The research carried out in the University of Art and Design Helsinki is highly versatile. The themes of research relate to the fields of design, art education, visual culture and audiovisual representation and digital media. Strategically the most important focus areas are in Design Factory, Media Factory and Service Factory. Further information about research projects and other activities is included in the research database, ReseDa.

TaiK is a leader in its research field. It attracts international researchers and doctoral students. Of its 202 doctoral students, 18 per cent are of other than Finnish nationality. Since 1991, over seventy Doctors of Arts (DA) have graduated. Further information about Doctoral Education at TaiK.

Research training is also given in two doctoral schools financed by the Ministry of Education. These are the Doctoral School of Audiovisual Media – ELOMEDIA and Design Connections Graduate School. 

Besides the schools, R&D projects are carried out in two units: Future Home Institute focuses on future living, and Designium, Centre of Innovation, aims  to promote the development of a national design policy and the internationalisation of Finnish design.