Research, development and innovation
In our research and development work (RDI), we collaborate with companies and organisations. We offer developing partnerships for the companies in our region and do applied research and development work. In that way, we promote the sustainability of our region and the whole society.
Our goals are:
- In our RDI activities, we strengthen measures related to sustainable development and responsibility and their impact in the region.
- We develop goals and indicators to monitor the impact of the RDI activities from the sustainability perspective.
How do we implement responsibility in our research, developing and innovation activities?
The profile areas of our RDI activities are food safety and food technology, smart industry, digitalisation of the social and healthcare sector, growth entrepreneurship and business transfers, circular economy and sustainability. There are seven research groups at our university of applied sciences, whose activities includes both research and development work. The research groups are based on SEAMK’s areas of strength and on themes that are important for the success of our province, the South Ostrobothnia. Sustainability and responsibility are cross-cutting themes inside every research group:
- Intelligent industry
- Food technology and food safety
- Growth entrepreneurship and business transfers
- Future proof agricultural and energy solutions
- Inclusion in the digital society
- Health promotion and care
- Future vehicle technologies
The universities of applied sciences have defined common criteria for sustainable and responsible RDI activities based on the UN Sustainable Development Goals. The first goal is that every RDI project of the university of applied sciences supports one or several UN Sustainable Development Goals. With the criteria, we ensure that our RDI activities produce solutions to sustainability challenges and demonstrate our commitment to building a common sustainable future.
Our university of applied sciences promotes responsibility through RDI projects, and our activities have a strong impact. At the beginning of the year 2025, there were 91 projects at our university of applied sciences related to at least one of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Approximately 75% of the projects in 2025 were related to sustainable development. We monitor the number, budget and impact of the projects. We are continuously developing RDI indicators and monitoring of the achievement of goals. Since 2023, the monitoring has been refined so that we can monitor which one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals each project promotes. Our aim is more strongly to identify and classify the RDI responsibility goals. We actively inform about our responsibility projects and their research results in various publications, the amount of which we monitor.
The RDI activities of SEAMK support companies in promoting sustainable management, circular economy and responsibility. In addition to that, we produce sustainable solutions for the natural resource sector and particularly for the food chain. We offer SMEs support, practical tools and information through Riihi platform and development tools of SEAMK, among other channels. Our projects promote information exchange, networking and competence development in cooperation with companies and regional actors. SEAMK strengthens sustainable development also through education and research by producing new information, competence and solutions for the needs of business life.
In our responsibility projects, we promote regional development, sustainable development and networking in South Ostrobothnia by bringing together companies, public actors, communities and students to solve challenges arising from the needs of the region, and from the global operational environment. The projects strengthen expertise, support innovation activities and create collaboration networks that develop regional vitality and the role of the university of applied sciences as a regional developer.
Through activities of the SEAMK Regional University, we support regional development and solutions for responsible growth. We also offer paid RDI and expert services, and training tailored to the needs of the companies. Our long-term business partnership activities connect students, RDI activities and business development. The aim of the activity is to develop the operations of all parties.