GLMRI & Finland Research Centre Build Research Collaboration

June 2007

In June, Dr. Richard Stewart traveled to Finland to meet with researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. During his visit, he had the opportunity to spend considerable time in discussion about collaborative research opportunities as well as tour many port and marine transportation facilities.

VTT and their related universities have done considerable research on issues that are being addressed on the Great Lakes. The Great Lakes of the US and Canada have a number of similarities in climate, flora, fauna, and topography with the waters surrounding Finland. Researchers in the Great Lakes are dealing with many of the same problems, such as the introduction of exotic species, dealing with global climate change, reducing pollution, and increasing the use of maritime commerce.

The goal of the June visit and subsequent activities was to establish an enduring and formal relationship for the exchange of ideas, joint research projects and faculty research exchanges between VTT and GLMRI, along with our affiliate universities.

GLMRI is proposing to bring some of the researchers from Finland to events in the United States and Canada to discuss their research and progressively move towards the next stage of collaborative research projects and the exchange of researchers.

Latest News:

Results of the National Cooperative Freight Research Program Study Now Available

The report titled Multimodal Freight Transportation within the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Basin (NCFRP 35) was sponsored by Transportation Research Board and funded by the National Academy of Science. The research team was led by CPCS Transcom Limited in association with: GLMRI affiliate - University of Toledo, Economic Development Research Group, Prime Focus LLC, Sustainable Ports and Dr. Richard Stewart of the Great Lakes Maritime Research Institute. The study covered the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Basin (GLSLB), a bi-national region (United States, Canada) comprising 8 states (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York), two provinces (Ontario, Quebec) and hundreds of municipalities, large (e.g. Chicago, Toronto) and small. The GLSLB region generates 30% of U.S and Canadian gross domestic product (GDP) and is home to 31% of the two countries’ population.

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