Lahti wants to be the world’s leading city for electric transport - the training program that started this fall is unique in Finland

LUT University’s new degree program invests in research into electronic transport. The electrification of car traffic is progressing rapidly, moving to increasingly heavy traffic and work machines.

A new electronic transport education program has just started at LUT University.

– Lahti’s goal is to be a world leader in some field related to electronic transport.

– I have worked with electrical machines for a long time. I hope to get new ideas for research here, such as energy efficiency and electronic transport and logistics.

Lassi Aarniovuori, professor of electronic transport, and professor Dong Liu in the office at the computer. They sit next to each other and look at the screen of the machine, the picture is from the front from above. — Lassi Aarniovuori, professor of electronic transport, and Dong Liu, PhD, holding a meeting at LUT University in Lahti.

– There is constant demand for electrical engineering installation expertise, engineering expertise, graduate engineering and research expertise.

Ahead of busy years before the finish line looms

However, Lahti will not rise on the world map in an instant as a center for research and training in electric transport, because only four people started the new two-year training. Diploma engineers graduate from the training.

– We expect that next year we will receive more applicants and not only from Finland but also from abroad. This is also a good opportunity for AMK engineers.

– Yes, it takes a few years for the training to become people for us, but we already offer job opportunities during the studies.

Kempower CEO Tomi Ristimäki stands in front of a large world map on the wall of his office. The countries to which Kempower has supplied charging devices for electric cars are marked with flags on the relief map. At the crossroads, white shirt, gray suit jacket, glasses, looks at the camera. — Kempower CEO Tomi Ristimäki shows Kempower’s export achievements on a map.

There is a demand for multi-talents in electrical engineering

Kempower is one of the financiers of the electric transport professorship and research activities. The electrification of transport alone requires significant reforms to vehicle technology, charging systems and the distribution of electrical energy. We invest in our own product development.

– At the end of June, we had 260 employees. About 70 of them work directly in product development.

According to Tomi Ristimäki, cloud services are a big part of electronic traffic. All devices are always online and data management is important. Electrical engineering multitaskers are in demand.

– The combined knowledge of electronics, power electronics and programming is a big deal.

Lassi Aarniovuori, professor of electronic transport at LUT University, is sitting at the table, smiling, looking down, front view. — Lassi Aarniovuori, Finland’s first professor of electronic transport, believes that Lahti will rise to the top of research in the years to come.

Lassi Aarniovuori, professor of electronic transport at LUT University, says that there has been a lot of enthusiasm and support for the training from companies.

– Improving energy efficiency is one of the central targets of the research. The devices must work and at the same time consume as little energy as possible.