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Both Aalto University and the National Land Survey of Finland (NLS) have numerous different partnerships, but the relationship between these two entities stands out in many ways. 

"The collaboration between the National Land Survey and Aalto University is close and fruitful. Land surveying has evolved into high-tech expertise of national importance,” summarizes Kari Tammi, Dean of the School of Engineering. 

The collaboration is mutually beneficial, confirms NLS's Director General Pasi Patrikainen. For the 1800-employee agency, a key reason for entering into the partnership has been to ensure university education for professionals in its field.

“It’s a major challenge for us to get students interested in the field and the National Land Survey. We have wanted to influence education programs, offer internships to students, and on the research side, provide opportunities for postgraduate studies," says Patrikainen. 

The collaboration is extensive, both in terms of its forms and scope. 

There are two donation-funded professorships supported by NLS at Aalto: one in Real Estate Economics and one in Geoinformatics. Kirsikka Riekkinen, Assistant Professor of Real Estate Economics, says that the collaboration is evident in many practical aspects of her work. 

" In our department and in field of geoinformatics, about ten Master’s theses are written annually based on topics provided by NLS, and a few doctoral dissertations are completed each year. NLS assigns an advisor to these theses and sometimes even establishes a broader supervisory group,” says Riekkinen. 

There is significant collaboration also in teaching. For example, in the new course on the tasks of public administration in real estate technology, lectures are entirely delivered by representatives from NLS and municipalities. 

Geospatial Data at the Core of Research

Research collaboration is carried out in particular with NLS's Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI). Geospatial data is heavily involved in almost all modern digital systems, reminds FGI’s Deputy Director General Jarkko Koskinen. For example, intelligent transportation, smart agriculture and forestry, and robotics are among the research topics at NLS. 

"We study various ways to collect geospatial data, positioning, and different positioning methods. Nowadays, these all contribute to creating situational awareness. Geospatial data must be as up-to-date and accurate as possible, and on top of that, there are security considerations," explains Koskinen. 

The collaboration also includes Aalto University's Institute of Measuring and Modeling for the Built Environment (MeMo), which is partly funded by NLS. MeMo produces international-level research and development not only for land surveying and construction but also for environmental and cultural needs. 

The collaboration between Aalto and NLS also extends into space. Located in Kirkkonummi as next-door neighbors, Aalto’s Metsähovi Radio Observatory and NLS's Metsähovi Geodetic Research Station study and measure, among other things, the Earth's orientation and movements in space, satellite orbits, and changes in gravity. 

"We work collaboratively and strive to keep our high-quality research infrastructure open," says Mari Laakso, Research Director at NLS. 

This collaboration has also supported Aalto's space technology research program, which in turn has led to promising startup companies, most notably Iceye Ltd, which now operates globally. 

The close collaboration also means physical proximity. Finnish Geospatial Research Institute moved to the Otaniemi campus in 2023. 

"Being on campus is greatly beneficial for us. Our researchers and professors can easily teach courses at Aalto, and students can conveniently work part-time with us during their studies," describes Laakso. 

The close and extensive collaboration is enabled by long-term commitment. The initiative for the collaboration came from NLS's former Director General Arvo Kokkonen. The MeMo collaboration has been ongoing for a decade, with the first collaboration professorship starting in 2018. The professorships are always agreed upon for a five-year term, and the second collaboration term is currently underway. 

Collaboration Changes with Changing Needs

Jarkko Koskinen has been involved in the collaboration since its inception. According to him, despite the long-term commitment, the collaboration also evolves constantly as the world and needs change. The themes are reviewed, for example, when the terms of the professorships change. 

Aalto’s Riekkinen also confirms that while a part of the collaboration operates based on established processes, new developments constantly arise. 

"We do a lot of brainstorming together, considering which topics to pursue and where to find funding for them." 

The benefits of the collaboration extend beyond the parties involved and are visible throughout society. 

"Promoting the entire land surveying sector is at the heart of this collaboration. Together, we can advance it, benefiting the whole society," says Director General Patrikainen. 

A concrete example of the impact is that most students who graduate from Aalto's Real Estate Technology and Geoinformatics courses end up working elsewhere than at NLS. NLS is also an important credentialing place for researchers in the field. 

"We are often an intermediate step for researchers after university. Not everyone can become a professor at NLS, so many of our researchers become professors at other institutions," Koskinen describes. 

Text: Heidi Hammarsten