PoDoCo-Funding Awarded to 11 New Doctoral–Industry Collaboration Projects

Founded in 2015, the Post Docs in Companies (PoDoCo) program creates new career opportunities for PhDs while strengthening industry-driven research and development. In the autumn PoDoCo call, the Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation awarded funding to four researchers.

The foundations participating in the Post Docs in Companies program once again granted funding for joint research projects between doctoral researchers and companies. In the autumn 2025 PoDoCo call, funding was awarded to a total of 11 new projects, bringing doctoral-level expertise into companies to support innovation, competitiveness, and sustainable growth.

The new PoDoCo collaborations span a broad range of themes, including:

• Advanced imaging and measurement technologies, such as X-ray and CBCT imaging, radiation-based quality control, and novel image reconstruction methods.
• Data-driven design, optimization, and decision support, enabling smarter development of products, systems, and complex assets.
• Mechanical systems, materials, and reliability, with a focus on rotor dynamics, turbine components, and high-temperature material behavior.
• Energy systems and digital optimization, including distributed optimization for virtual power plant aggregators.
• Health and life sciences innovations, ranging from vaccine manufacturability to molecular and biological imaging solutions.
• Sustainable materials and bio-based value creation, including engineered wood products and novel protein applications.
• Environmental monitoring and biodiversity assessment, using portable molecular technologies for rapid analysis.

The PoDoCo Program Connects PhDs and Companies

The aim of the PoDoCo program is to promote the employment of PhDs in companies and to strengthen the long-term renewal capacity of Finnish industry.

The grants awarded through the PoDoCo program support research that opens up new career paths and has relevance for business and industry. Within the program, a PhD researcher and a company partner jointly develop a research idea and apply for funding from the participating foundations. The foundations award a working grant for either six months or one year to projects selected for the program.

A PoDoCo project has a total duration of one to two years and consists of two phases of six to twelve months each. The foundation-funded research phase is followed by an applied phase of equal length funded by the company. PoDoCo is open to companies from all sectors, and applications may be submitted by anyone who has recently completed their doctoral degree or is nearing the completion of their PhD.

The program is funded by the Jenny ja Antti Wihuri Foundation, Svenska kulturfonden / The Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland, Tekniikan edistämissäätiö – Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion, KAUTE Foundation – The Finnish Science Foundation for Economics and Technology, Liikesivistysrahasto – The Finnish Foundation for Economic Education, and Maa- ja vesitekniikan tuki ry.

Read more and see all grant recipients of autumn call 2025.