HIIT Research

Our focus areas

HIIT’s funding and services are aimed for all Helsinki IT researchers. However, our activities concentrate on five strategic focus areas of research: artificial intelligence, computational health, cybersecurity, data science, and foundations of computing. We have chosen these focus areas because we believe that their potential for societal impact is particularly high.

Below, we have listed a brief description of each focus area, their named leaders at HIIT, as well as applicable joint research units which are affiliated with HIIT:

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is without a doubt one of the most important factors in the development of modern digital societies. Our main research focus is the study of methodological issues in AI and their wide applications, involving statistical and/or symbolic problems or their combinations, with partner usage.

Focus area leader
Samuel Kaski (Aalto University)

Focus area deputy leader
Matti Järvisalo (University of Helsinki)

Affiliated unit
FCAI

Computational health

The computational health focus area studies computational challenges faced by the emerging digitalization and wide adoption of data-driven approaches in heathcare.
The goal is to develop state-of-the-art computational methods and tools for large, real-world data arising in biomedicine, pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

Focus area leader
Juho Rousu (Aalto University)

Focus area deputy leader
Veli Mäkinen (University of Helsinki)

Affiliated unit
FCAI

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity is the protection of computer systems and networks from the theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or electronic data, as well as from the disruption or misdirection of the services they provide. This research area studies secure systems including human factors, software and hardware.

Focus area leader
Valtteri Niemi (University of Helsinki)

Focus area deputy leader
Janne Lindqvist (Aalto University)

Affiliated unit
HAIC

Data science

The data science focus area deals with the task of extracting knowledge and insights from data, which is important across many fields of science. The aim is to solve significant societal and industrial challenges related to data analysis.

Focus area leader
Jukka K Nurminen (University of Helsinki)

Focus area deputy leader
Maarit Käpylä (Aalto University)

Affiliated unit
HIDATA

Foundations of computing

The foundations of computing focus area integrates a broad range of foundational expertise spanning multiple areas of algorithmics, cryptography, logic, and quantum computing.

Focus area leader
Petteri Kaski (Aalto University)

Focus area leader
Mikko Koivisto (University of Helsinki)