Kristiina Kruus Encourages Bold Research

Kristiina Kruus is the Dean of the School of Chemical Engineering at Aalto University and has a long career behind her as a researcher in industrial biotechnology. She has worked in international companies and as a research professor at VTT. In her view, courage and impact in science are of great importance in unstable times.

Who are you?

I am a Doctor of Technology and a long-standing researcher, with extensive experience in evaluating international research projects and identifying promising initiatives.

What perspective does your background bring to the Board of the Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion?

I see myself more broadly than just as a biotechnology researcher. I have wide-ranging experience in assessing research projects. I want to ensure that research grants are allocated to the most competitive and promising projects. This also includes high-risk projects. The greatest advances in science have emerged from high-risk research that did not initially deliver desired results but went on to influence the development of new technologies decades later.

What is the significance of the Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion in today’s society?

Historically, the Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion has always been at the forefront of technological transformations. Supported research has enabled, for example, the building of the first Finnish computer. Today, the Foundation can help address major global challenges, such as the green transition. More broadly, the Foundation safeguards the credibility and excellence of science in a public debate increasingly filled with alternative facts and misinformation.

What specifically do you want to promote as a member of the Board of the Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion?

I consider research excellence to be the most important evaluation criterion. Likewise, we want to encourage researchers to engage in applied research—that is, to move from theory toward practical applications and the development of innovations. We also seek so-called positive risk-taking, meaning that ambition is set high even at the risk of failure.

What amazes you in your free time?

I love spending time in nature, as nature is an astonishing system that heals itself, similarly to science. It also amazes me when I think how young researchers are the hope of the future. I would like to say to researchers who have received their first research grant that it is worth preserving curiosity about one’s own field of science, as it helps overcome setbacks.