Nokia strengthens partnership with Aalto University with €1.5 million donation and expanded R&D collaboration for future technology research and talent
- Nokia to donate €1.5 million to Aalto University deepening long-standing partnership spanning research, education and talent development.
- Nokia also commits to continue and increase R&D collaboration with Aalto University, building on projects worth approximately €1.3 million annually across multiple research areas.
- Collaboration to focus on strategic technology areas including AI, 6G, intelligent and resilient networks and semiconductors.
- Partnership will help accelerate research into the technologies underpinning future networks while building the next generation of technology talent in Finland.
Nokia today announced plans to donate €1.5 million to Finland’s Aalto University, strengthening one of its most important academic partnerships and supporting research and education in technologies that will shape the future of connectivity. In parallel, Nokia has committed to continue and increase its R&D collaboration with Aalto University, focusing on projects worth approximately €1.3 million annually across multiple research areas.
The planned donation and strengthened R&D investments build on decades of collaboration between Nokia and Aalto University. Aalto is Nokia’s most active university research partner, with the relationship spanning joint research, education programs, doctoral schools and the development of future technology talent. The partnership brings together Nokia’s technology expertise with Aalto University’s multidisciplinary research capabilities across areas including intelligent networks and 6G, radio and antenna technologies, semiconductors, AI and machine learning and multimedia. AI and intelligence are increasingly fundamental enablers across these research areas.
Advancing intelligent and resilient networks
Nokia and Aalto University have already worked together on over 400 joint research projects since 2010. One example is the intelligent and energy-efficient networks through the Business Finland-funded 6G Power project. The collaboration continues through REINs-6G, which adds a focus on network resilience. Aalto also participated in Hexa-X-II, the Nokia-led European 6G flagship research initiative that concluded in 2025.
Nokia and Aalto are meanwhile expanding collaboration on resilient connectivity through publicly funded research involving academia and industry in Finland and Sweden. The work considers the resilience requirements of different network environments, including public operators, industrial, public safety and defense networks. The existing Nokia-Aalto collaboration also includes the Business Finland-funded AETHER initiative, which brings Nokia, Aalto and ecosystem partners together around defense-related research.
Aalto University is also an active participant in Nokia’s Veturi ecosystem initiatives through several Co-Innovation projects. These projects extend the partnership across a broader network of academic and industry collaborators and support research aligned with Nokia’s Veturi program.
Our longstanding partnership with Nokia demonstrates the impact that can be achieved when world-class university research and industry expertise come together. This generous donation and significant investment in R&D collaboration expands the work we do together, strengthening Aalto’s ability over the long term to bring the results of frontier research to solutions around AI, 6G, intelligent and resilient networks and semiconductors to the world. At the same time, we will continue to together shape the next generation of technology talent. We greatly value Nokia’s continued commitment to Aalto University and to Finland’s innovation ecosystem.
The next era of connectivity will be defined by the convergence of AI, communications and other breakthrough technologies. Turning that potential into real-world innovation requires deep collaboration between industry and academia. Aalto University has been an important partner to Nokia for decades, bringing together world-class research and exceptional talent. By strengthening our investment, we can accelerate work on intelligent, resilient and energy-efficient networks while developing the skills and technologies that will help shape the 6G era and beyond.
Developing Finland’s next generation of technology talent
As an innovation university, Aalto creates cutting-edge knowledge and solutions to renew industries and plays an important role in Nokia’s talent ecosystem in Finland. At Nokia’s Espoo site, Aalto is the most common educational background among employees. Nokia currently employs over 400 Aalto graduates and in 2025 Nokia Finland hosted more than 400 trainees, with a significant proportion coming from Aalto University. Through the expanded cooperation, Nokia and Aalto University aim to strengthen the bridge between fundamental research, applied innovation and commercial technology development, while supporting Finland’s position as a leading center for communications and deep technology research.
Nokia is a global leader in connectivity infrastructure, enabling the AI supercycle. We build networks that connect intelligence and deliver a comprehensive connectivity solution across fixed, mobile, IP, optical, core, and data center networks. With security by design, AI-driven innovation, and AI-optimized architecture, Nokia delivers trusted infrastructure that enables AI to scale and advances connectivity to secure a brighter world.
