UNICOM (2021-2023) has ended and a continuation projects UNICOM+ continues the work! Read more here.
The Uniting Companies and International University Talents (UNICOM) initiative was funded by the European Social Fund from 1 March 2021 to 30 June 2023. UNICOM was part of the "Course towards Finland – growth and competitiveness in growth centres from international talent" project, which aimed to boost the growth of companies by promoting the placement of international talents on the Finnish labour market. The UNICOM project was carrying out the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment and the Ministry of Education and Culture's coordinated Talent Boost programme. The University of Turku coordinated the project, which was done in collaboration with the Åbo Akademi University and Turku Science Park Ltd.
The UNICOM project responded to the lack of talents working in companies located in Southwest Finland in pre-selected fields: Tech, Health and Clean. The project aimed to increase the labour market’s openness and attractiveness to highly educated international talents already living in the region. The companies in the region that are growing and recruiting had noticed a lack of talents in research, product development and business, particularly in the following fields: robotics and automation, electric transportation and battery technology, diagnostics and biosciences as well as ICT. These needs were considered best to be met by the often underutilised group of international doctoral researchers, postdoctoral researchers, and master’s students.
The actions of the UNICOM project were piloted and developed in cooperation with partner companies in Southwest Finland. The actions of the project were divided into three work packages:
- Industry placements at companies for doctoral researchers and postdocs,
- Workplace coaching for international talents, and
- Campaigns and support services for companies.
The UNICOM project’s consortium was assembled based on the companies’ needs. Turku Science Park Ltd., which also worked together with the City of Turku in coordinating the region’s Talent Hub operations, was in charge of the project’s company services. Åbo Akademi University and the University of Turku (development, research career/graduate school and career services) were in charge of services aimed at international talents. Other partners included the regional business development company of Salo, Yrityssalo Ltd., Southwest Finland TE Office/EURES, Turku Chamber of Commerce and SME’s from the selected fields.
More information is available at the Career in Southwest Finland -webpages and below.
Why UNICOM?
The need for talents has been actively discussed within society and communication from industry has emphasised that companies face a lack of skilled workforce. The central mission of the University of Turku is to produce highly skilled talents, but as an Entrepreneurial University, the university may in collaboration with industry create opportunities for generating new innovations and business. A central way of answering this growing need of companies is to more effectively consider the international talent already living in Finland when recruiting a highly educated workforce. The University of Turku offers an attractive and competitive research environment. One of the most important ways of fulfilling these aims is to offer support to the international talents in the University.
The UNICOM project aimed to facilitate the interactions between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) located in Southwest Finland and the international talents already living in the area. Through UNICOM, we aimed to build a needs-oriented and solid collaboration between the Universities and the SMEs who have committed to the project already during the application phase.
Benefits of UNICOM – why get involved?
There was a envisioned long-term benefit from the UNICOM initiative for all parties involved – the participating companies, the University and the international researchers. The placements were expected to strengthen the networks and the industry collaborations of the units and the researchers working within them. In addition, attitudes towards entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship skills were expected to be strengthened and disseminated through teaching.
By participating in an industry placement, the researcher was expected to:
- Get work experience and learn new skills and ways of working.
- Implement potential collaborative projects and network with industry connections.
- Learn about Finnish work culture and working life outside of academia, gain networks and industry connections.
- Learn and develop transferable skills and methodological competencies outside of the academic environment.
The researchers are specialists in their fields and bring with them a deep understanding of the field as well as knowledge of e.g. new current methods and other skills learned during their research careers. These transferable skills relate to project design and management, initiative and independent working, and problem solving. The international background of the researcher may offer new points of view, cultural understanding and language skills, all of which may help with e.g. marketing or developing international networks.
By offering an industry placement, the company was expected to:
- Meet motivated and innovative experts: University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University’s doctoral researchers and postdocs represent wide-ranging competencies e.g. in the Health/Tech/Clean fields.
- Participate in the development of a new type of recruiting channel to respond to the lack of talents.
- Get access to talents with up-to-date knowledge of current research and methods within their expert fields. The industry placements could include research work, developing new processes and products, reporting and/or international marketing.
- Get visibility through the opportunity to create a testimonial video together with the international researcher. The videow were be published on the UNICOM website and in Turku Science Park Ltd. communication channels.
UNICOM work packages
The UNICOM initiative was a collaboration between the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University and Turku Science Park, as well as other partners across Southwest Finland. UNICOM aimed to bridge the gap between talents looking for companies and companies looking for talents. One part of the initiative focused on helping international doctoral researchers and postdocs gain work experience in host organisations located in Southwest Finland that focus on Health, Tech, and Clean.
INTERNATIONAL DOCTORAL RESEARCHERS
In the UNICOM project, international doctoral researchers were offered a unique opportunity to apply for an industry placement in a host company affiliated with the project. The industry placements were 1-3 months long.
There were two calls for 1-3 month industry placements in Southwest Finland Health/Tech/Clean companies:
- 2022 call: companies advertising industry placements in 2022 were Abomics, BCB Medical, Care4Living, Comptek Solutions, CYF Digital, Deltamarin, Eduten, Groke Technologies, Hidex, nollaE, NordicID, Paroc/Owens Corning, PayiQ, Promarine, and Saint-Gobain Finland! The call was open open 26.1.-13.2.2022.
- 2023 call: Ai2Ai, ASRO (Aboa Space Research), Care4Living, Hidex, Kiilto, Klopal, Nordic ID, Paroc Owens Corning and Rester. The second call was open from 31.1. to 21.2.2023.
Doctoral researchers had the opportunity to apply using an online form and attaching a CV & cover letter for each placement the researcher wished to apply for. The applications of eligible applicants were sent directly to the recruiting companies for evaluation and selection. Before applying, they were asked to first discuss this placement, its potential effects on their doctoral work and any potential funding with their supervisor.
The ideal candidates for these industry placements were international doctoral researchers, who were near the end of their doctoral degrees, and who were interested in learning transferable skills and gaining work experience in a related field outside of academic research. In the majority of cases, the recruiting company was responsible for the salary of the doctoral researcher, as well as other employee obligations.
Doctoral researchers also had the opportunity to use a self-study career coaching package, “How to Work in Finland”. The self-study package includes tips on CV and cover letter writing to job seekers when contacting potential companies outside of an academic context. Doctoral researchers also met and networked with other attendees and host company contacts at a feedback and evaluation session.
The doctoral researchers and their thesis supervisor(s) could also search for a placement together.
INTERNATIONAL POSTDOCS
International postdoc researchers had a unique opportunity to find a part-time industry placement with the support of the UNICOM project. They could independently search for a placement in a company that supported their area of expertise. They were asked to discuss and agree with their PI or the head of the research group they were working in which part(s) of their project could be suitable to be integrated in an industry placement.
The part-time industry placement could not exceed six months, and they should be max. 20% of the total working time of the postdoc researcher. However, based on a reasonable application, the industry placement could be tailored to fit the needs of the post doc and host company. The industry placements could include research work, developing new processes and products, reporting and/or international marketing.
Prior to finding an industry placement, the postdoc researchers were requested to inform the UNICOM project before hand by filling in a online form. They could also use a self-study coaching package “How to Work in Finland” that includes tips on CV and cover letter writing to help a job seeker when contacting potential companies outside of an academic context.
Career coaching for international talents included the following activities:
More information is available at the Career in SouthWest Finland -webpages.
Questions?
For more information, please contact at the University of Turku: