RDI Focus Areas and Themes

The areas of focus are modern welfare services and sustainable energy and materials. They are selected with the goal of obtaining nationally and internationally recognised expertise and competence. The selected areas are based on regional, national and international development challenges. We search for solutions to these challenges by meeting the needs of working life through education, multidisciplinary RDI activities and actively operating in competence and development networks.

Modern Welfare Services

This area of focus concentrates on renewing welfare services, developing multidisciplinary solutions for welfare supporting products, services and technological solutions as well as their export to international markets. The expertise of Karelia UAS is linked especially with age competence, palliative care and strenghtening rehabilitation know-how, social and health care service structure renewal, and electronic services as well as welfare and countryside tourism. In the learning and service environment Voimala at Karelia UAS the students, experts of the focus area and working life partners operate together on development tasks encountered at work. The university of applied sciences actively takes part in building Siun sote - Municipal Social and Health Care Action Model.

Contact Person:
Mr Tuomas Lappalainen
Development Manager
tuomas.lappalainen[at]karelia.fi
Tel. +358 50 521 5607

Sustainable Energy and Materials

This focus area concentrates on renewable natural resources and bio-economy based sustainable energy solutions and the development of products and services connected to them as well as increasing wood construction and the use of wood based materials. In addition, the area of focus developes energy efficiency and nature conserving nnovations that are utilised because of Karelia UAS’s strong competence in nature fiber composites and precision production. The activities of this area of focus is supported by the learning and service environment Dynamo, which covers Energy Park as well as the laboratories of precision technology and wood construction.

Contact Person:
Mr Asko Puhakka
Development Manager
asko.puhakka[at]karelia.fi
Tel. +358 500 674 676

Digitalisation, Internationality and Entrepreneurship

The traverse themes of our strategy are digitalisation, internationality and entrepreneurship. These are the central targets of development and will be promoted in all activities.

Contact Person / Digitalisation:
Ms Marjo Nenonen
Head of Student and Academic Affairs
marjo.nenonen[at]karelia.fi
Tel. 050 362 7074

Contact Person / Internationality:
Ms Liisa Timonen
Head of International Affairs
liisa.timonen[at]karelia.fi
Tel. 050 591 3397

Contact Person / Entrepreneurship:
Ms Seija Tolonen
Education Manager
seija.tolonen[at]karelia.fi
Tel. 050 432 3986