Tekniikkaa yliopistosta teollisuuteen

Karl Axel Ahlfors (1874-1961) vesiturbiinien kehittäjänä 1900-luvun alkupuolella

Authors

• Sampsa Kaataja

Abstract

Article examines the professional career of Axel Ahlfors (1874–1961) who as a professor of Helsinki University of Technology was the pioneer of Finnish water turbine technology during the first part of the 20th century. In his work Ahlfors combined scientific-technical research, commercially oriented R&D and collaboration with industry. Thus, his case is an illustrating example of an early compound career where research and commercial activities where carried out side by side. Article aims at analysing how a compound career was executed in early 20th century Finland, and what kind of influences it had both on research and Finnish industry.