Professorship of Micro-entrepreneurship

The professorship will strengthen research, education and social impact of micro-entrepreneurship. A campaign in 2022 raised more than €650,000 in donations for the establishment of the micro-entrepreneurship professorship, which will enable the professorship to run for the next five years. After the five-year period, the professorship will be made permanent in line with the University of Oulu's practice. The international call for applications for the professorship was open at the end of 2023 and the recruitment process is ongoing.

Objectives

• To establish the national mission of micro-entrepreneurship as a permanent part of the University of Oulu's activities.
• To raise the quantity and quality of research and training activities in micro-entrepreneurship to the next level.
• To link the University of Oulu more closely to the international research network in the field.
• Create opportunities to be involved in developing the conditions for micro-entrepreneurship throughout the European Economic Area.
• Through research work, academic merit-making and increased research funding, create the conditions for a professor-driven, growing research team.

Effectiveness

• The professorship contributes to the diversification and competitiveness of micro-enterprises and supports scientific research for economic growth.
• Research and training in micro-entrepreneurship will improve the operating conditions, skills and growth of Finnish micro-enterprises.
• Promote exports of micro-enterprises, which are significantly lower in Finland than in its peer countries.
• Breaking down barriers to entrepreneurship and strengthening the conditions for growth in the micro-enterprise sector as a whole.
• Providing reliable information on micro-enterprises to the media, policy-makers and business interface actors.
• Increasing understanding of new forms of entrepreneurship arising from changes in the way work is done.
• Building new and more effective training solutions to promote continuous learning for micro-enterprises and sole proprietors. Online training in support of entrepreneurship will be scalable and accessible wherever people live.
  

Professor Matti Muhos, Director of the University of Oulu Kerttu Saalasti Institute:

"It is great that the micro-entrepreneurship professorship received broad support from foundations, cities and municipalities, companies, entrepreneurial organisations, and the research and education sector. I would like to express my warmest thanks to all donors. Micro-enterprises play a key role in the Finnish economy and their role is growing all the time. Micro-enterprises have been under-recognised in relation to their economic importance. The new professorship will enable us to promote the conditions, growth and competitiveness of Finnish micro-enterprises through high quality research and education."

The micro-entrepreneurship professorship has been made possible by the following donors:

Haapaveden Opisto (Haapavesi Folk High School)

Kerttu Saalasti säätiö (in Finnish)

Keskitien säätiö (in Finnish)

Municipality of Kärsämäki

City of Nivala (in Finnish)

Omapaja

OP Banks (OP Joki-Pohjanmaa, OP Suomenselkä, OP Alavieska) (in Finnish)

Pohjois-Pohjanmaan kesäyliopisto

Pohjois-Pohjanmaan Yrittäjät

Municipality of Pyhäntä (in Finnish)

City of Raahe

Riitta ja Jorma J. Takasen säätiö

Municipality of Siikajoki (in Finnish)

Municipality of Siikalatva

City of Ylivieska

University of Oulu (the use of donations).