Wärtsilä Inks MoU with Four Finnish Universities for Engine Research Initiative

Wärtsilä and four Finnish universities will cooperate on a new ERI programme.
Image Credit: Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä Corporation (Wärtsilä) today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with four Finnish universities for an Engine Research Initiative (ERI) programme, which will see the parties collaborate on development research into sustainable future applications for internal combustion engines, including those for the marine sector.

"Together, making use of our own individual competences and areas of expertise, we shall endeavour to develop sustainable energy solutions based on the use of combustion engines, to the benefit of all concerned," said Kari Hietanen, Wärtsilä's Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations and Legal Affairs.

Academic institutions participating in the ERI programme include Aalto University, Tampere University of Technology, Åbo Akademi University, and the University of Vaasa.

"The ERI aims to create an open research ecosystem wherein cutting-edge technologies involving internal combustion engines can be developed together with other partners and matured to meet the evolving future needs of the shipping and power production sectors," explained Wärtsilä.

The company further notes that, within the marine industry, energy storage using extended battery capacity and digitalisation set to play a key role in future operational systems.

"Increased communication capabilities and computational power will drastically change the way goods are transported over the seas. The changes will be seen in both the equipment and in the way business is conducted," said Wärtsilä.

Yesterday, Wärtsilä announced the launch of EnergoFlow, an energy-saving solution that the company says will return ship operators' investment in less than two years.