The audience had the possibility to vote for the best pitcing - the best research selling talk. All the six ten minute talks were well prepared and inspiring. Dr. Hele Savin from the Electron Physics Group won the competition with her presentation on "Removal of Light Induced Degradation in Silicon", and received a black box which she will share with her group members.


Professor Olli Ikkala had the honour to choose the best poster among 30 posters shown at the poster exhibition. The winning poster was Päivi Törmä's and her group's poster on "High Speed Carbon Nanotube Memory Elements". The group received a white box for winning the competition.

A lively discussion was going on during the Spanish way buffet and poster session. The main message from the participants was that Aalto's research groups need more UMK Day like networking events where you can meet your fellow researchers. The first UMK Day was arranged in spring 2009. The next UMK Day will be again organized in spring 2011.


The program of the UMK day, April 22, 2010, can be viewed below.

Moderator of the Day Dr. Runar Törnqvist UMK Center for New Materials

• Welcoming words
Runar Törnqvist, Director, UMK Center for New Materials

• Research Strategy of Aalto University
Heikki Mannila, Vice President of Academic Affairs - Research and Education, Aalto University

• New Bioactive Material and Professor´s Vision to Inventions
Jukka Seppälä, Professor, Department of Biotechnology and Chemical Technology

• Material Research and Inventions from an Entrepreuner´s Point of View
Jukka Kolehmainen, Managing Director, DIARC-Technology
DIARC-Technology is an approx. 20 year old university start up in coating business

• More Valuable Inventions from Academic Research?
Matti Kuusisto, Senior Consultant, Spinverse


Pitching of important research results within UMK, which contain elements of inventions and potential for commercial utilization:

• Large-Area, Lightweight and Thick Biomimetic Composites with Superior Material Properties via Fast, Economic, and Green Pathways
Dr. Anders Walther, Molecular Materials Group, Aalto University (Dr. Walter's presentation was held by Professor Ikkala due to flight problems)

• Removal of Light Induced Degradation in Silicon
Dr. Hele Savin, Docent in Electron Physics Group, Aalto University

• Droplet Control on Smart Surfaces
Dr. Lauri Sainiemi, Microfabrication Group, Aalto University

• Inhalable Drug Powders of Premium Performance
Dr. Janne Raula, Senior Research Fellow, Aalto University, Teicos Pharma

• Towards Industrial Preparation of Monodisperse Cobalt Nanoparticles
Christoffer Johans, Postdoctoral researcher, Physical Chemistry, Aalto University

• Glass Embedded Ag-nanoparticles for Surface Enhanced Raman Scattering
Ya Chen, Research Scientis, Photonics Group, Aalto University


UMK Center for New Materials has 32 members (Members list) from twelve Departments and all four Faculties in the Aalto University School of Science and Technology.

Aila Blomberg