful. Increasing inter-disciplinarity will bring us ever closer to our common goal,” commented Åbo Akademi Rector, Mikael Lindfelt.
