Nokia Foundation has granted its 2025 recognition award to Professor Minna Palmroth from University of Helsinki for her pioneering work in the field of space sciences. Her work has been instrumental in creating the foundation that has established Finland as a leading country in the field. Her own work focusses on modelling Earth’s magnetospheric phenomena and interaction with the solar wind. While space weather is visible to all as the northern lights, it is also vital for satellite communications.
Professor Minna Palmroth has had a highly successful career that has started from studying space weather phenomena and has led all the way to directing the Finnish Center of Excellence in Research of Sustainable Space during 2018-2025 and from 2026 leading the new Finnish Centre of Excellence in Space Resilience. She has also been recently nominated to an Academy Professorship. With this award we want to recognize her pioneering work and achievements on her career journey.
Mikko Uusitalo, Chair of the Board of Nokia Foundation
In celebration of its 30th anniversary, Nokia Foundation, together with the OKKA Foundation for Teaching, Education and Personal Development, has presented its first teaching recognition award. The award was granted to Dr. Arto Hellas, a University Lecturer in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) from Aalto University. He has made significant contributions to reforming ICT education and to developing new courses and digital learning platforms.
Dr. Arto Hellas has made a significant impact in an area we all recognize as vital for securing Finland’s future competitiveness. High-quality and inspiring teaching produces the experts of tomorrow for both academia and industry. Today, we wish to honor one of the builders of Finland’s future and highlight his persistent and innovative work in advancing ICT education.
Nokia Foundation has awarded over 2000 grants during its 30-year existence with the total value of the grants being more than 11,5 million euros. In 2025, the Foundation will grant scholarships and awards totaling approximately 480,000 euros.
