Significant Funding from the Research Council of Finland for Building Forest Ecosystem Research Infrastructure in Kanta-Häme
Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK) has succeeded in the Research Council of Finland’s funding call aimed at strengthening regional RDI activities and has been awarded approximately 1.1 million euros for a project it coordinates. The project seeks to improve understanding of, among other things, carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems.
The aim of the RENNEO project is to establish a regional natural ecosystem observation network in Kanta-Häme. The research data produced through this network will deepen understanding of carbon sequestration in forest ecosystems and the impacts of land use. The research infrastructure created in the project will serve as a research and testing laboratory for greenhouse gas accounting. The goal is to support the development of the national greenhouse gas inventory and improve carbon balance calculations for forests.
The research infrastructure includes greenhouse gas measurements in local forests, portable measurement devices, and a user interface called the Forest Observatory, which utilises real-time measurement data. The observatory supports the effective use of collected research data and provides accessible visualisations for different stakeholder groups. A similar solution, the Field Observatory, has previously been developed for research on soil carbon sequestration.
“We will be able to draw on HAMK’s expertise in applying various measurement methods and developing new measurement devices. At the same time, we will create an open data infrastructure that supports measurement activities, making forest measurements visible and accessible to all stakeholders,” says Iivari Kunttu, Leading Research Scientist at HAMK and the project leader.
The RENNEO project’s research infrastructure will be built in collaboration between Häme University of Applied Sciences and the Finnish Meteorological Institute (FMI). Through the project, FMI will enhance its existing measurement network for forest and peatland carbon balances in the Kanta-Häme region and connect it to the new Häme Carbon Innovation Network.
“This funding is a significant investment in improving carbon inventorying in forests, especially in peatland forests. It supports FMI’s goals of enhancing the measurement and modelling of greenhouse gas emissions from land use,” says Annalea Lohila, Head of Unit at the Finnish Meteorological Institute and coordinator of FMI’s sub-project.
RENNEO: Regional Network of Natural Ecosystem Observations
The Research Council of Finland awarded funding to strengthen regional RDI activities for 10 local research infrastructures and 18 sub-projects. The funding covers the years 2026–2028.
Of the total funding of more than 1.1 million euros granted to the RENNEO project, HAMK’s share is 476,000 euros and the Finnish Meteorological Institute’s share is approximately 654,000 euros.
The construction of the RENNEO research infrastructure is carried out in cooperation with a broad network of companies and various other stakeholders. The research network also collaborates with the University of Helsinki and the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke).
At HAMK, project work is shared between the HAMK Tech and HAMK Bio research units.
The project will run from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2028.
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