VATT Director General to change – Mikael Collan returns to professor position at LUT University
+(1).png/2ae2ee63-1aa4-0323-5a5b-c6a314114244?t=1718107261383)
The Director General of National Institute for Economic Research VATT is changing. Mikael Collan, who has led the institute since 2021, is returning to LUT University as Professor of Strategic Finance in August. The five-year term of Director General of VATT will be opened for application at a later date. The Ministry of Finance will handle the recruitment.
+(1).png/76ba6c78-d9f3-10e3-02e1-50695660e190?t=1715601120506)
The Director General of National Institute for Economic Research VATT is changing. Current Director General Mikael Collan has resigned and is returning to his position of Professor of Strategic Financing at LUT University in Lappeenranta, from which he was on leave, on 1 August 2024.
Professor Collan has led VATT since the beginning of 2021, that is, for approximately three and a half years. There would have been roughly one year and a half left in his five-year term.
Collan, who launched several reforms at VATT, is satisfied with the changes that the institute has made during his term.
“In the last three years, we have significantly developed the operations of the research institute. We updated the VATT strategy and updated the institute's operating procedures almost completely, implemented information system reforms and digitalised our archives to a great extent, among others," explains Collan.
Data Room the most significant reform
Collan is particularly proud of the Data Room, which produces rapid data analysis and was established in 2022, in cooperation with Statistics Finland and Helsinki GSE. According to Collan, the Data Room creates the conditions to support rapid data-based decision-making in situations where it would otherwise be necessary to act on feel.
“From the taxpayer's perspective, the data room has proven to be an excellent investment. The Data Room has already paid itself back tenfold by enabling better decisions and better implementation of decisions. The Data Room has created clear added value for VATT,” says Collan.
Strong research institute
VATT is a research institute that produces data-based studies and economic analysis, and its research unit focuses on microeconomic research in public finances. VATT’s Data Room has just received long-term funding in the General Government Fiscal Plan. The institute operates under the Ministry of Finance, and it employs approximately 60 people, most of whom are PhD-level researchers.
When Collan took the position of Director General, the coronavirus pandemic was at its height.
“It was a time of significant uncertainty. However, VATT was able to keep up its high-quality research and keep our finances in balance. We also joined the Tulanet network, developed our external communications, and our operations expanded with the new Data Room unit. This spring, we were very pleased to see the news of the research institutes’ shared post-doc programme," lists Collan.
To Collan, the future of VATT is bright, despite the government's savings programme.
“Continuous development of cooperation across sectors of government, as well as the monitoring of research meaningfulness and timeliness are both important. This, too, is a way for the Data Room to opens new doors.”
During the summer holiday season, VATT operates within normal substitute practices. Tuulia Hakola-Uusitalo, PhD in Political Science, will act as Collan’s substitute.
The five-year term of Director General of VATT will be opened for application at a later date. The Ministry of Finance will handle the recruitment.
Further information:
Mikael Collan, Director General
[email protected]
+358 29 551 9401
Anne Moilanen, Director of Communications (substitute)
[email protected]
+358 50 502 0155
Mikael Collan
Mikael Collan
News
Uutiset ja tiedotteet
