RYTS Slam 2026: Call for abstracts open until 20 November
RYTS turns 100! Celebrate with us, present your research in seven minutes or less, and compete for a €500 prize.
The Finnish Society of Built Environment Research (RYTS) turns 100 this year, and we’re celebrating with a Science Slam evening. RYTS and the Nordic Journal of Surveying and Real Estate Research (NJSR) invite researchers, practitioners and anyone interested in the built environment to present their research, projects or ideas. The evening brings people from research, design and practice together in a relaxed setting.
What is a Science Slam?
At a Science Slam, you explain your research briefly, clearly and entertainingly, in everyday language. The format is up to you. Storytelling, images, videos and props are all welcome, as is a conventional talk. The aim is to give a short, engaging presentation that makes your subject accessible to a broad audience.
At the end of the evening, a panel of experts will award a €500 prize to the most compelling presentation. The evening is above all a chance to meet people, build connections and share ideas.
Practical information
- When: Wednesday, 2 December 2026, 18:00–20:30
- Where: Winecellars, Kalevankatu 9, Helsinki
- Talk length: up to seven minutes
- Language: Finnish or English
Submit your abstract to lassi.tahtinen@aalto.fi by Friday, 20 November 2026.
Your abstract is a short description of your talk. It can be written in everyday language.
Abstract (up to 200 words)
Include at least the following:
- Title
- What research, idea or phenomenon will you talk about?
- Why is it important or timely for the built environment?
- Who might be interested in your talk? Examples include residents, urban planners, real estate investors and decision-makers.
Tips
- Explain why your topic is interesting and keep the research methods in the background.
- Write clearly and use everyday language.
- Work in progress is welcome. The idea matters most.
- Bold and original approaches are welcome.
Previous events
Read on to meet the speakers, winners and panellists from previous RYTS Science Slams.
RYTS Slam 2025: Ideas, insights and inspiration
On 3 December 2025, RYTS Slam brought together researchers, professionals and friends of the built environment at Wine Cellar. The evening featured six lively, concise talks on current research. A panel of built environment experts judged the talks and selected the winner of the €500 prize.
2025 speakers and talks
- Winner: Digital twin for stopping winter nutrient surges — Abubaker Omer
- History of parking policy — Maria Käpyvaara
- Built environment public policy as a puzzle — Thu Pham
- Futures studies and real estate valuation — Lasika Munasinghe
- Social sustainability in land policy — Petja Peltoranta
- Circular economy in residential real estate investment — Dulani Ramanayake
Expert panel
- Sini Saarimaa (Building Information Foundation, Research Director)
- Jussi Vimpari (Apex Heat, winner of RYTS Slam 2019)
- Olli-Pekka Mustonen (Danske Bank, Head of Valuation)
- Ilppo Soininvaara (City of Helsinki, Lead Specialist, Urban Environment Division)
RYTS and the Nordic Journal of Surveying and Real Estate Research (NJSR) organised RYTS Slam 2025 with support from the Finnish Association for Scholarly Publishing. Thank you to the speakers, panellists and audience. Evenings like this show the value of collaboration between research and practice in shaping real estate and urban development.
RYTS Slam at the Night of Science on 25 January 2024
RYTS Slam took place as part of the Night of Science in January 2024.
2024 speakers and talks
- Aino Ruohola (Aalto University): Interdisciplinary research on the built environment
- Ryo Umeda (University of Helsinki): Threat or opportunity? Japan’s hometown tax donation system at the intersection of regional development and the platform economy
- Babak Firoozi Fooladi (Aalto University): Time limit. Is it an effective way to encourage construction?
- Marika Ventovuori (Aalto University): How urban renewal measures affect residential mobility
- Olga Penkkilä (Aalto University): Oversight of real estate purchases from abroad
The third RYTS Slam took place on 8 June 2022
The third RYTS Slam took place at Paasitorni in Helsinki on 8 June 2022 as part of the Surveying Days. Eight doctoral researchers presented their work, giving the audience a range of perspectives on the built environment. A panel of experts assessed the six-minute talks and faced a difficult choice in awarding the €500 main prize.
Mikko Airikkala of Aalto University won with “Foresight in regional and community development”. The panel praised his clear structure and his concise explanation of the need for and value of the research. Saara Pyykkö received an honourable mention for the originality of her talk “How should we choose colours for a new residential area?” The panel emphasised that every talk was engaging and raised important issues in built environment research.
Light refreshments helped create a relaxed atmosphere. The talks drew an interested audience whose questions could easily have kept the discussion going longer.
Speakers and talks
- Adekola Oluwafemi, Aalto University: Understanding land management institutional arrangements in sub-Saharan Africa region
- Annamari Kiviaho, Aalto University: Real estate markets in shrinking cities
- Antti Seppälä, Aalto University: Futures awareness in real estate development decisions
- David Flood, University of Helsinki: #kalasatama: Discursive views of the Helsinki skyline through the virtual window
- Humphrey Kalanje, University of Helsinki: There Ain’t No Black in The Finnish Flag: Race, Ethnicity and Planning in Helsinki
- Mikko Airikkala, Aalto University: Foresight in regional and community development — lessons from the PERUS-SKENE project
- Petri Kangassalo, Aalto University: 3D planning support system for collaborative urban planning
- Saara Pyykkö, Aalto University: How should we choose colours for a new residential area?
Expert panel
Chair: Arvo Kokkonen, Director General, National Land Survey of Finland
Panel members
- Aarne Mustakallio, Senior Director, JLL
- Anssi Krooks, Director, Proxion
- Ari Laitala, Editor-in-Chief, Maankäyttö
- Pauliina Krigsholm, Postdoctoral Researcher, Aalto University
Thank you to the speakers, the expert panel and the audience for a wonderful event!
RYTS Slam 2019
The 2019 event took place at Winecellars in Helsinki.
Programme for 23 October 2019
- 17:30 Sparkling wine and savoury refreshments
- 18:00 Presentations
- 19:30 The expert panel discusses the talks and announces the winner of the €500 prize
Expert panel
- Henrik Suikkanen, Senior Consultant, Demos Helsinki
- Tero Lehtonen, COO, JLL Finland
- Elina Eskelä, Planner, City of Helsinki
- Lauri Pulkka, Project Manager, Research & Digitalization, Newsec
- Tiina Laatikainen, Postdoctoral Researcher, Aalto University (2018 Science Slam prize winner)
Petri Korpinen, Executive Director at the National Land Survey of Finland, hosts the evening.
Presentations
Keynote: Ana Jones, Finland Futures Research Centre (FFRC), Urban Green Futures Podcast
- Pyry Kettunen, Finnish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI), National Land Survey of Finland: From calling out on the shore to listening on screen — building a collaborative platform for geospatial information across devices
- Jussi Vimpari, Aalto University: Real Estate Power Purchase Agreements – Financing a Renewable Energy System
- Sanna Lehtinen, University of Helsinki: The changing beauty of the city
- Pauliina Krigsholm, Aalto University: Towards the cadastral system of the future
- Anna Kajosaari, Aalto University: Mapping physical activity with Public Participation GIS
- Jani Tartia, Tampere University: On the rhythm of public space
The first Science Slam in 2018
The first Science Slam on the built environment took place in autumn 2018. Read the Maankäyttö article Finland’s first Science Slam on the built environment (in Finnish).