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 Quantum Algorithm and Software team? Join us - and let’s make science work for hope next summer! 

Our Quantum Algorithms and Software team works on all layers of the quantum stack to unlock the potential of quantum computing. On the lower layers, we develop novel error mitigation and quantum error correction protocols to suppress noise and enable reliable computation. This foundation supports our application-level research, where we translate real-world use cases into the quantum domain and solve them by investigating algorithms in quantum optimization and machine learning. To advance our work, we have the unique opportunity to use our 54-qubit superconducting quantum computer co-developed with IQM and hosted at Micronova in Espoo. 

As a research trainee, you'll support the development and testing of quantum algorithms across the quantum computing stack. Depending on your background and interests, your work will range from hardware-focused experimentation to algorithm and application development. You'll collaborate closely with the team to design and simulate quantum algorithms, run experiments on real quantum hardware, analyze data, and communicate your findings to the team. 

What would your responsibilities include?

As a research trainee, you will work closely with our team to advance ongoing research projects in quantum algorithms and software. Depending on your background, your work will lean more toward hardware-focused experimentation or algorithm and application development. You will have the opportunity to: 

• Develop a solid understanding of the research topic by exploring relevant literature, documentation, and existing software tools. 
• Implement and test quantum algorithms on simulators or real quantum hardware, depending on the project's needs. 
• Run experiments, collect results, and evaluate algorithmic performance under different noise conditions. 
• Analyze data, visualize key findings, and communicate your results clearly to the team. 

We're looking for someone who:

• Is currently studying quantum technology, physics, mathematics, computer science, or a closely related field at the bachelor’s or master’s level. 
• Is familiar with the fundamentals of quantum computing or quantum mechanics and is motivated to deepen their expertise. 
• Is comfortable writing scientific or prototype-level software in Python and working with software development tools such as Git and virtual environments. 
• Can independently learn new concepts and translate them into small experiments or code prototypes. 
• Values reproducibility, clear documentation, and effective communication within a research team. 
• Ideally has prior experience with quantum computing through coursework, a project, or research exposure: such as quantum algorithms, circuit compilation, error mitigation or correction, quantum machine learning, QPU design, or qubit characterization. 

As a person, we hope you are curious, motivated, and eager to take on new challenges. We value ambition and a willingness to learn over having all the answers from day one, and we appreciate team players who communicate well and want to make a positive impact. 

Even if you don’t meet all the requirements, we encourage you to apply! There are plenty of opportunities to grow, and we value diverse perspectives and motivated individuals who bring fresh ideas to the team. 

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 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, Francesco Cosco, Francesco.Cosco@vtt.fi, +358 20 722 4575 on 16.1.2026 at 15-16. 

We will process applications as they come in, and fill in 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!