Finland’s Forest Industry Taps Doctoral Education Pilot to Fuel Growth
Finland’s forest industry is looking to the national doctoral education pilot to meet growing talent needs and support sectoral growth. The pilot’s appeal includes tightly structured training and research topics aligned with industry priorities - key reasons one doctoral researcher cited for applying. An extensive professional network was an added benefit.
Amid public debate questioning the quality of pilot-trained PhDs, CIMANET (Circular Materials Bioeconomy Network) doctoral researcher Juulia Suuronen expressed concern about the negative tone surrounding the initiative. Suuronen emphasized that the program’s focused curriculum and cross-sector collaboration are designed to strengthen, not diminish, the capabilities of future researchers.
Read full article at Loimu-lehdestä.
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CIMANET at ChemBio2026
The University of Helsinki’s CIMANET network drew a full house at ChemBio/Kemian Päivät 2026 in Messukeskus, hosting two parallel seminars that brought together researchers, students, and industry partners for keynotes, panel discussions, student talks, and poster sessions.
First CIMANET Research Seminar: Future Leaders in Circular Materials Bioeconomy
On Thursday, December 4, we gathered at the Scandic Marina Congress Center in Helsinki to celebrate innovation and collaboration. Our seminar showcased the groundbreaking work of CIMANET doctoral researchers and brought together academic experts across partner universities, along with representatives from industry, research and technology organizations, and the public sector.
Corporate collaboration opens doors to working life for doctoral students
How to ensure that a doctoral degree leads smoothly to working life? In Aalto University's doctoral pilots, companies are closely involved in guiding and mentoring doctoral students – the aim is to build a bridge between academia and industry. In the CIMANET Doctoral Education Network, companies have been included from the beginning.