The Maritime Logistics Research Center of Satakunta University of Applied Sciences is a partner in the NEMO CEF project, which develops the Finnish maritime information management system NEMO. The NEMO CEF project studies the development of the NEMO process before and after deployment. The SAMK team of experts will study pilot cases, develop sustainability indicators and actively interact with different stakeholders in the maritime transport ecosystem.
Projects often require a wide range of experts who together form a multi-disciplinary team – this is also the case for the NEMO CEF project. The project team is made up of experts from different backgrounds and educational backgrounds, who combine their knowledge and experience to deliver the project. The multi-disciplinary team was formed in the same way as in any team dynamics. At the beginning, the team went through a familiarization phase, where the situation was explored and assessed. This was followed by a period of some experimentation, where roles and internal team dynamics were sought. It was important to move quickly from this to the working phase, which is crucial to the implementation of the project.
The implementation of the NEMO CEF project and team building is already well and truly underway. The project team is composed of professionals from different fields who combine their know-how and experience in the implementation of the project. The team’s educational background ranges from bachelor’s degrees to doctors and a docent/adjunct professor, allowing them to draw on a wide range of expertise in different areas of the project. The team members originally come from different parts of Finland and the world: Kuopio, Pori, Eura, Helsinki, Uusikaupunki and Roskilde in Denmark. Diversity and chemistry have been well matched in the project, which has led to the following observations in building a good multi-disciplinary team.
Recruitment is a critical step in building a multidisciplinary team. It is important to find people who not only have the necessary expertise, but also the willingness and ability to work as part of a diverse team. The most challenging part, however, is assessing how the chemistry of the talent will meet in practice. Therefore, the recruitment process should emphasize not only technical skills, but also soft skills such as interpersonal and collaboration skills. Soft skills are therefore key to ensuring smooth communication, constructive conflict resolution and the achievement of a common goal.
The key to the success of a multidisciplinary project team is to define the project’s objectives. The objectives must be clear, measurable and realistic. At the beginning of the NEMO CEF project, it was important to take time to define common goals and to ensure that everyone understood their role and responsibilities in the overall project. Clear lines of responsibility ensure that skills are used effectively. The NEMO CEF is a large-scale project, running until June 2026, and everyone will be able to draw on their own strengths, but also learn new things. The cooperation is based on mutual trust and respect, which allows for open interaction and the use of each team member’s strengths.
Effective communication is the backbone of any project, but it is particularly important in multidisciplinary teams. A clear and open communication culture helps team members to share knowledge, brainstorm together and solve challenges effectively. Every team member needs to feel that his or her contribution is valued and listened to. Minna Keinänen-Toivola is the project manager at NEMO CEF and has been involved in the project since the application phase.
– At NEMO CEF, we are more than the sum of our parts. In a multi-disciplinary team, everyone’s perspective is taken into account. It is very important to disagree and discuss issues in an open and constructive spirit, she says.
The human resource dimension of the project is a great enrichment; learning and knowledge sharing happens all the time.
– Multi-disciplinary skills from different roles and different professional ranks, and an open and understanding team attitude, create cohesion. Each member of the team has a duty, in addition to the so-called ”freedom of inquiry”: to respect and value others, because in human relations everything starts with communication. It is the basis of everything, to listen and to be heard. It has been wonderful to discover, after many years of experience on board ship, that even in land-based jobs you can experience a bit of the same “we” spirit as when you are at your best on board, in a small group, in a certain way isolated from others. But there is a difference, you can go home to sleep after a long day, says Mika Lindfors, researcher at NEMO CEF.
The multidisciplinary team built up during the project is a unique entity that may never be formed in the same way again. After the project is over, team members often continue to work on different projects and in different roles. The aim and hope is that the time spent together will be fruitful and full of personal development and enjoyment. At NEMO CEF, a multi-disciplinary team has been built up naturally, working together with enthusiasm to achieve common goals.
– Team enthusiasm and working together are the keys to both performance and enjoyment at work, says researcher Kati Renholm.
Authors: Markku K. Hänninen, Minna M. Keinänen-Toivola, Kati Renholm and Mika Lindfors
The authors are working as researchers in the NEMO CEF project at SAMK’s Maritime Logistics Research Center in different positions.
Photo: Heikki Koivisto
Translation from Finnish to English is done with DeepL tool.