EUR 46 million for cutting-edge research, arts and culture this year

Johanna Sippo

19.12.2024

In December, the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation awarded grants totaling EUR 8.5 million to support 12 projects. The last round of applications of the year focused particularly on projects in the field of technology. Throughout 2024, the Foundation awarded grants totaling nearly EUR 46 million across 63 projects, marking the second-largest annual distribution in the Foundation’s history.

In this round, the largest grant was awarded to a project focusing on birch genetics and diversity in Finland by Professor Yrjö Helariutta’s research group at the University of Helsinki, which was granted approximately two million euros. The research will have a broad impact on forest and climate change research, as well as a better understanding of evolution, and the results will be useful for understanding forests worldwide. The project utilizes technology previously developed by the research group to observe tree growth, map Finnish trees and create a globally unique genome library.

“The project represents a field of research in which Finland has the potential to be at the forefront internationally”, comments Nils Ittonen, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

A breakthrough in the field of quantum computers is being pursued by Professor Mikko Möttönen from Aalto University and VTT along with his research group, who have been granted EUR 1.5 million for the development of an autonomous quantum processor. The long-term goal of the project is to build a small low-temperature quantum computer which significantly reduces energy consumption and addresses the challenges of scalability and accuracy in quantum computing. In the first phase, supported by the Foundation, new high-precision components are designed and integrated into a functional device. If successful, the project may lead to the development of revolutionary new technology, further solidifying Finland’s position as a global leader in the field.

“We received a substantial number of high-quality applications, with a record-breaking number of applications in the field of technology.  The outstanding quality of the submissions was notable, showcasing a diverse range of themes that reflect the broad scope of Finnish research,” says Hanna-Mari Peltomäki, Secretary General of the Foundation.

Record-breaking number of grants for medicine

This year, the Foundation set a new milestone by awarding a record number of grants in medicine.  A total of EUR 20 million was allocated, doubling the amount awarded in the previous year. 

In 2024, the entities that received most grants were research groups at the University of Helsinki, Aalto University and Tampere University. Funding was distributed across disciplines such as plant biology, microbiology and virology, biomedicine and oncology. In arts and culture, the particular focus was given to dance, along with classical and contemporary music. Grants of at least one million euros were allocated to 15 projects.

The aim of the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation is to support internationally competitive, high-impact projects that are relevant to their respective fields. The Foundation also seeks to foster innovative and ambitious initiatives that have potential to open new directions in research or drive significant scientific breakthroughs.

Further information:

Hanna-Mari Peltomäki, Secretary General, Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation

hanna-mari.peltomaki@jaes.fi,

Phone + 358 44 513 1069

www.jaes.fi