Are you all about science and technology? Would you like to develop your skills and use them to tackle the greatest challenges of our time? VTT might be just the place for you – apply now for VTT Summer of Changemakers 2026 traineeships! 

VTT is one of the leading applied research organisations in Europe. What unites us are curiosity, a passion for learning, and a purpose: to solve the biggest challenges of our time and turn them into sustainable growth and well-being. Our cross-disciplinary community of nearly 2400 brilliant minds from 60 different nationalities is focused on creating impact through science-based innovation. Now, we are looking for passionate changemakers – you – to join us as summer trainees.

Our last summer's trainees rated their summer job experience at VTT 4.8/5 in our summer job survey. Below are some excerpts from their feedback when asked how they would describe VTT as a workplace:

"I was impressed by how much responsibility and freedom I was given. I was trusted to work independently, but support was always available when needed."

"VTT is a professional, inspiring, and forward-looking workplace where practical impact is evident. The work community is skilled and open to new ideas."

"I found VTT versatile, innovative, and inspiring."

Do you want to be our next Research Trainee in our Advanced Materials for Nuclear Energy team? Join us - and let’s make science work for hope next summer!

As a Research Trainee, you will be playing an active role in the selection of suitable alloys based on corrosion performance for the development of thermal energy storage systems. You are expected to execute high-temperature corrosion tests in pressure vessels in our lab. You will also analyse electrochemical and microscopic data, write meaningful reports and present the findings to the stakeholders.  

Our Advanced Materials for Nuclear Energy team works on solving material performance issues of nuclear power and other sustainable energy industries. Our project portfolio includes international and local government-funded research projects, as well as fast-paced customer contracts. New focus areas of the team include additive manufacturing, long-term operation (LTO), small-modular reactors (SMR) technologies, seasonal heat storage systems, and nanomaterials in energy production.

What would your responsibilities as a Research Trainee include?

• Assemble and set up samples in high-temperature and pressure autoclave systems
• Execute electrochemical experiments to study corrosion behaviour and performance of alloys
• Collect and analyse the corrosion data
• Make concise presentations and report on the findings
• Safely handle chemicals and materials in the lab.

Who are we looking for?

• You are enrolled in an MSc in materials science or metallurgy program at the university.
• You have a good understanding of corrosion phenomena and/or electrochemistry through studies and coursework.
• You have experience and knowledge with electrochemical techniques like linear polarisation resistance (LPR) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and are eager to further develop these skills.
• You have knowledge about microscopic characterisation methods, especially scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and are interested in analysing samples with it for corrosion studies.
• You have prior lab working experience (e.g., from university courses) and can manage to work with chemicals and pressure systems safely.
• You have good English language skills.

As a person, we hope that you are:

• Adaptable and capable of working on a dynamic research project
• Curious and willing to perform research work with excitement
• Detail-oriented, who can perform experiments carefully and safely
• Possess good communication skills to report findings and results.

What would we offer you?

• Impactful work for the future. As a leading applied research organisation, we are on a mission to bring exponential hope to the world by joining together people, businesses, science and technology. We tackle the biggest challenges of our time – from climate change and resource sufficiency to industrial renewal and smart healthcare – and turn them into sustainable growth. Read more about our strategy – the path of exponential hope.
• Career opportunities, top-level mentors. At VTT, your skills are appreciated and supported with the opportunity to learn from the top experts in their field. You’ll get to discover our community of nearly 2400 experts representing 60 nationalities working across cutting-edge fields of science and technology.
• Meaningful projects, real responsibility. With us, you get to take on meaningful projects and create innovative scientific and technical solutions. We treat all employees as equals and give you real responsibility from the start. VTT is a caring employer that supports your growth and work–life balance and offers a range of well-being services.

What is it like to work with us solving the biggest challenges of our time? Check from the video what kind of experiences Aymara, Daniil, Eric and Isabella had from their summer traineeships and what kind of change did they drive.

Apply now and join our community of brilliant minds!

Come, curious minds and clever changemakers! Prepare your CV and cover letter, and send in your application with your transcript of records via our recruitment system as soon as possible but at the latest by 1 February 2026. Let’s change the world for the better next summer.

All VTT Summer of Changemakers traineeships are paid, and the salary is determined based on study credits: for Master's students, the monthly salary is between 2650€ and 2850€, and for Bachelor's students, the monthly salary is between 2150€ and 2450€. The typical duration of traineeships is between 3 and 6 months, with start dates usually falling between March and June; however, the length and the exact starting date can be discussed with the hiring team. 

Please read more of VTT Summer of Changemakers from here: https://www.vttresearch.com/en/summer-changemakers

Interested and want to hear more?

For further information, please contact Research Team Leader Mikko Vepsäläinen, tel. +358207226766 on 16 January at 9:00 - 11:00 or 28 January at 13:00 - 15:00 (UTC+2 Finnish time).

We will process applications as they come in and fill the position as soon as we find the right candidate. We will inform all applicants about the continuation of the process during February 2026. Most of the interview will be held in February-March, however, they can be started already during the application period. 

We look forward to hearing from you!