Nokia Foundation Award 2017: Erkki Oja

For the great contributions to the advancement of machine learning, pattern recognition and neuro-computing, the key technologies in artificial intelligence and robotics. Your ground-breaking research has led to more than 300 scientific articles with over 46 000 citations. The impact you have had in teaching young researchers is remarkable, with over 50 of your students holding a doctoral degree. You have promoted Finnish science in several positions of trust, including the Chairmanship of the Academy of Finland’s Research Council for Natural Sciences and Engineering. Your focal role in the development of the research community around these key technologies gives a distinctly good position to Finland for the next 100 years to embrace the data-age era.