Sustainable RDI Capability – Participatory Development Skills at Individual Level

RDI capability is viewed broadly, not only as knowledge and expertise, but also as motivation, attitude, and the ability to apply knowledge in practice. The project develops open-access online learning materials that compile and complement information on RDI capability, making it widely accessible and easy to utilize.

Finland’s R&D&I (Research, Development and Innovation) intensity has declined since its peak years, and the R&DI activity of small and medium-sized enterprises has not translated into productivity growth. Individuals need support in identifying, developing, and utilizing their expertise. Expertise often remains hidden or scattered, which hinders strategic expertise management and the growth of R&D&I capabilities.

The Responsible R&D Capability project addresses four key challenges that threaten the achievement of Finland’s R&DI goals: 1) the broad participation required to meet the set R&D target of 4% of GDP and to increase regional R&D intensity, 2) the decline in cooperation among people in the workforce, 3) a lack of sustainability-related expertise in RDI activities, and 4) difficulties in identifying and utilizing expertise in the workplace.

The project’s main objective is to improve participants’ professional skills as sustainable RDI experts.

The project will bring about a significant change in the development of R&D, innovation, and sustainability expertise in the region by integrating these areas into an individual-centered approach focused on employees’ capacity for continuous learning. Previous projects have focused on developing expertise at the organizational and corporate levels, but now the emphasis is shifting to identifying, developing, and leveraging individual capabilities as part of workplace skills. R&D&I capability is viewed broadly, not only as knowledge and expertise, but also as motivation, attitude, and the ability to apply that knowledge. The project is developing open online resources that compile and supplement information on R&D&I capability, making it widely accessible and usable.

Cooperation among different stakeholders is strengthened by creating a shared assessment and training model to develop responsible R&D capabilities. This increases employees’ readiness for change and their ability to leverage competency data. A new set of metrics is being developed to measure employee-level capabilities, not just skills, thereby supporting holistic development.

Sustainability expertise is integrated into RDI capabilities, ensuring it does not remain a disconnected strategic measure but becomes embedded in employees’ daily work processes. This supports individuals’ career development, resilience, and well-being, while promoting equality and inclusion in the workplace. At the same time, it gives rise to new methods and solutions that support competitiveness and innovation.

In addition, the project improves the ability of the working population to identify and utilize their skills. The fragmentation of skills data will be addressed by developing models that integrate information from various sources. Digital competency badges and competency portfolios make informal learning visible, enhance an individual’s value as an employee, and increase a positive attitude toward learning as well as workplace well-being.

Centria’s Role in the Project

Centria University of Applied Sciences serves as the lead partner of the project and is responsible for project coordination, administration, steering group operations, and the organization of project meetings. Centria contributes its extensive expertise in research, development and innovation (RDI) as well as its versatile development and innovation environments to support the project’s objectives. Centria is responsible for developing indicators and measurement tools for responsible RDI capability, collecting research data, organizing workshops, developing and piloting training pathways, and reporting and evaluating the project results. Centria’s experts participate in the planning, organization, and implementation of the pilot activities, as well as in the evaluation of the results and the formulation of learning objectives for the competence badges developed on the basis of the pilot outcomes. In addition, Centria implements communication activities in accordance with the project communication plan, ensuring effective dissemination of project outcomes and engagement with stakeholders. Through the Responsible R&D Capability project, Centria responds to the needs of regional businesses to strengthen their sustainability and RDI competencies. External RDI funding enables collaborative development within networks and allows the project partners to address identified needs that cannot be met through the university of applied sciences’ core funding alone.

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