Research and development

Leading the way in environmental measurement
The key to Vaisala's success is its diverse research and development activity. Customers can trust that Vaisala's products represent leading edge technology. All of Vaisala's business areas actively invest in R&D, and the combined input in technology development is substantial. In 2008 the Group's R&D expenses totaled 24.6 million euros, which is 10.1 percent of its net sales.

Vaisala's R&D resources are the best in the field. The Group's R&D activities are located in Finland, the USA, the UK, and Germany. Approximately 20 percent of Vaisala's personnel work in R&D.

In addition to conducting its own R&D, Vaisala works closely with customers, research institutes, and universities. The forms of cooperation include partnership projects, support for meteorological training programs, grants, and the funding of scholarships and internships.

Partnerships and active cooperation
Vaisala participates in many projects together with leading research organizations in the field. Key partners include the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), both in the USA, the Finnish Meteorological Institute and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland.

Vaisala is involved in sponsoring the global THORPEX program (The Observing System Research and Predictability Experiment), which is being implemented together with the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The THORPEX program was launched in 2003 and will run for 10 years.  Its purpose is to study and improve the effectiveness of both earth-based and space-based atmospheric observing systems and test the ability to make extended weather forecasts for up to two weeks ahead.

Helsinki Testbed continues
In Finland, Vaisala is participating in the Helsinki Testbed precision weather project. This is a denser-than-usual weather observation network covering the Greater Helsinki area. It works as an open innovation platform for testing and developing new weather and environmental information services and systems in an authentic environment. These services are for private citizens, businesses and public authorities alike.

Vaisala and the Finnish Meteorological Institute have participated in the project since the outset in 2005, with the main provider of funds being Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation. Read more at Helsinki Testbed site.

Support for universities and research
Universities are also part of Vaisala's partnership network. Vaisala funds selected meteorological research projects, supports meteorological studies and training programs, and provides grants, scholarships, and internships. Over many years, Vaisala has partially sponsored meteorology students selected by the American Meteorological Society. In Finland, Vaisala annually sponsors the theses of ten university students.

Meteorological research at the University of Helsinki
Acting jointly with the Finnish Meteorological Institute and the University of Helsinki, Vaisala is funding a five-year professorship in meteorology research, which started in 2006. The incumbent, Professor David Schultz of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), is studying extreme weather phenomena and developing mid-term weather forecasts. He is also teaching in the University of Helsinki's Physics Faculty.

Vaisala also provides funds for radar meteorology research and teaching at the University of Helsinki's Physics Faculty. Dr. Dmitri Moisseev from Colorado State University in the USA took up his post as a researcher in the field of Radar Meteorology at the end of 2007. The research contract is for five years.

University cooperation in the USA
The company has a long history of cooperation with the University of Oklahoma, where it sponsors a student in the Master of Science in Professional Meteorology program. In lightning detection, Vaisala has R&D cooperation with the University of Arizona.

Vaisala is also continuing its cooperation with the Universities of Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Colorado, and Puerto Rico-Mayaguez by supporting their joint CASA program. CASA is a 10-year research program whose goal is to develop an adaptive remote sensing system based on low-power, low-cost, dual-polarization Doppler weather radars.