PoDoCo is established to create new jobs for postdocs. The aim of the PoDoCo program is to promote academic research supporting long term competitiveness and strategic renewal of Finnish companies, and the employment of young doctors in industry. PoDoCo brings together doctoral researchers and companies and offers researchers funding for academic research of strategic importance to Finnish companies.

PoDoCo program is aimed for doctors who have recently completed or will soon complete their doctoral degree. There are no limitations regarding the branch of science or branch of industry. Instead PoDoCo program is aimed for all branch of industries and all disciplines, e.g. natural sciences, engineering and technology, medical and health sciences, agricultural sciences, social sciences and humanities (OECD, Field Of Science And Technology Classification).

PoDoCo program is funded by PoDoCo foundation pool and companies participating in the program. For a PoDoCo researcher the program offers a research period followed by a targeted research period lasting all together 1-2 years. PoDoCo foundation pool offers research grants for the research period. After the research period the company hires the Post doc to deepen the research results and to create company specific insight. The result is a win-win situation where academic research is supporting the long term competitiveness and strategic renewal of Finnish companies and doctors get industrial experience.

The idea for PoDoCo was developed by Professor Yrjö Neuvo. PoDoCo started in 2015.