Why We Do Research

Passionate for research – Driven by customer value

Research & Industry Are Interdependent

By taking part in various research projects, we bring industry and market perspective to the on-going research processes. We benefit the scientific research by steering its direction to be relevant for the industry and end-users, namely, people and society. There are also several key business benefits that we gain from the research projects and the international ecosystem of academics and practitioners that they form.

Through research we strengthen and evolve our value chain

Research collaboration has a tight link to our vision and strategy. We take part in projects that address the real needs of our customers and are expected to have high business impact. On these projects, we continuously reinforce our knowledge and expertise, which we then spread internally and integrate into the course of our business development. In the long run, it enables us to introduce new products and services that exceed industry standards. Co-creation and validation of new concepts together with the project partners secures the reliability of innovations we introduce. This process helps us to create added value for our customers and deliver it faster to the market.

We co-innovate and lead the change

There are numerous various kinds of research outcomes – from publications of technical papers to the development of new analysis methods. Their direct impact on the industry might seem obscure, but it lays in the ability of the participating organizations to transform these outcomes into tangible products and services, beyond the research project duration. The effective long-term exploitation of the research results leads to the creation of new cutting-edge technology applications and products, which may disrupt the established industry dynamics. We take part in both well-matured applied research projects, which are close to product development, and in ones doing early-stage research, where we co-innovate and co-create new knowledge and concepts. The latter ones connect us to the latest technology breakthroughs as they happen. On some of the projects, we provide the test grounds for proof-of-concept development in a form of our existing products, while on others we gain new knowledge and insights that strengthen our expertise. In any case, the research outcomes give us long-term possibilities to improve our offering in terms of efficiency and sustainability.

We grow faster by working together

Our pervasive involvement in research activities means a strong presence in the research collaboration ecosystem, which spreads across countries and domains. For us, working with others is one of the most powerful means to accomplish our goals and to grow faster. The research ecosystem embodies durable co-operative models and networks with numerous knowledge-providers and industry players, paving the way for new international business opportunities. Within the ecosystem, we distribute the work and exchange the knowledge with multiple partners. As a result, we are able to decrease the time and resources it takes to bring new technology concepts to the market, benefiting both businesses and society. For us, the ecosystem environment provides a multi-directional collaboration opportunity to engage with new partners, customers, and talents.

We uplift and secure the impact from Industry-University collaborations

The opportunity to collaborate with academic institutions is among our key motivators to engage in research. In our collaboration, we prioritize strong communication and long-term relationship with universities. To successfully convert research outcomes into increased competitiveness and productivity of our organization, we establish the continuous knowledge flows both with our partners and internally. This way we secure the effective dissemination of the research insights, which can be then transformed into new products and services as we build our expertise.

The benefits of university and industrial research alignment have been recognized on a national level. For example, the US government promoted such collaborations in the early 1970s with special funding programs and through organizations like National Science Foundation (NSF). Today, NSF sponsors the Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers Program (IUCRC). In Finland, the government provides a similar support for this type of research through Business Finland organization. Haltian is a member of one of NSF’s Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers – Center for Visual and Decision Informatics (CVDI), which is also co-funded by Business Finland. All of the NSF’s IUCRC research centers consist of an interdisciplinary team of university faculty and business representatives and their achievements have been remarkable.

Research is an integral part of our business model

Research is in the DNA of our operations, as it touches every aspect of our business. With our research activities we highlight the openness and transparency behind what we do and our products. Research enables us to thrive at the intersection of discovery, innovation, development and societal impact. It aligns us with our purpose to be the leading connected solution provider, as we transform the science of today into the technology of tomorrow.

Read about our on-going projects