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Through EULiST (European Universities Linking Society and Technology), our partner university LUT invited participation in their transfer event "LUT Blossom." The aim of the event was to bring together stakeholders from industry and academia and to initiate joint collaborations.

Practical examples of cooperation between companies and LUT University were presented alongside keynotes, thematic panels, and subject-specific sessions. The topics and programme of "Blossom" aligned perfectly with the objectives and activities of WP 5.1 under EULiST.

From the announcement: "In April, LUT Blossom brings new perspectives on collaboration between companies and universities through conversation and concrete examples delivered by the companies themselves. The day is designed for organisations of every size to find inspiration and build new partnerships."

I hoped that participating would bring new impulses to my own transfer work at ÌÇÐÄÔ­´´. This has been my experience through earlier involvement of uni transfer in various EU-funded projects: there was always something interesting or new to learn from foreign partner institutions — for example, new or different approaches to transfer work, or how specific challenges are addressed.

The trip to Lahti also offered the opportunity to meet LUT colleague Anne Vuorema in person, who is the Task Leader of WP 5.1. A meeting was arranged for 09 April 2026. Unfortunately, Anne had to cancel at short notice due to illness, but she ensured that two of her team colleagues met with me instead.


9 April 2026: Meeting with Members of Anne Vuorema's Team

Both colleagues work in Anne Vuorema's team in the area of EU coordination, though they — like Anne herself — live at some distance from Lahti. The entire team works from home most of the time and meets once a month on-site at the LUT Campus in Lahti. They gave me an insight into the university during a tour of the campus.

The Lahti site (with a second location in Lappeenranta) focuses primarily on health and circular economy as well as industrial design. The laboratories of the University of Applied Sciences ("LAB University of Applied Sciences") are also integrated into the university, including materials science. The company Kempower is also located on the premises. Kempower manufactures (fast) charging infrastructure for passenger cars and trucks and is one of the leading manufacturers in this segment in the Nordic countries. The name "ISKU Campus" for the Lahti site derives from a large furniture factory that was previously based on the site.

Across both locations in Lahti and Lappeenranta, there are approximately 9,000 students and more than 1,700 researchers combined, representing around 100 nationalities. The ISKU Campus interior is very modern and structured in a completely different way from what one typically knows from our university buildings. There are hardly any private offices for researchers; instead, open-plan offices with workstations separated by acoustic partitions are the norm. Desk spaces are booked on demand. Since a large number of staff work from home, fixed workplaces are reserved only for those who are on-site regularly or permanently.

Also striking is the abundance of spaces and opportunities for informal exchange. Small seating areas are distributed throughout the building where students and researchers can meet, and several smaller cafeteria areas are spread across the building. However, the central meeting point is the canteen/cafeteria on the ground floor, which flows seamlessly from the entrance foyer. The canteen is accessible outside of meal times and serves as a communication and meeting space.

On campus, the Startup Hub serves as a startup centre, affiliated with LAB University of Applied Sciences. In addition to standard support services for aspiring founders and startups, it offers an incubator, an accelerator, and a mentoring programme.

Anne and her colleague Martti von Wright are involved in representing LUT in Brussels and in the university's public relations activities, and accordingly spend considerable time at the liaison office there. There are discussions about maintaining a permanent on-site presence, though a number of practical issues arise — for example regarding staff taxation. In Belgium, personal income tax for employees would be twice as high as in Finland.


10 April 2026: The "Blossom" Event

The "Blossom" event was organised by LUT for the first time. It extended across the entire campus, effectively turning the whole site into a space for exchange and encounter. Approximately 1,200 people from more than 400 organisations participated, including decision-makers, developers, researchers, company representatives, and others from the municipal sector.

Alongside the panels, sessions, and presentations, exhibitions ran throughout the day, featuring:

• An overview of the various ways to collaborate with LUT
• Exhibits from spinoffs and LUT innovations
• Showcases from the prototype laboratory
• Presentation of the Electric Mobility Research Centre (a joint centre of LUT and Kempower for research into electric transport systems and their broad applications). Kempower has its development offices and training and service centre on the LUT Campus.
• Presentation of a joint research platform with a major construction industry company focused on asphalt research.

A pop-up shop also offered LUT merchandise. The EULiST office is located in the central area of the university building, meaning it was directly integrated into the event's activities.

While the plenary sessions were held in English, the subject-specific module sessions were conducted partly in Finnish and partly in English. In keeping with the motto of LUT and Finland — "Land of the Curious" — the "Curious Alumni Award 2026" was presented for the first time at the event, recognising a graduate for their innovative ideas.