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Vancouver, BC – Mitacs is excited to announce an inaugural partnership with Finland, marking a step forward in research and innovation collaboration between the two countries. The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) expands talent mobility and builds bridges between academia and industry by supporting participation in the Mitacs Globalink Research (GRI) Internship program.
A cohort of undergraduate students from across all Finnish universities will be eligible to complete 12-week research placements at Canadian postsecondary institutions – gaining hands-on experience in worldclass research environments.
Globalink participants gain valuable training and mentorship through projects that advance innovation and commercialization. For businesses and organizations, access to top-tier global talent strengthens research and innovation capacity and helps bridge research to commercialization, accelerating market entry and growth.
This marks the first time Finland has joined the GRI network, building on growing engagement between Mitacs and Finnish institutions and supporting shared priorities in advancing international research collaboration, commercialization, and talent development.
Further engagement with Finnish institutes also opens doors through Mitacs Globalink programs. While GRI enables undergraduate students to undertake inbound research in Canada, the Globalink Research Award (GRA) program provides a tool to support short-term bilateral research projects for students and postdoctoral researchers under joint Canadian–Finnish supervision. Open to all disciplines, these programs strengthen institutional partnerships and can help accelerate collaboration in key shared priority sectors, including quantum science, advanced technologies, and defense.
This partnership builds on Mitacs’ ongoing efforts to attract top research talent to help strengthen the economy, improve productivity, and increase competitiveness, in alignment with the Canada Global Impact+ Research Talent Initiative. In March, Mitacs launched the Accelerate Global Excellence Award, a new initiative to attract and support highly skilled, exceptional international postdoctoral researchers, including Canadians currently studying abroad, to collaborate with Canadian postsecondary and partnering organizations.
Quotes
“The partnership between Mitacs and the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) reflects a shared commitment to advancing research excellence, innovation, and talent development. By creating new pathways for collaboration in priority sectors such as AI, quantum, defence, and Arctic research and innovation, this agreement strengthens bilateral innovation and economic growth while equipping talent for the rapidly evolving workforce of tomorrow.”
Dr. Stephen Lucas, CEO, Mitacs
“The Mitacs Globalink Research (GRI) Internship program offers Finnish students a unique opportunity to develop their expertise in world-class research environments while building international networks that support their future careers and advance research and innovation. There is strong interest among Finnish higher education institutions in deepening collaboration with Canada and this partnership between EDUFI and Mitacs opens up new possibilities in advancing this cooperation.”
Maija Airas, Head of Unit, EDUFI
About Mitacs
For over 25 years, Mitacs has helped grow the economy and develop the workforce of tomorrow, connecting industry with academia and global partners to solve real-world challenges. We support business-academic research collaboration through internships, co-funded with businesses, for undergraduate to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.
As a national innovation connector, Mitacs takes a talent-first approach to strengthen innovation capacity and drive global competitiveness. We serve as an essential research-commercialization bridge, accelerating market entry and growth for new products and services.
This is a critical time for Canada to think big and take bold action. Mitacs is ready to help build a strong and resilient Canadian economy, powered by ideas, talent and innovation.
Mitacs is funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Alberta, the Government of British Columbia, Research Manitoba, the Government of New Brunswick, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Government of Nova Scotia, the Government of Ontario, Innovation PEI, the Government of Quebec, the Government of Saskatchewan, and the Government of Yukon.
About The Finnish National Agency for Education
The Finnish National Agency for Education is an expert agency operating under the Ministry of Education and Culture. Its mission is to develop education, early childhood education and care, and lifelong learning, as well as to promote internationalisation. The agency supports the internationalisation of Finnish society by implementing programmes and agreements that foster international cooperation, and by producing information related to internationalisation.
