Supporting frontier research in life sciences


The mission of Biocenter Finland is to offer open-access services to cutting-edge technologies and support ground-breaking life science and biomedical research, innovation, and industry-academia collaboration throughout Finland. Biocenter Finland promotes collaboration among stakeholders by combining the local expertise within universities into a nation-wide knowledge base, and coordinates investments from competitive sources, while the personnel costs are financed by host universities.

Supporting frontier research in life sciences


The mission of Biocenter Finland is to offer open-access services to cutting-edge technologies and support ground-breaking life science and biomedical research, innovation, and industry-academia collaboration throughout Finland. Biocenter Finland promotes collaboration among stakeholders by combining the local expertise within universities into a nation-wide knowledge base, and coordinates investments from competitive sources, while the personnel costs are financed by host universities.


Biocenter Finland description

Biocenter Finland (BF) was established in 2007 as a national network that develops and coordinates the life science research infrastructures including instruments, services, and databases. Biocenter Finland is a joint organization of five biocenters located in six Finnish universities:

Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland (link to services)
Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE, University of Helsinki (link to services)
Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu (link to services)
Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, Tampere University (link to services)
BioCity Turku, University of Turku and Åbo Akademi University (link to services)

All BF host universities have prioritized life sciences in their current strategies and have endorsed their support to BF for 2021-2024 based on an action plan presented by BF Board.

BF provides state-of-the-art technology services to the entire Finnish research community in academia and industry, and also to international users. For the past 17 years Biocenter Finland has systematically developed the life science infrastructure services and is well positioned to support and facilitate science tackling the current and emerging questions and challenges.

Biocenter Finland was selected for the Academy of Finland's Roadmap for Finnish Research Infrastructures 2021–2024 (pdf) with excellent reviews. The major national coordination role of Biocenter Finland on life science infrastructures forms strong basis for close interaction with the Finnish nodes of the European research infrastructure projects (ESFRI) BBMRI, EATRIS, ELIXIR, EU-OPENSCREEN, Euro-BioImaging, INFRAFRONTIER and FINStruct.

Read more about us from our brochure.

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Vision plan


The ongoing technological and digital revolution will transform Life Sciences research and provides new ways to support health and well-being and biodiversity. This development places increasing demands for state-of-the-art infrastructures and at the same time challenges for sustaining and developing them. Biocenter Finland has a key role to the long-term viability and coordination of Life Sciences sector and attractiveness of Finland for collaboration partners.

  • Forward-looking provider of national Life Science services to develop and establish emerging technologies and create an internationally attractive environment for the best talents in Life Sciences.
  • Vital supporter of research for sustainable development and green transition. The infrastructures are used by the entire Life Sciences sector from ecology to green energy and clinical research allowing implementation of digital data and molecular level understanding of the environment to the benefit of the society and resilience to current and future health challenges.
  • Active supporter of innovation, translation and cooperation with industry and healthcare with focus on closer interaction and harmonization of service practices.
  • Active partner in European research infrastructures with focus on stronger coordination and collaboration of national activities with Scandinavian and pan-European organizations.
    Forerunner in digital research data and open science to develop secure data ecosystem, open-access protocols, and the harmonization of research methods in close partnership with researchers and stakeholders.
  • Developer of attractive career tracks for core facility personnel in partnership with universities.
  • Long-term funding and developmental scheme developed together with stakeholders to increase the competitiveness of Finland’s Life Sciences sector.



Scientific Advisory Board


The technology development in all areas of life sciences represented in BF proceeds very fast. To stay at the cutting edge, BF closely follows international developments in instrumentation and technologies. All its activities are regularly evaluated by an international Scientific Advisory Board (SAB) allowing for dynamic changes in this rapidly moving area. Current composition of the SAB is Carl-Henrik Heldin (Chair), Søren Brunak, Eucharia Meehan, Frits Thorsen, Jussi Helppi, Monica Morales, Janne Lehtiö, and Marjolein Thunnissen.


Director


Olli Silvennoinen
University of Helsinki

P.O. Box 56 (street address: Biocenter 2, Viikinkaari 5)
FI-00014 University of Helsinki
Finland
olli.j.silvennoinen@helsinki.fi

Governing board


Seppo Auriola
Biocenter Kuopio

University of Eastern Finland
seppo.auriola@uef.fi
Deputy member: Tarja Malm

Lauri Eklund (Chair of the Board)
Biocenter Oulu (BCO)

University of Oulu
lauri.eklund@oulu.fi
Deputy Member: Johannes Kettunen

Klaus Elenius
BioCity Turku

University of Turku
klaele@utu.fi
Deputy member: Riitta Lahesmaa

Juha Huiskonen
Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE

University of Helsinki
juha.huiskonen@helsinki.fi
Deputy Member: Maria Vartiainen

Elina Ikonen
Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE

University of Helsinki
elina.ikonen@helsinki.fi
Deputy member: Tomi Mäkelä

Minna Kellomäki (Vice Chair of the Board)
Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology

Tampere University
minna.kellomaki@tuni.fi
Deputy Member: Keijo Viiri

Pirkko Mattila
Helsinki Institute of Life Science HiLIFE

University of Helsinki
pirkko.mattila@helsinki.fi
Deputy Member: Pirjo Laakkonen

Tiina Salminen
BioCity Turku

Åbo Akademi University
tiina.salminen@abo.fi
Deputy Member: Lea Sistonen