Forum of Material Future

Mikko Salo leads Kemianteollisuus ry, whose mission is to promote the competitiveness and operating conditions of the chemical industry and its related sectors in Finland. The federation has 350 member companies who comprise 20 per cent of Finland´s export of goods. Salo is an experienced interest organisation and business leader having served in various executive positions in different sectors and businesses. He has been a co-founder of two startup companies and has served in several positions of trust in various fields.

Päivi Nerg serves as State Secretary at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry and the Ministry of Education and Culture. As State Secretary, Nerg assists and represents the ministers providing political guidance and advising in the policy preparation. She has extensive experience in central government administration, having served as Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior and as Under-Secretary of State for Administrative Policy at the Ministry of Finance. In addition, she has worked in academic administration, the meat industry, and in advocacy for agriculture and forestry at The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners.

Joonas Mikkilä is an experienced public affairs and government relations professional specialising in the intersection of technology, policy, and politics at both the national and EU levels. At Technology Industries of Finland, he focuses on technology policy, the data economy, and digitalisation, with the aim of strengthening the competitiveness of Finland’s technology sector. He also coordinates the organisation’s Semiconductor Branch Group and leads its work on critical digital technologies.

Managing Director of Umicore Finland, Chairman of the Finnish Battery Industries Association, Board Member at Geological Survey of Finland. Mining engineer by education with nearly thirty years of work experience in the industry. Father of three wonderful University students and future talents.

Ulla Lassi is professor of the University of Oulu at the Kokkola university Consortium Chydenius, and the Head of Research Unit of Sustainable Chemistry (~ 80 employers). Her research area is inorganic material chemistry in industrial applications, especially battery chemicals with over 300 publications and 7 patents. As a professor, she has supervised 36 PhD theses and 160 M.Sc theses, and been principal investigator of over 40 research projects. She has also several positions of trust.

Kåre Björkstrand is the CEO of Viexpo. Viexpo is a versatile partner for Finnish export companies.
Viexpo helps Finnish companies in planning of exports and export activities and in finding possible financing solutions for these export activities.

As Mayor of the City of Kokkola, Stina Mattila is responsible for the strategic management of the City Group. She manages, supervises and develops the city’s administration and economy under the City Board. Stina Mattila has led the City of Kokkola since 2016 and she has 20 years of experience from managing municipal administration.

Jonne Sandberg is the Development Director of the city of Kokkola, whose aim is to make Kokkola an even more attractive and vibrant place to live, work and visit. Sandberg has been involved in numerous city development initiatives and projects and has cooperated with local companies, residents, and other stakeholders.

After graduating with a Master’s degree in Chemistry from the University of Oulu in spring 2025, Julia returned to her hometown, Kokkola. She began her career at Hycamite as a thesis worker and continued working in the R&D team after graduation. As a Junior Scientist, she works on developing carbon materials for different applications. What really keeps her going is the sense of purpose she gets from knowing that her work plays a role in the transition towards a more sustainable future.

Mira Valkjärvi is a circular economy and sustainability enthusiast who is working at Centria University of Applied Sciences as research, development and innovation specialist. She is also completing her PhD on pioneering circular companies at the University of Turku, School of Economics. While regenerative business research are her current passions, she also has experience in entrepreneurship ranging from innovation development, pitching and startup life. Her biggest dream is to inspire others to take positive action for a better and sustainable future.

As Relationship Manager at the City of Kokkola, Nora Birkman Neunstedt works with industrial development, investment promotion and regional collaboration. She is closely involved in strengthening Kokkola’s position as one of Finland’s key industrial hubs and in advancing the city’s long-term attractiveness for business, industry and sustainable growth.
Her work includes the development and promotion of Kokkola’s industrial ecosystem, including the Kokkola Industrial Park and other strategic industrial initiatives in the region. She also serves as Chairperson of Kokkola Material Week, helping to shape the event as a platform that highlights the region’s industrial expertise, innovation and future opportunities.
Nora holds a Master of Political Sciences, specialising in Conflict Resolution, Negotiation and Peace.

Petri Jäntti works as an RDI specialist in Centria University of Applied Sciences’ low-carbon energy research group. His work focuses on biogas, waste heat utilization, and circular economy solutions. The work emphasizes practical development in cooperation with companies and project partners. He is particularly interested in how energy and material flows can be utilized more efficiently from the perspective of industry and regional systems.

Jouko Nuottila is a postdoctoral researcher at the Faculty of Law, University of Lapland where he was one of the founding coordinators of the Law, Technology and Sustainability Transitions research group. Before joining academia, he worked in the technology industry for 12 years and later completed a doctoral degree in Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Oulu. His research interests focus on law and management, and he currently leads a project at the University of Lapland on the battery circular economy, with a particular focus on regulation.

Paula Erkkilä is the CEO of the Ostrobothnia Chamber of Commerce (Pohjanmaan kauppakamari), where she leads the organization’s work in strengthening the competitiveness and growth of businesses in the Central Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia regions. She works closely with companies, public decision-makers, and stakeholders to promote a competitive business environment, internationalization, skills development, and sustainable economic growth.

With extensive experience in business development, stakeholder engagement, and strategic leadership, Paula is a strong advocate for collaboration between industry, education, and the public sector. She is a frequent speaker on topics including regional competitiveness, the future of work, leadership, and the evolving needs of businesses in a rapidly changing global economy.

Suvi Veräjänkorva is a business development manager with 20+ working experience focused on overall business and technical concept development with partnership and collaboration. She works as development manager at Gasgrid, Finnish Transmission System Operator, developing the hydrogen and other transmission networks with focus in the Oulu-Kokkola region.

Brightplussalla yhdistän teollisuuden ja tutkimuksen pilotointihankkeiksi. Olen työskennellyt kehitys- ja tuotannonjohtotehtävissä mäntyöljy-, sellu- ja muurahaishappoteollisuudessa, ja arvostan suomalaista ja pohjoista luontoa.

I’m a master’s student in chemistry at the University of Oulu. I worked in a project where the goal was to find practical ways to use hydrogen and biogas in making chemicals. I’ll be sharing some of our team’s findings at KMW, focusing specifically on biogas-based hydrogen production and the synthesis of commodity chemicals ammonia and methanol.