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The governmental science funding body Research Council of Finland included Aalto University’s and VTT’s nano, micro and quantum technology research infrastructure in its . The roadmap defines significant national research infrastructures which are crucial for Finnish science and the competitiveness of Finnish industry.

OtaNano was already part of the previous roadmap for the years 2021-2024. The best performing ones were now granted so-called ‘lighthouse’ status. According to the Council, lighthouse infrastructures are pioneers who stand out by their range of services and significant impact. Other criteria included crossover with the private sector, international networking and accommodating the green energy transition.

‘We are extremely happy about the lighthouse status. It shows how important OtaNano is for Finnish science, and it helps secure the infrastructure’s long-term development,’ says OtaNano Director Anna Rissanen.

OtaNano has a crucial role in ensuring the competitiveness of Finnish industry, commercialising research and training top technology talent.

‘Every year over 700 users from students and research groups to startups and large corporations utilize OtaNano. Our facilities have been used in thousands of scientific publications, and there is a large number of significant scientific discoveries published every year in top journals like Nature, especially in quantum technology. Today, SME’s who use our infrastructure for their own research or are commercialising technology developed here report roughly 300 million euros worth of turnover and employ over 1000 individuals annually,’ Rissanen says.

OtaNano has been irreplaceable for founding many high-tech companies like IQM and Dispelix, who could utilize the infrastructure instead of taking on expensive investments of their own. Bluefors, the global leader in cryotechnology, had its inception in OtaNano. OtaNano’s ease of use has been a contributing factor the entire time.

’OtaNano is unique in lots of ways. OtaNano’s Micronova is the largest cleanroom for research purposes in the Nordics. It’s very rare for a research organisation and a university to operate a large cleanroom infrastructure together,’ says Jyrki Kiihamäki, Co-Creation Manager at VTT.

The new funding will help OtaNano make future strides.

‘In the coming years, OtaNano will be developed further by acquiring new equipment. This year, VTT's long-prepared transition to a 200mm wafer size will be realized. This will enable compatibility with modern equipment and international partners,’ Kiihamäki says.

The Roadmap is part of the Research Council’s long-term plan for research infrastructures, reaching all the way to the year 2030. The plan secures the position of top-quality research infrastructures as the foundation of Finnish research, development and innovation activies. 

OtaNano, owned by Aalto and VTT, consists of three main facilities: the Low-Temperature Laboratory, which focuses on ultra-low quantum research, the Nanomicroscopy Center housing imaging and characterization equipment and Micronova, a hub for fabricating semiconductor-based silicone chip components in the nano and micro scales.