Duration: 1.5.2026–30.4.2027
Project partners: Active R2B is implemented in collaboration with the City of Turku, the University of Turku, Åbo Akademi University, Turku University of Applied Sciences, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Turku Startup Hub, and Sitra.
Funding: Sitra is the main funder of the Active R2B pilot, providing 70% of the project’s total budget. Sitra is the Finnish Innovation Fund, an independent public foundation that promotes Finland’s ability to renew, innovate, and create sustainable growth. Active R2B is part of Sitra’s initiative to strengthen collaboration between businesses, research organizations, and cities. In addition to funding, Sitra provides expert support and facilitates peer learning between participating cities, helping to identify and scale effective models for research commercialization and innovation-driven growth.
Summary
Active R2B is a pilot initiative carried out in collaboration with Sitra, aimed at strengthening collaboration between universities, research organizations, and startup ecosystem actors. The project seeks to identify and validate the most effective practices for commercializing research results and accelerating the creation of research-based startups. By testing proactive idea scouting and business-driven mentoring, the pilot aims to increase both the quantity and quality of research-based startups and investment-ready Research-to-Business (R2B) projects. Turku’s strong innovation ecosystem provides an ideal environment for developing and testing new collaboration models that support research commercialization and entrepreneurial growth.
Responsibilities of Business Turku
Business Turku leads the Active R2B pilot by coordinating stakeholders, facilitating collaboration between universities and the startup ecosystem, and driving the commercialization of research into investment-ready R2B projects and new research-based startups.
