What is a research platform?
Tampere University provides funding for multidisciplinary research platforms that support research that crosses disciplinary boundaries. The goal is to promote high-quality research that delivers impact for society and addresses important societal challenges. In Tampere University, the term “research platform” (in Finnish: “tutkimusalusta”) refers to a research programme/hub that is established on a fixed-term basis to promote national and international collaboration across disciplinary boundaries with a variety of partners and collaborators. The aim is to support bold new initiatives. The research platforms bring together researchers at Tampere University and stakeholders from the private, public and third sectors.
Background of DigiSus
The ongoing societal transitions of digitalization and sustainable development are key megatrends that define our times. However, these transitions are typically researched separately, and a more systemic understanding is perplexed by chasms between research disciplines and institutions. The societal and scientific significance of this research platform is based on the increasing understanding of the intertwined nature of the digital and sustainable transitions. The DigiSus platform, starting its work in January 2024, aims to create holistic and cross-disciplinary insights into these transitions.
Digitalization involves many unique sustainability considerations, opportunities, and challenges. The effects of digitalization on society, culture, and environments have only started to emerge, and the interdependencies between various phenomena are largely unknown. We need inter-organizational and long-term collaboration and different research traditions to come together to develop novel concepts and theories, empirically study various intertwined phenomena, and define more advanced evaluation metrics, policies, and forms of oversight.
Tampere University is uniquely positioned and has all the relevant expertise to become a globally leading institution at this cross-section of social sciences, computer science, information technology design, and economics. This is why DigiSus was put together and funded as a strategic research initiative at Tampere University. Uniting efforts across faculties, as well as with leading responsible IT-sector companies in Tampere, can pave the road for a digitally sustainable future for Tampere University and the wider community around us.
Goals
What are we here to do? The main aims are to…
- Develop a new community around the cross-sectioning thematics of sustainability and digitalization
- Increase research excellence in the area
- Develop competence and ideas to attract more funding
- Influence education and policies
- Inform industry practice and foster new cross-organizational projects
- Support Tampere University’s research culture
- Fuel sustainability work at Tampere University
.. and hopefully more.