Jouko Lampinen is Dean of the School of Science at Aalto University and a researcher in artificial intelligence. As a member of the board of the Finnish Research Impact Foundation (FRIF), he brings a perspective that emphazises the long-term role of basic research and reflects on how research impact develops over time through interaction between universities and industry.
Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us about your career path?
“I am the Dean of the School of Science at Aalto University, and I have worked for many years in leadership and development roles within the university community. My own research field is artificial intelligence, particularly modelling and inference based on neural networks and Bayesian methods.
I completed my doctoral dissertation in the late 1980s, during the first major wave of enthusiasm around neural networks. At that time many of the prerequisites for today’s progress – such as data availability and computing power – were still lacking. It has been fascinating to see how the field has developed and how long-term basic research has ultimately enabled many of the breakthroughs we see today.”
What inspired you to join the Board of FRIF?
“I see impact as a core question for universities and for science more broadly. The significance of science often materialises outside the university – through students, the scientific community and the business sector.
Aalto University was founded to strengthen Finland’s innovation system, and research impact is therefore a central goal for us. FRIF’s mission to promote research-based collaboration aligns well with this. The Foundation operates in the same spirit, exploring ways to ensure that research results can be put to use in ways that strengthen expertise and competitiveness.”
How do you see the role of FRIF in the Finnish research and innovation system?
“Investment in research, development and innovation (RDI) is increasing in Finland, and there are now more funding instruments than before. In such a landscape, the role of a small and agile actor becomes particularly important.
The Foundation has the opportunity to identify situations where collaboration is not yet working smoothly and to respond quickly when the transfer of knowledge or the utilization of research results encounters obstacles.
Rather than duplicating the work of large funders, the Foundation can focus on areas that other instruments do not reach. For example, supporting researchers’ transitions into working life or helping international top talent integrate into Finland are areas where an agile actor can play a meaningful role.”
Where do you see FRIF creating the greatest added value in the coming years?
“Added value emerges particularly in areas where impact chains are long and results become visible only after some time. This is typical of basic research: the benefits may not be immediately apparent, but over the long term the effects can be significant.
International examples show that strong basic research creates a vibrant business ecosystem around it. In environments such as Oxford, Cambridge and Munich, a high level of research has been a key driver for the development of business activity.
In Finland, for example, developments in space and quantum technologies are strongly rooted in universities. In these fields, long-term research and its connection to industry are essential for the emergence of new innovations. In such situations, FRIF can act as an agile partner that identifies friction points in collaboration and helps address them.”
Research also has intrinsic value. How do you see the relationship between basic research and impact?
“The significance of basic research cannot usually be assessed in the short term. History offers numerous examples from mathematics and theoretical research where applications have emerged only decades or even centuries later.
That is why we must maintain a high level of basic research even when its benefits are not immediately visible. Whether we think of it in terms of intrinsic value or long-term benefit, strong basic research is a prerequisite for sustainable impact.”
Looking ahead, what do you hope to achieve during your term on the Board?
“I hope that the Foundation will fully utilise its agility. If we continue doing exactly the same things year after year, we are not making use of that strength.
I see board work as a vantage point on collaboration between the research community and industry. I hope that I can contribute to advancing this collaboration and its conditions so that research and expertise move more smoothly into practice.”
