Evaluation Report Publications of the Academy of Finland 1/11

Research environment
The infrastructure is at an international top level and is very well suited for the 
current and planned research directions. Instrumentation is available both within the 
Department and at the NSC (located 100 m from the Chemistry building). The 
climate at the Department and in particular within the NSC is highly collaborative. 
The NSC brings together researchers and students from traditionally separate 
branches of science.
Research networking and interaction
Local collaborations are mainly within the NSC on analysis methods, and involve the 
majority of the unit. The infrastructure available via the NSC also attracts national 
and international collaborations, mainly to the more senior professors.
The unit’s national and international contacts are numerous and often productive. 
Although most of the senior researchers are active in networking activities, the level 
of activity varies.
Recommendations
The facilities and the performance of the unit are outstanding, and the evaluation 
panel encourages the unit to keep up the good work. The strategies for future research 
directions are well phrased, but to some extent lacking in synthesis development. The 
unit also agrees that this is not an issue to be neglected. The aim is to become a leading 
unit in organic and supramolecular chemistry in Northern Europe. If this vision is to 
be realised, the proportion of external funding needs a substantial increase.
The unit should also explore the “People” part of the EU funding schemes. 
Since the international visibility is very high and the unit already is multinational, it 
should be possible to attract top postdoctoral candidates with Marie Curie EU 
funding.

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For the long-term viability of the unit, it will be essential to ensure that all seniors 
actively engage in independent international networking. Also of fundamental 
importance is to keep significant elements of topical diversity, in particular 
highlighting the synthetic aspects of organic chemistry, in order to meet yet 
unforeseen challenges.