International evaluation for research groups applying for Infotech Oulu accomplished

The selection procedure for the time period 2006-2009 has been accomplished. The deadline for the research groups were in the mid June, when all 11 applications were posted to the evaluators. In the second phase the evaluators arrived to Oulu in October 3-4, when the evaluation panel interviewed the research groups. The final choice to the membership in Infotech Oulu was made by the Infotech Oulu Board based on the proposal of the evaluators.

The evaluators represent the international elite in information technology: Professor Thomas Ottmann from the University of Freiburg, Germany, Levent Onural from Bilkent University, Turkey and Hannu Tenhunen from the Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.

In the general overview, the structure of Infotech was seen very efficient and especially the Graduate School activity was highly praised. The visibility and visibility and a prestige of Infotech was noted. The evaluators saw level of funding from the university small. As criticism, more diversity in the educational background of the faculty members was needed. Most of them are graduates of the University of Oulu. In addition, the evaluators pointed out that to increase the size and external funding of a group should not be seen as a desirable goal in itself. The level of the research and promotion of the graduate students are the main duty. The evaluators made several suggestions to develop the activities of Infotech Oulu further. It could take a greater role in coordination of the research and research funding.

The following four year period, six groups were selected as full members and 3 groups as associate members. Part of them are joint groups between the University of Oulu and VTT. Associate members cannot utilize the funding obtained from the University of Oulu, but they are fully involved in the operation of the graduate school.

The following groups were selected to Infotech Oulu as full members (the directors of the research groups as parentheses)

Algebraic and computational methods in information science (Keijo Ruotsalainen, Juha Kortelainen and Keijo Väänänen)
Circuits and systems group (Juha Kostamovaara and Timo Rahkonen)
Electronics Materials, Packaging and Reliability Techniques - EMPART (Heli Jantunen and Osmo Hormi)
Intelligent systems group (Juha Röning, Jukka Riekki and Tapio Seppänen)
Machine vision group (Matti Pietikäinen, Olli Silvén and Janne Heikkilä)
Optoelectronics and measurement unit (Risto Myllylä, Jouni Tornberg and Juha Kalliokoski)

and as associate members

Human interaction with advanced mobile services and intelligent environments - INTERACT (Kari Kuutti and Heikki Ailisto)
MediaTeam Oulu (Jaakko Sauvola, Timo Ojala and Tapio Seppänen)
Wireless communication systems (Matti Latva-aho and Aarne Mämmelä), (applied only associate status)

Information technology is one of the focus areas of the University and Infotech Oulu is its umbrella organization. Its principal goal is to create an environment for the development of world-class research groups by advancing long-term research, researcher training, internationalism and cooperation. Close interaction between basic and applied research is seen to be necessary, but the best results can be achieved when curiosity is a driving force.

The main research fields of Infotech Oulu are:

Electronics and systems engineering
Communications engineering
Computer science and information engineering
Software engineering and information systems.

The research is funded mainly externally. The main sources are the National Technology Agency Tekes, the Academy of Finland, the Ministry of Education, the European Commission and industry. In 2004, the sum of annual external funding was EUR 19 million and personnel about 470.

The University of Oulu provides special funding for Infotech Oulu annually with EUR 400 000. In addition, Infotech Oulu has managed to obtain 30 graduate school positions from the Ministry of Education. Annually this means over EUR 800 000.