Press release

MAB strengthens the internationalisation of research in the areas of circular economy, security and public administration

Published on 23.6.2022

Tampere University

University buildings where MAB Faculty is situated.

Photograph: Jonne Renvall/Tampere University

Three research centres will be launched in the Faculty of Management and Business (MAB), conducting research to bring together research competence in accordance with the themes of the faculty. The research centres are used to increase the impact of research, while, at the same time, improving communality. The new centres will study the management of circular economy, the management of security, risks and resilience, and strengthen the assessment of public administration and management.

The research centres will produce research data by bringing together competence in a specific thematic area. With the help of the centres, the faculty will further elevate the scientific level of research in the areas of circular economy, security and public administration evaluation, increase the effectiveness of research and create visibility for funding applications.

“We also want to increase the community spirit and collegiality of researchers with the help of these centres. They promote peer learning and the sharing of experience between researchers. The centres will strengthen the networking of researchers and international cooperation,” says Johanna Kujala, Vice Dean of Research at the MAB Faculty.

Three new research centres were established by decision of the faculty dean in April 2022.

Managing Circular Economy, ManCE

The research centre for managing circular economy will bring the multidisciplinary expertise of the MAB Faculty in the field of circular economy together.

The area of expertise is extremely critical because, due to climate change, decreasing natural resources and loss of biodiversity, companies, cities and consumers must adopt multieconomic solutions and operating models.

“The situation calls for the management of circular economic change throughout society,” says Professor Leena Aarikka-Stenroos, who is steering ManCE.

ManCE's agenda is to further develop the expertise of the MAB Faculty in circular economy. The centre will strengthen the profile of Tampere University and the MAB Faculty as a broad-based pioneer of circular economy, which will become evident in activities in the field of domestic and international research and in cooperation with stakeholders. The centre will strengthen the procurement of external financing.

The research centre will combine the competence of research teams in industrial engineering and management, business administration, information and knowledge management and administrative sciences. It will, thus, provide a particularly comprehensive and multidisciplinary approach to managing circular economy.

The centre is linked to international research networks such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation CE Profiled Universities and the European Innovative Universities Network (ECIU). Similarly, ManCE is linked to the teaching of circular economy and sustainable development in the faculty.

The ManCE research centre is steered by Professor Leena Aarikka-Stenroos.

Tampere Centre for Security, Risk, and Resilience, TASERR

TASERR brings together the faculty’s research in the field of widely understood security. Its task is also to promote the diverse social interaction of the sector both regionally, nationally and internationally.

The centre approaches its subject matter from the presumption that modern societies are vulnerable to cross-border disturbances, such as climate change, pandemics, displaced population groups, the collapse of democracy, violent conflicts and global inequality. These challenges are also created by existing and emerging technologies such as networked information systems and artificial intelligence.

The Tampere Centre for Security, Risk, and Resilience will approach management aspirations under these concepts openly. TASERR will conduct comprehensive research into the political and democratic consequences of the human, ecological and technological management systems in societies.

The research centre is steered by Professor Juha A. Vuori.

Tampere University Centre for Governance and Evaluation, TAUGO

The administrative science, information management and impact research of the MAB Faculty have produced research data for society in the assessment and development of Finnish public management.

The Tampere University Centre for Governance and Evaluation will strengthen the scientific and methodological competence of MAB's evaluation research. The centre will provide tools for evaluating organisations, processes, reform levels and policies.

The new research centre is committed to the pursuit of solution-oriented and applied research. Participation in external competitive tendering will be possible, once the research centre starts to gather research offerings focusing on evaluation research, effectiveness research, management and research developing administration from the MAB Faculty and, more broadly, the university at large.

The starting point for the work at TAUGO is customer orientation and needs. The centre will examine key themes related to future management and administrative work reforms. These include effectiveness, knowledge management, customer orientation, service innovations and public-private cooperation. The research centre serves as a cooperation party with customers and stakeholders.

The research centre will also offer its research materials for the use of other research and theses.

The TAUGO centre is steered by Research Director Pasi-Heikki Rannisto.