Projects

DNA replication is one of the major targets of cancer therapies, as cancer cells tend to proliferate faster than normal cells and are generally more prone to replication stress. Most of our current knowledge about DNA replication initiation, or origin firing, currently comes from model organisms, such as yeast, but their applicability to the human system is limited. It is important to study replication initiation in human cells in order to be able to exploit the findings in cancer therapies. The main objectives of this project are to identify novel players in various stages of human replication initiation and characterize the non-catalytic roles of DNA polymerase epsilon and protein Timeless in replisome assembly.

The NWoW4Net-Zero project specifically aims at leveraging new ways of working and work organisation driven by increased use of digital solutions as a way to contribute to EU-carbon neutrality ambition through a “tool box” and a training dedicated to HR Professionals. NWoW4Net-Zero project as well supports the development of future-oriented curricula which will upskill the HR professionals and enable them to become true agents of change in the organisations and societies working towards reduction of carbon footprint emissions and advocating for mobility choices.

Platform work constitutes the fastest growing segment of alternative work. While many problems (e.g. low wages, unfair treatment of workers) have been reported, the more existential question of worth has received scant attention. Other than providing an (extra) income and a flexible schedule, we know little of what makes platform work worth doing, and why. This is especially true for low-skill and low-status platform work such as ride-hailing or delivery work (often labelled as gig work). So why is gig work (e.g. driving for Bolt) considered work worth doing by those who have a choice? The project explores this from the theoretical perspective of account-making, focusing on how and why the workers themselves and the wider society justify their work as worth doing. A better grasp of a society’s account of why platform work is worth doing is essential in fostering a responsible platform economy, which is critical for the continued flourishing of Estonia's and EU's digital economy.

Estonian terminology for electronics is in use in both, universities and manufacturing companies. Translation of the texts related to the are provided by the translation agencies and the result is unsteady in its quality. Scientific publications are in English, while the amount of electronics-related modern literature in Estonian is rather small. Creation and preparation of new Estonian terminology are important for electronics-related literature writing, university textbook creation, and for supporting other, science popularization supporting activities. In relation to the fast development in the field of electronics, the terms are often dated. In relation to the fast emergence of large language models also concerning electronics, the terminology requires continuous systemization and renewal. In Thomas Johann Seebeck Institute of Electronics (Tallinn University of Technology), the Estonian terminology has been developed for decades – the goal of the established term committee is to continue this activity purposefully.

The purpose of the project is to investigate the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the Customer's product, woodchar. The customer produces charcoal in which the content of polycyclic aromatic substances exceeds the EC standard. The customer conducts an experimental search, during which it produces charcoal under selected conditions. The contractor analyzes the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the charcoal samples. The object of the project is to carry out pilot and industrial studies for the modernization of production technology to reduce the content of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. The contractor analyzes the coal samples according to the standard EVS-EN 17503:2022 Soil, sludge, treated biowaste and waste - Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) by gas chromatography (GC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC).

Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) has maintained very good relations with Germany for many years, manifested through active scientific exchange, joint EU projects, and collaborative scientific publications. This exchange is particularly active in the fields of "Digitalization" and "Sustainability," which hold special significance in the TalTech strategy. It is important to note that this exchange is not only one-sided, as is already known in the field of digitalization. The planned event brings together well-known German and Estonian institutions to discuss future research and exchange activities collaboratively. The focus of the project is on young Estonian researchers who will be introduced to the current state of science in Germany and made aware of contacts in Germany, as well as cooperation opportunities with Germany. Thus, the existing relationships are intended to be transferred to the young generation of Estonian scientists.

Innosteps roadmap concept analysis and compliance evaluation to innovation management quality standard ISO56001.

Demands on human managers seem ever-expanding: they must be able to lead in both virtual and in-person environments, foster psychological safety and avoid micromanagement, be algorithmically literate while in touch with their intuition, and, of course, adhere to high ethical standards. In practice, human managers often turn to smart machines for much-needed aid to meet all the demands placed on them. However, when machines are used to partially automate duties traditionally undertaken by human managers, a new, more- than-human management practice is born. Crucially, the characteristics of more-than-human management will reflect both the nature of human managerial work and the work of smart machines, as well as their synergies – making the outcome more than the sum of the parts. What is "good" and "bad" more-than-human management is, therefore, likely to significantly differ from what is “good” and “bad” human management. Accordingly, project M-BOT examines two pressing questions facing society in the next generation: (1) how smart machines and human managers work together, and (2) what kind of managerial work (e.g., how rich in skills, how wise in decisions) this generates, with the aim of building new general theory of more-than- human management. The project adopts a mixed-methods, three-phase approach of (1) hypotheses development through qualitative case research, (2) hypotheses testing through agent-based modeling, and (3) theory development through substantive and abstract mechanism-based explanations. As PI, I am uniquely prepared to undertake this project as part of my growing portfolio of high-impact, internationally recognized research on digital transformation and future of work, consisting of three cumulative areas: implications of work digitalization for (a) individual workers, (b) organizations, and (c) managers. I have ongoing research projects and publication pipelines in all three areas that help me prepare for project M-BOT.

A collaborative and creative atmosphere in the learning process, professional feedback/feed forward, beliefs based on the university's values and systematic self-reflection contribute to achievement of the development goals of the teaching staff and students of Tallinn University of Technology. The aim of this study is to find out: How the lecturer introduces the subject; How the lecturer refers to the learning outcomes and evaluation criteria; Which teaching methods are mostly used by teachers of STEM subjects: What is the average percentage of active learning methods used per lesson; What do students think about the active learning techniques used in the learning process; What is the standard teaching material distributed to students, what teaching material do students prefer; What is the experience of students regarding the involvement in the learning process; What kind of a didactic support does the lecturer need and want the most; What kind of support or help do students need (and want) the most in the learning process; What is the practice of giving feed forward/feedback for teachers, what for students; What examples of good learning and teaching practice can be pointed out in comparison with the top 10 technical universities in the world

In the recently completed ADRIENNE project, we assessed how alternative human uses either alone or combined with other pressures may affect diversity, ecosystem functioning and services in the highly utilized and sensitive transboundary waterbody of the Gulf of Finland. This plethora of evidence was then integrated into the PlanWise4Blue portal, capable of assessing interactive responses of sector-specific human-induced stressors on the Gulf of Finland ecosystem under different nutrient load management and climate change scenarios. In this capitalization and clustering project, we aim to maximize the results already achieved by the ADRIENNE project.