History

Foundation

At the end of 1979 the other Nordic countries took the initiative in founding a research institute for health care facilities in Finland. The issue of founding this institute came to the fore in 1982. Upon a proposal by Associate Professor Reijo Kekäläinen, the Research Institute for Health Care Facilities began operations in the Department of Architecture at Helsinki University of Technology (TKK) in 1983. At that time the research projects focussed on the modernisation and rearrangement of inpatient and outpatient health care facilities.

Upon an initiative by Professor Jaakko Laapotti, the research unit Sotera (abbreviation from the Institute's Finnish name) was founded in 1989 to continue the extended operations also in the field of social welfare technology and construction.

Activities

It was proposed that the researcher's post be transferred into Sotera; this took place in 1990. The post was, in succession, held by the following architects: Ms Kirsti Pesola, Mr Martti Teikari and Ms Pirjo Sipiläinen. The title of the post holder was changed into Research Manager on 1 September 2005.

The first head of the Institute was Mr Jaakko Laapotti who was succeeded by Mr Tuomo Siitonen, both professors of Housing Design in the Department of Architecture. The Board of Management is chaired by the representative of the Department of Architecture.

Mr Erkki Kivalo, Director General of the National Board of Health was called to chair the Consultative Committee of the Research Institute for Health Care Facilities. He was succeeded by Mr Matti Ruokola (Director General of the National Board of Health), Ms Vappu Taipale (Director General of the National Research and Development Centre for Welfare and Health) and Mr Eero Hokkanen (Director General in the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health). The Consultative Committee is currently chaired by Mr Jouni J. Särkijärvi, Director General in the Ministry of the Environment.

In the 1980s Sotera started co-operation with Japanese partners, and this co-operation is still going on. This co-operation includes a series of Finnish-Japanese seminars on Hospital and Welfare Architecture, and in the autumn of 2004 Sotera arranged the eighth seminar in Finland. In the 1990s the international co-operation extended to China and the Baltic countries.

Sotera is a member of HEMA (Healthcare Engineering, Management and Architecture) Research Group which was established in 2004. In 2004 Helsinki University of Technology underwent a rearrangement which also implied that Sotera moved from Otaniemi Water Tower into TUAS Building.

Bachelor's theses, doctoral dissertations, licentiate theses and Master's theses related to research projects are completed in the Institute.