Designing a new building to support future Vaisala R&D

Services

Vaisala is a global leader in environmental and industrial measurements and offers a comprehensive range of innovative observation and measurement products and services. 

Science-based innovations are the core of Vaisala activities, which requires long-term commitment and investments in research and development: 14% of Vaisala’s net sales are invested in research and development and over 23% of their employees work in R&D (2020).

State-of-the-art R&D and innovation center

To further boost innovations for a sustainable future, Vaisala built a new state-of-the-art R&D and innovation center in Finland. This building is a unique environment for product development, including all levels from co-creation and innovation with customers to hardware and software design, to development and technical testing. 

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Space for experimentation

The new multifunctional R&D facilities enable experimental product development and fast prototyping. The 37 custom-made labs and 7900 m2 of total workspace support 300 R&D experts working in instrument development, system development, software development, embedded software, scientists, AI, machine learning etc.

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User-centric workplace design

Agile Work was commissioned to carry out a user-centric space design project to continue on the participatory workplace strategy work carried out in 2017. The project was to be carried out in close collaboration with the technical and architectural design of the building and involved the users since the beginning of the process.  

The design of the new building was user-centric, starting with a study of the users and their types of work, understanding the various user profiles as well as analyzing the typical life cycles of projects. Users were involved through workshops and a digitally facilitated design process, which allowed the teams and various stakeholders of the project to participate in commenting, evaluating and developing the design concept.  

Virtual reality and simulations were used to create an immersive experience of the space, to test it’s physical and virtual capabilities and features of the future work environment.

Agile workshop

Extreme multifunctionality and flexibility

The developed workplace design was built on extreme multifunctionality and flexibility to support the changing requirements of the R&D teams. The building includes various collaborations to share  the work between the teams and learning from each other.

The workplace design concept was made to ensure collaboration runs smoothly throughout the projects and that experimental product development is fulfilled  “from idea to product”.

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A Workplace that invites co-innovating

“We wanted to create the best possible premises for our people to create the best possible products and solutions for our customers,” explains Sauli Laitinen, Design Manager at Vaisala.

“From the start, our focus was highly on co-innovation and understanding the needs and requirements of our R&D experts. We teamed up with our employees and innovative workplace experts to make sure that the new building serves our product development needs both now and in the years to come, and that it invites to co-innovating with both partners and customers as well as internally across functions.”

Vaisia + AW by George on March 30, 2021 at 145200