Introducing the project crew – University of Turku
The coastal location and history as a former capital of Finland have provided Turku with a rich marine heritage. For the same reasons, the Turku region is the most significant cluster of the Finnish maritime industry. With a strong focus on sea and maritime studies, the University of Turku (UTU) also plays a vital role in advancing maritime research and enhancing Baltic Sea cooperation.
The active UTU unit within REISFER is Operations & Supply Chain Management at the Turku School of Economics. It has a long track record in maritime and island traffic logistics and Research & Development activities. Orchestrating and partaking in different EU-funded projects with a focus on the Baltic Sea has been almost continuous throughout the years.
In REISFER, UTU leads four cross-border and cross-level feasibility studies that map the operational contexts and specificities of the inter-island ferry transport in Estonia, Finland & Åland, and Sweden. These deliverables will form a baseline understanding to support the adoption and application of the technical solutions. In addition, the reports will be communicated with decision-makers to highlight the importance and needs of this specific branch in each country.
Advancing the inter-island ferry transport to better comply with sustainability requirements is essential for the Central Baltic region, where these ferries are a central transport mode. Although globally speaking the sector is relatively small, in emission reduction, the saying ‘small streams make big rivers’ is valid. Novel ideas, practices and cooperation are needed in each field, and that is what REISFER is all about.
Universities’ role in creating new knowledge and partnerships with companies and other organizations is crucial for society to develop, and the UTU team, consisting of Professor of Logistics Lauri Ojala, doctoral researcher Minna-Liina Ojala, and research assistant Elias Joki-Korpela, is happy to provide their analytical skills for REISFER.
