Finnish floating construction specialist Bluet Floating Solutions is strengthening its workforce through the 3AMK's IMIB programme. According to CEO Tytti Sirola, participating in the programme is a natural extension of the company's existing collaboration with Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.
Despite the construction sector's downturn, some Finnish companies continue to look to the future with optimism. Among them is Bluet Floating Solutions (Bluet), a domestic pioneer in floating construction that has made possible what was considered utterly unfeasible just two decades ago.
Bluet has never sought to compete with established construction firms, instead focusing on collaboration to create innovative floating structures. According to Bluet's CEO Tytti Sirola, maintaining a streamlined and focused portfolio has helped the company navigate through the challenges facing the construction industry.
"To be quite frank, urban development has been steadily increasing, which means we're needed more than ever. Currently, we have about twenty different projects at various stages of development both in Finland and internationally, including sites in Helsinki and Mikkeli, as well as in Sweden, Germany and Denmark. Moreover, we're expanding our operations to the United States," she explains.
Bluet has long been calling for unified standards and regulations in floating construction. According to Sirola, obtaining building permits can sometimes take years, as each country has its own practices and there are no ready-made EU-level standards available.
"Often, the responsibility for construction and quality-related permit applications falls to us, requiring us to reconcile various standards and piece together a solution that meets both client and regulatory requirements. Furthermore, our constructions must stand the test of time," she reflects.
Sirola notes that there is widespread demand for floating construction standards. Bluet has even received enquiries about creating country-specific standards, though negotiations are only in their initial stages. Currently, the company operates under its own quality system, which is being updated with assistance from immigrant background students.
"We're participating in the EU-co-funded IMIB programme (Immigrants as Mentors for Internationalizing Businesses) implemented by three universities of applied sciences through 3AMK, where international students are conducting research to help update our quality system," she explains.
Sirola emphasises that the students' support has been invaluable. The necessary information is scattered across various sources and gathering it is time-consuming. IMIB programme students have created a framework of standards, which Bluet is incorporating into its quality system. The collaboration has been successful, and following a successful pilot, Bluet has continued its involvement with the IMIB network throughout the autumn.
Bluet has been assisted by university students Pankaj Kumar and Shivani Shree. Kumar, originally from India, is studying business at Haaga-Helia and holds a mechanical engineering degree from India. Shree, from Nepal, is pursuing construction information technology studies at Metropolia.
The IMIB programme, implemented by Haaga-Helia, Laurea and Metropolia Universities of Applied Sciences (3AMK), allows students to demonstrate their skills in the workplace under the guidance of university coaches and company mentors. Simultaneously, companies can get to know potential new employees.
"Students need good guidance and support from the work community. That's why our students primarily work at the Bluet office rather than remotely. Face-to-face interaction becomes increasingly important when working with students from more distant cultures. It's a learning journey where we have the opportunity to learn about cultural differences positively from both sides," she reflects.
Sirola explains that participating in the programme is a natural continuation of Bluet's previous collaboration with Haaga-Helia, which has included hosting students for their thesis work. She also considers helping immigrant background students find employment in Finland an extremely worthwhile goal that everyone should contribute to.
The Immigrants as Mentors project (IMIB), launched in January 2024, promotes the employment of immigrant background students and SIMHE clients by providing coaching and facilitating connections with Finnish companies.
Together, coaches, students, and domestic companies form the IMIB network, under which students can demonstrate their expertise by working on business-related challenges. For companies, the IMIB network offers low-threshold opportunities to meet potential employees.
Immigrants as Mentors is a project coordinated by Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, running from 1 January 2024 to 31 May 2026. Project partners include Laurea University of Applied Sciences and Metropolia University of Applied Sciences. The project is funded by the European Social Fund (ESF+) and the implementing universities.
For more information about the IMIB programme, visit: https://www.haaga-helia.fi/en/current/news/employment-prospects-international-students-finland-are-being-strengthened-imib
To learn more about Haaga-Helia's partnership programme, visit: https://www.haaga-helia.fi/en/haaga-helias-partner-collaboration
