University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute - Excellence in scientific quality and outstanding societal impact

The Research Assessment Exercise—RAE, is performed every sixth year at the University of Oulu. RAE is implemented as an international scientific peer review where field-specific scientific panels assess the actual and future impact of the research. The most recent evaluation took place in 2019 – 2021 and the results were published in November 2021. In total, 57 research units of the University of Oulu were evaluated. The University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute was evaluated by the Culture and Society (CS) Panel.

The mission of the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute, to provide evidence-based knowledge on micro-sized enterprises and their operating conditions, was strongly supported by the international panel. Moreover, the novelty and great potential of the new national task of University of Oulu, Micro-entrepreneurship Education and Research, were highlighted.

The panel highlighted the scientific quality and outstanding societal impact of the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute. The overall scoring scale of the RAE2020 assessment ranged from 1 to 6, 6 being the best. The overall score of the institute was 5, excellent (See Ryyppö et al. 2021, p. 30). The overall score consists of four subscores (See Ryyppö et al. 2021, p. 71):

1. Scientific quality and impact of the research: 5 = excellent.
2. Societal impact of the research: 6 = outstanding.
3. Quality of the research environment: 5 = excellent.
4. Future potential: 5 = excellent

For the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute, the key recommendation of the panel was to ‘build on its current research strategy, which has served so well in recent years’ by:
1. Maintaining and refining its ambitious research strategy,
2. focusing on microenterprises,
3. maintaining and developing its international/global/national research collaborations,
4. staying closely related with businesses and society, and by
5. further developing its external funding.

During recent years, in Kerttu Saalasti Institute, we have taken a systematic approach to improve scientific quality and impact (1) by investing in strong academic culture and research leadership, (2) ensuring systematic target setting, monitoring and rewards both at the research group and individual levels, and (3) selecting the target publication venues based on focus, scientific quality, impact, and open science practices. The above described has led to continuously increasing quality and quantity of the publications.

The panel highlighted the novelty and potential of research focusing on microenterprises – Kerttu Saalasti Institute is the only research institute in Finland and internationally that focuses on this theme. The research is carried out in three interdisciplinary research groups; Micro-Entrepreneurship, Future Manufacturing Technologies and Regional Excellence. The panel highlighted that ‘all three research units have clear ambitions and innovative ideas for the future’ and that ‘it is likely that all research units will produce novel evidence-based findings’. Moreover, according to the panel, ‘research areas fit well into University of Oulu’s strategy with focus on among other things sustainable solutions to societal challenges’.

According to the panel, the international and national research collaborations of the institute are strong and ‘make this unit standout from the crow’. Being largely funded by regional, national and international projects, Kerttu Saalasti Institute has developed an extensive international research network combined with long-standing and widespread network of non-university collaborators (private companies and public organizations). University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute has generated reputation as a reliable partner with exceptional project management competence.

The Kerttu Saalasti Institute has a strong focus on its societal impact and this is ‘central to its ethos’. The institute has maintained entrepreneurial mindset in its operations and currently it’s network consists of more than 500 companies and organizations at national level and 40+ international partners on yearly basis. Great majority of the projects run by institute can be described as customer-driven. Societal impact of research is our strength.
As a central development area, the panel anticipates that more senior researchers and professors are needed to carry out the ambitious strategy. That is why we have set our target to generate funding for professor level positions in our central research areas during the following years. That strategy will be carried both through recruitment and investing in building trustworthy and realistic career paths for our current and future researchers at different academic levels. By doing so, we aim at developing University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute, from the perspective of research leadership, to the next level.

The Research Assessment Exercise—RAE2020, encourages us, as an international research institute of University of Oulu, to keep our focus on microenterprises and to continue according to our selected growth strategy. While doing so, in order to achieve our vision, we need to strengthen research leadership, focus on growth management, and offer trustworthy career development at all academic levels.
I want to express my sincere thanks for the highly ambitious and, in many ways, awesome personnel of the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute, for making this achievement possible. I am looking forward to the next steps.


Writer: Matti Muhos, director, professor
University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute

Microentrepreneurship research – growth story in a nutshell:

At the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute, research focused on microenterprises started 10 years ago. Since then, a novel research theme has attracted ambitious and passionate researchers. In 2015, the institute consolidated and focused on microenterprises and in 2017, Microentrepreneurship Center of Excellence was established. In 2020, a national online education program was established as a strategic project, and in 2021, a national task of Micro-entrepreneurship Education and Research was appointed to University of Oulu by The Ministry of Education and Culture.

Facts about Research Assessment Exercise—RAE (Ryyppö et al. 2021):
• At the University of Oulu, the Research Assessment Exercise—RAE, is performed every sixth year. RAE is implemented as an international scientific peer review where field-specific scientific panels assess the actual and future impact of the research.
• The most recent evaluation took place in 2019 – 2021 and the results were published in November 2021.
• In total, 57 research units of the University of Oulu were evaluated, Kerttu Saalasti Institute being one of those.
• The purpose of the RAE is to reveal and confirm the quality and impact of research, confirm the functional structures of research units (RUs) for scientific research, assist in recognizing future research prospects and support scientific renewal at University of Oulu.
• Link to the RAE2020 report: http://jultika.oulu.fi/Record/isbn978-952-62-3112-9