Nokia will donate €1.5 million to Aalto University and expand R&D collaboration on research in AI, 6G, intelligent and resilient networks, and semiconductors. The expanded collaboration will build on projects worth approximately €1.3 million annually across multiple research areas.
The donation and increased research work extend a partnership spanning decades, including joint research, education programs and doctoral schools. Nokia describes Aalto as its most active university research partner. The two organizations have worked on more than 400 joint research projects since 2010.
Their work includes the Business Finland-funded 6G Power project on intelligent and energy-efficient networks, followed by REINs-6G, which adds a focus on network resilience. Aalto also participated in Hexa-X-II, a Nokia-led European 6G research initiative that concluded in 2025. Other collaboration includes publicly funded research into resilience across public operator, industrial, public safety and defense networks, as well as the Business Finland-funded AETHER initiative for defense-related research.
Pallavi Mahajan, chief technology and AI officer at Nokia, said: “The next era of connectivity will be defined by the convergence of AI, communications and other breakthrough technologies. Turning that potential into real-world innovation requires deep collaboration between industry and academia.”
Nokia and Aalto aim to strengthen links between fundamental research, applied innovation and commercial technology development while supporting Finland’s technology talent. Nokia employs more than 400 Aalto graduates, and Nokia Finland hosted more than 400 trainees in 2025, a significant proportion of whom came from Aalto University.
