VTT helps its customers identify and anticipate new business opportunities, improve their competences and develop their operations in a versatile manner, as shown by the 2022 customer impact survey. More than 90% of the respondents said that the projects met their objectives.
According to the survey, the overall assessment given by customers to VTT remained on a very high level (4.2), although it decreased slightly from the previous year (4.4). The survey scale is 1–5, where 1 is poor and 5 excellent. The overall assessments of all background groups were also very good, and the difference between VTT and its competitors remained clear.
“Applied research is always conducted for the customer, and VTT's goal is to create impact for them and society. I’m therefore very pleased with the results,” says Marko Koistila, Executive Vice President of Commercial Operations at VTT. “Our work focuses on customers and that they benefit from cooperation with us. We act independently with commitment to responsible conduct of research. We help customers solve challenges and create new business in a sustainable manner. Innovations happen and solutions are put into practice when researchers and company experts join forces.”
The customers achieved the benefits they sought very well. Above all, they expect cooperation projects to strengthen their competences, open new business opportunities and opportunities to develop new products as well as improve sustainability and corporate responsibility.
Most of the respondents have already utilised the project results or will utilise them in the near future. If the results have not yet been utilised, the most common reason is that the project has been future-oriented and requires further development.
VTT has a wider impact on society and business life through projects
According to the customers, the most important reasons for choosing VTT as a partner are high-quality and broad-based expertise, VTT’s facilities and equipment portfolio and previous good experiences. VTT’s location in Finland was also viewed positively. One third of the respondents had not considered any other options.
Investments and new recruitments are not the most common goals set by customers for their projects, but the survey shows that VTT also has a positive impact on them. Through them, VTT's impact extends to Finnish business life in a broader and long-term manner: the average size of the realised investments was EUR 400,000, and on average, four new employees were hired as a result of the projects if the project led to recruitments.
The negative properties associated with VTT remained fairly unchanged: VTT is perceived as pricey, and certain areas of expertise are missing. Despite the price perception, customers feel that they get value for money from VTT's projects.
“We will continue to strive to understand the needs and strategies of customer companies so that we can create real impact for our customers – and thus more broadly for society. The customer experience will keep developing at the same time,” Marko Koistila says.
How the survey was carried out
The VTT customer impact survey is conducted annually as a telephone interview. A total of 154 customers responded to the survey in autumn 2022, of whom 134 were Finnish and 20 were foreign. Companies accounted for two thirds of the respondents and companies of all sizes were represented: one third had a turnover of less than 10 million, one third more than one billion and the rest in between.
The survey covered projects that had ended at least one year and no more than two years before the survey was conducted. This allows the companies to see the actual impacts of the projects better than if the survey was carried out immediately after the project has ended.
The survey was conducted by Feelback Oy.
