TALLINN UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY
TALLINN UNIVERSITY
OF TECHNOLOGY
Founded in 1918 in North-Eastern Europe
(Tallinn, Estonia), TUT sets a unique standard for higher education.
sciences, TUT is more than living up to
Estonia’s distinction as one of the most
advanced e-societies in the world. TUT is
to become one of the leading technological
universities in the Nordics and Europe and
is uniquely suited to forming a hub of active
partnership among universities, clusters and
businesses worldwide.
Providing programmes in engineering
and technology, natural, exact and social
More than 13,000 students and 2,000
employees bring TUT to life every day.
Tallinn University of Technology (TUT),
guided by spirited commitment to excellence, emphasizes high-level research and
innovation.
TUT has one of the most modern campuses in
Europe. Winner of the “Best Campus” category
in “Science and Education” (Oxford, 2014).
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ESTONIA
Estonia boasts one of the most advanced
e-societies in the world. TUT plays a key
role in the processes taking place in Estonian society as the partner to the state
in the development of innovative measures and involvement of high-tech foreign
investments.
Synergy of Fields
• Population: 1.3 million
• Currency: Euro
• Member of EU, NATO, OECD, WTO and
Schengen area
• English is widely spoken
• Ranked 1st worldwide in air quality
(WHO, 2013)
• Homeland of Skype
• Estonia is called the “singing nation“.
Every five years a song festival takes
place where around 1/5 of the population
gathers to sing together.
TUT creates synergy between engineering
and technology, natural, exact and social
sciences both in higher education and
research and development. We create the
vibrant university business ecosystem.
Partnership with Top
Universities
TUT maintains active relationships and cooperation with over 50 top technological universities like Stanford, Technische Universität
München, Del� University of Technology and
KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Europe
to name just a few. We believe in getting connected, which means that our partners reap
the benefits of cooperative programmes with
universities around the world. Programmes
encompass a wide range of activities, including joint research projects, study programmes
development, project cooperation and networking, and seminars and summer schools.
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E-Residency
Estonia’s e-residency creates digital identity
for people from all over the world, allowing
access to Estonian Internet banks and government portals as well as the ability to sign
any type of document digitally.
Capital of Start-Ups
Innovators and entrepreneurs find the
economic climate of Estonia ideal for
starting their companies. Due to the ease
of founding a company (which takes only
five minutes in Estonia), low taxes, low
percentage of corruption, and affordable yet educated labor, Estonia has more
successful start-up companies per capita
than any other country in Europe. Startups like Skype, Transferwise, Playtech,
GrabCad, Fits.me, and Fortumo all got
their start in Estonia.
E- and m-Services
Entrepreneurs find skilled, knowledgeable partners in the students of TUT, where
the TUT Innovation and Business Centre
Mektory provides a fruitful environment
for scientists, entrepreneurs, and students
to design and develop products, develop
business models, test mobile services and
prototype their innovative products.
Estonia is an e- and m-society. Services
like e-government, e-elections, e-taxes,
e-police, e-healthcare, e-school, e- and
m-banking, m-parking, etc. are widely used in
Estonia. A personal electronic ID card is the key to
e-services. Also, the headquarter of European
IT Agency is located in Tallinn.
The success of e-society relies to great
extent on the people and alumni of TUT.
Cyber Security
The head office of NATO Cooperative Cyber
Defence Centre of Excellence – the main
source of expertise in the field of cooperative
cyber defence – is located in Tallinn, Estonia.
Hardi Meybaum – gradute of TUT and
founder of a highly successful start-up
named GrabC AD, which was recently
sold for around $100M to Startasys Ltd
– a world’s leading 3D printing company
(see more on p. 24).
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TUT’s graduate student Oskar Poola introducing the speech of Barack Obama in
Tallinn, 2014.
Photo: Rauno Volmar, Ekspress Meedia
The choice of the location says a great deal
about the excellence of Estonian IT services, and further establishes Estonia as an
important player in the future of the technological world.
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RESEARCH &
DEVELOPMENT
The mission of TUT’s research and development activities is to create synergy between
engineering and technology, natural, exact,
health and social sciences, promoting the development of society (see more on p. 23 – 29).
World Class R&D
TUT conducts world class fundamental and
applied research and develops high-tech
applications in many fields:
50%
of university revenues
come from R&D.
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• Organic and analytic chemistry
(Chemistry)
• Food biotechnology and neurobiology
(Biotechnology)
• Geology (Earth Sciences)
• Power converter research
(Power Electronics)
• Solar cell materials and tribomaterials
(Material Sciences)
• Computer system research and biorobotics
(ICT)
• Near-zero energy building
(Civil Engineering)
• Public administration
(Social Sciences)
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INNOVATION AND
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
>5%
TUT cultivates cooperation projects with
world-leading companies like Microsoft,
Google, Samsung and Mitsubishi.
of university revenues come from R&D
contracts with companies.
In addition to Skype, there are 150 hightech companies, the unique TUT Innovation and Business Centre Mektory, and a
start-up incubator on TUT’s campus.
R&D
Designing, lab services, consultations,
surveys, and analyses.
Start-up and Incubation
Prototyping labs, mentoring and coaching,
international experts, networking, offices,
funding (Prototron) and business model
competitions.
Marketing of Intellectual Property
Offering inventions, matching researchers
with the needs of companies.
Mektory provides co-working space for
researchers, students and entrepreneurs
to collaborate on business ideas, technological discoveries, and start-ups. Mektory,
distributed over 4,500 square meters is a
home for different testing and prototyping
laboratories, workshops, high-tech demo
studios of companies, etc.
Project Management
Preparation of project applications, consultation, administration.
Training
Professional programmes for companies or
individuals, tailor- and ready-made group
and online courses.
In Mektory you will find the Samsung Digital
Academy, Ericsson Connectivity Room, Smart
Lab for testing mobile applications, eMed Lab
and eState Lab.
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Services for Companies
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation works with TUT
to study the efficiency of their electric cars as well
as how to withstand various climate conditions.
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DEGREE
PROGRAMMES
TUT provides more than 30 degree
programmes in English, including:
Cyber Security
TUT offers an array of degree programmes
in fields like ICT, Engineering, Innovation and
Economics, etc. The programmes include
the latest theories and best practices from
around the world. Over 10% of TUT students
are international degree students from more
than 80 different countries.
With a focus on developing skills in
information systems security, the cyber
security programme provides the opportunity to study under high-level cyber
security practitioners from NATO, CERT,
telecoms, and banks.
Design and Engineering
The aim of the study programme is to
combine the basic competences of engineers and designers, thus developing a
framework for strong interdisciplinary
cooperation.
Mechatronics
The mechatronics programme at TUT
purposes to develop the professional
knowledge and skills required for a successful career in future-oriented engineering technologies such as mechatronics, robotics, and automation.
Technology Governance
4.1
The technology governance of the study
programme focuses on fields like economics, technology and innovation, and
public administration, interrelating them
and examining the role of the state
in economic development, innovation,
industries, and finance.
is an average rating of graduates’
satisfaction with the knowledge and skills
acquired at TUT (on a 5-point scale).
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FORMULA
STUDENT
Formula Student is an international product development competition for students who are interested in engineering
and automotive technology. TUT Formula
Student team is among the best ones in
the world. They have achieved many 1st
and 2nd places in the world races and are
among the top five in the general world
ranking among the electric formula race
cars built by students.
STUDENT
ACTIVITIES
St u d e n t s lo o k in g fo r o p p o r t u nit ie s
to develop connections, make lasting
friendships, or test out their leadership
skills will discover a wide array of student activities such as Student Councils
and AIESEC. Specialty clubs and organizations are also available, like Robotics
Club, Software Development, Marketing
Group, and Mining Group just to name
a few. Finally, hobby-related clubs allow
students to take a break from their studies and learn about electricity, acting,
singing, playing tennis, photography etc.
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FEST14, the overall winner in Formula Student Italy
2014, acceleration of which is 0-100km/h 2.2s.
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BOARD OF GOVERNORS
Gunnar Okk
Chairman
Vice-President of Nordic Investment Bank
Ardo Kamratov
Vice-Chairman (TUT)
Anneli Heinsoo
CEO of Tieto Estonia AS
Ülo Jaaksoo
Chairman of Council of Cybernetica AS
Väino Kaldoja
CEO of Silberauto AS
Robert Kitt
CEO of Swedbank AS
Prof. Rainer Kattel (TUT)
Prof. Margus Lopp (TUT)
Prof. Mart Saarma (University of Helsinki)
Prof. Andres Öpik (TUT)
Prof. Arvi Hamburg (TUT)
MANAGEMENT
Prof. Jaak Aaviksoo
Rector
Prof. Renno Veinthal
Vice-Rector for Research
Prof. Jakob Kübarsepp
Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs
Chairman of the Board of Governors of TUT
Gunnar Okk.
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Estonian President T.H. Ilves (on the right)
inaugurated Jaak Aaviksoo (on the le�) into
office as the Rector of TUT in 2015.
Mrs. Tea Varrak
Vice-Rector for Innovation
and Internationalisation
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SUCCESS STORIES
TUT scientists and researchers are genuine
innovators. Their smart, effective contributions to the fields of robotics, medicine,
business, energy, and engineering have the
potential to improve an individual’s daily life
and the society as a whole. The following
inventions and discoveries were made by
TUT researchers and scientists and present
a variety of real-world applications. From
robotic fish to „smart food,“ TUT researchers make strides toward the future.
Robotic Fish
The robotic fish is a unique robot that
senses flow with a sensitive lateral line like
fish have. Unlike other undersea robots, our
robotic fish can cope in various environments including shallow waters or in seas
with a complex sea bottom.
In the past, sending robots to places like
these has been very risky because they
tend to be expensive apparatuses. The
robotic fi sh, however, is an inexpensive
design that manoeuvres well, which means
it can operate in almost any condition.
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Algorithm that controls heart
The scientists of TUT, in cooperation with
medical technology companies St. Jude
Medical and Guidant (US), have invented
a new technology that has improved the
quality of life for thousands of patients
with heart problems by lifting the restrictions on physical activity these patients
usually experience.
The key to this was measuring the electrical impedance of the lungs and heart.
This revealed association between the
impedance and the body’s need for blood
supply, while avoiding overloading the
heart at the same time.
Whereas older cardiac stimulators which
were programmed to certain heart rates
required strict limitations on the patient’s
physical activity level, the new algorithm is able to dynamically control the
rhythm of a cardiac stimulator by monitoring body functions, so that the heart is
able to react to physical exercise almost
exactly as an intact heart would.
Solar Energy
Simplified
Although 90% of solar cells are currently
made of silicon, the world is looking for an
alternative solution.
Compared to the ready-made panels used
today, the technology of monograin powders
and monograin membrane solar cells developed by the scientists of TUT is cheaper and
makes it possible to cover large areas with
less effort and cost.
The technology developed at TUT already enables the production of electricity from solar
energy that is 1.5 times cheaper than the most
commonly used forms of technology.
Whereas the price of a kilowatt hour generated by current mass-produced solar cells is
approximately €0.80, the price of electricity
generated by monograin solar cells would be
a quarter less even in low-volume production. Mass production would make the price
advantage even bigger.
In addition to renewable energy, TUT is
known for unique oil shale technology based
on geological, environmental and chemical
know-how explored during the last 50 years.
A Rate Adaptive Pacemaker: invented by TUT
researchers and patented by St Jude Medical
(USA Patent US6885892B1).
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Potential Treatment for Alzheimer’s
A group of scientists at TUT is working on the
primary mechanisms of neurodegenerative
diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease, characterised by the appearance of certain protein
aggregates in the brain. Such accumulation is
toxic and kills neurons in the brain.
The screening method developed by the neurobiologists at TUT has great potential, as it
enables testing of approximately a hundred different chemical compounds a day. In addition,
this method does so in a way that places the
compounds in an environment which is similar
to the pathological conditions in the brain.
This method focuses on inhibiting the formation of toxic aggregates, and in the case
of active substances it enables their rapid
identification.
The same principle could be used in the case
of numerous other diseases such as Huntington’s and Parkinson’s disease as well as
type 2 diabetes.
Smart Food
TUT researchers have discovered the factors determining the effectiveness of probiotic food. We know that probiotic food
improves our immune system and cures
gastro-intestinal diseases, but the biggest challenge the food industry faces is
the survival of probiotic bacteria in food
as well as in the digestive system.
The research that has been carried out
using the gastrointestinal tract simulator (GITS) has equipped scientists with
unique knowledge about how and with
what food products the probiotic bacteria should be mixed to help them survive the harsh conditions of the human
digestive system.
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R&D FIELDS
GrabCad –
Facebook for engineers
GrabCAD is an “engineer’s paradise“ – an
innovative company founded by TUT students Hardi Meybaum and Indrek Narusk.
GrabCad provides a comfortable online
environment for engineers, planners, and
companies to make the design process
more efficient by using social and cloud
based technologies.
The idea of GrabCAD is simple yet brilliant:
if a customer wants to solve a difficult task
and develop solid design ideas, he/she can
ask engineers around the world via GrabCAD.
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For example, recently a company which
produces human-shaped robots wanted to
improve the robots’ design and engineers
from around the world sent their design
ideas about what a really cool humanoid
could look like to the company.
GrabCAD has over 2,1M users. It employs
about one-tenth of world’s engineers and
cooperates with such giants as Siemens
and Autodesk. The owner of the company
now is Stratasys.
Civil Engineering
Power Engineering
Design and construction of buildings,
energy efficiency research and energy
saving renovation of buildings, engineering technology, construction materials, engineering physics, construction
management and economics, housing
management , road and bridge studies, transpor tation studies, logistics
and supply chain management studies, geodetic sur veys, environmental
protection and technologies, industrial
ecology, environmental protection and
management, soil biology, architecture
and planning, and urban construction.
Wide-area measurement based system control, power quality and system stability in modern power systems, optimal cooperation of
power systems, overvoltages and resonances
in power networks, reactive power and its
compensation, integration of wind and solar
power into modern power systems, grid code
assessment and development, power system
economics, electrical machines and drives,
electrical energy saving and storage, converters for renewable energy sources, high voltage
engineering, electromagnetic compatibility,
environmentally sustainable mining technology, oil shale technology, and mining.
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Mechanical
Engineering
Chemical and
Materials Technology
Optimal design of composite and functional
material structures, products, and manufacturing processes, sustainable utilization of energy
resources and process improvement in combustion facilities, design and technology of multiphase tribomaterials, hard coatings and surface engineering, mechatronic and production
systems proactivity and behavioural models.
Nonlinear dynamics, behavior of microstructured materials under dynamic loads, solitons
and solitary waves, acoustodiagnostics, fractality, econophysics, acoustics of the piano, integral photoelasticity and photoelastic tomography, biomechanics, cell energetics, complex
and nonlinear phenomena in wave dynamics
and coastal engineering, application of mathematical methods in wave research.
Nutrition and food technology research in
the field of food and biotechnology, thin
film and nanostructure materials in chemical methods, new materials and future
solar energy technologies, treatment of
gaseous, liquid and solid waste, thermal
processing of oil shale and biomaterials,
new sustainable polymer materials for
high-tech applications and everyday life,
synthetic receptors based on molecularly
imprinted conducting polymers, chemistry
and applications of inorganic multicomponent systems, implementing physical
research methods to study the structure
and characteristics of materials.
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Chemistry,
Biotechnology,
Gene Technology
Information and
Communication Technology
Modelling, designing, verification and testing of reliable and proactive embedded
systems, electrical bioimpedance and its
implementation in medicine, cyber security, reliable information- and knowledge-based systems, data science, formal
methods, automated theorem proving and
logic based methods in networked systems,
bio- and underwater robotics.
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Approximation methods, inverse problems,
nonlinear and robust control systems, learning and planning in robotic systems, automata theory, functional and dependently typed
programming, semantics of programming languages, program analyses and program logics,
so�ware process improvement, composition
and visual specification, tools for modelling
and simulation, cyber defence.
Asymmetric chemical synthesis, development of bio-analytical methods, studies
on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, computer chemistry and molecular design,
neurobiology, metalloproteomics, plant
biotechnology, cancer biology.
Earth Sciences
Mathematics, Physics
Mineralogy, petrology and sedimentology,
geochemistry, paleontology, stratigraphy
and geochronometry, paleoclimatology, quaternary geochronology, and paleolimnology.
Group and semi-group theory, inverse problems, multidimensional statistics, dispersed
flow models and their implementation, summability with rapidity, sampling theory,
semiconductor physics, photoluminescence.
Oceanography, limnology, meteorology, climatology, hydrology, aquatic ecology and
environmental protection, modelling of
natural water bodies, meteorological and
oceanographic services, contemporary
observation methods and data processing
in oceanography and meteorology, remote
sensing of the Earth, weather forecast.
Raman spectroscopy, solar cells, solid states
theory, materials research by computational
methods, physics of complex systems, scale
invariance, turbulence and mixing, econophysics, theoretical astrophysics, lunar photogrammetrical studies, field theory of particles, supersymmetry.
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Biomedical Engineering
Analysis of the bioelectrical oscillations and
protein coagulation related to cognitive processes of the brain, non-invasive optical and
metabolic monitoring of blood pressure and
cardiovascular status, study of the parameters of the spatio-temporal variability of the
repolarisation phase of the heart’s ventricle,
magnetic-, optical- and radiospectroscopy of
biofluids, causes and development of asthma
and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease,
vascular and metabolic diseases, biomedical
data integration and mining, e-health.
Public Administration,
Law
Public administration, governance and policy, local authorities and regional development, technology governance and innovation
policy, European law, technology law, public
law, industrial psychology, and engineering
pedagogy. Personnel selection, organization
planning, management and development,
work motivation.
Economics, Business
Administration
Doctor-teachers and doctor-researchers from
several hospitals participate in the university’s
academic and research activities.
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Economics and finance, environmental
economics, entrepreneurship and business environment, international relations, and European studies. Socioeconomic development of Estonian islands
and sustainable tourism.
www.ttu.ee