University of Vaasa

The University of Vaasa conducts internationally impactful research and educates high-quality researchers and experts across multiple disciplines. It hosts four globally recognised research platforms: the Vaasa Energy Business Innovation Centre (VEBIC), Digital Economy, InnoLab, and Preparedness and Resilience. These platforms actively engage in international collaborative projects with leading global and local companies, including ABB, Danfoss, Wärtsilä, and numerous other industrial partners.

I lead the team of  Renewable Energy and Built Environment (REBE) that conducts interdisciplinary research at the intersection of energy systems, smart buildings, and sustainable urban development. We have strong expertise in smart and energy-efficient buildings, including the integration of renewable energy sources (solar, wind, geothermal, biomass) into the built environment, as well as low-carbon and low-energy building design. Our research also addresses waste heat recovery, energy storage solutions, and advanced materials. In addition, we investigate emerging areas such as data centre cooling, hydrogen production and storage, and sector coupling between buildings and transport systems (e.g. electric vehicle (EV)), contributing to the development of smart cities and urban energy systems.

REBE benefits from strong research infrastructure and real-world test environments. These include a Living Lab, a 28-apartment low-energy and low-emission student building developed within the EU Horizon ProLight project, enabling experimentation in real residential settings. The team has also contributed to the WSTAR project, which secured approximately €2M in funding from the EU NextGenerationEU instrument and the Academy of Finland to develop a carbon-neutral data centre. WSTAR integrates advanced solutions such as free cooling, air and liquid cooling systems, waste heat recovery, and AI-driven intelligent control, supporting cutting-edge research on climate-neutral digital infrastructure.

 Hence, we can pilot and validate innovative solutions in real operational environments, including smart buildings, district energy systems, waste heat reuse, AI-based energy management, and integrated low-carbon energy technologies. Currently, our team is involved in multiple ongoing EU-funded projects.