Program

Minister of Climate and the Environment Kai Mykkänen leads the Ministry of the Environment. Within the Finnish Government, he is responsible for matters related to the environment, construction and housing. These include climate policy, nature and water protection,preventing environmental pollution, circular economy, construction and land use, and housing policy. Minister Mykkänen is also responsible for matters covered by the Energy Department of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment.

Staffan Södergård is the Global Head of the Battery Manufacturing Business Unit at ABB Process Industries. He has over 15 years of experience in engineering, project execution, sales, and different senior managerial positions in both system and service businesses within the energy and industrial sectors.

Hanna Brännström is a Group Manager and Senior Scientist at Luke in the Biomass Fractionation Technologies group. Her research primarily focuses on utilizing forestry by-products, understanding how the supply chain influences the chemical composition of woody biomass feedstocks, and exploring the valorization of wood extractives for various high-value applications.

Antti Tieva is an experienced public procurement specialist and lawyer. He is CEO and founding partner of Hankintaratas Oy. Hankintaratas Oy is a consultative law firm which offers diverse procurement services around Finland.

Petra Maunula is the Vice President of People at Hycamite TCD Technologies Ltd., a deep-tech startup focusing on clean hydrogen and high-quality carbon. With over 20 years of experience in the chemical and technology industry, she has held various roles related to quality, recruitment, and competence development. In her current position, she is dedicated to building the team and fostering company culture. Petra is passionate about people, lifelong learning, meaningful work, and work-life balance.

Janne brings over a decade of experience in the chemical industry,specializing in project and portfolio management. He has successfully led large-scale projects, from initial feasibility studies to final commissioning and start-up. At Flexens, Janne’s role is to oversee mega projects and identify new business opportunities in the Power-to-X industry.

A former tax lawyer who transferred into the world of sustainability. Initially focusing on climate related matters, but has developed knowledge within the entire spectrum of sustainability while heading Boliden’s sustainability reporting. This year significant time has been dedicated to implementing the new EU directive CSRD and the ESRS.

Susan Kunnas is working as a Senior Scientist at Biomass characterization and properties group at LUKE. She has led several projects related to the natural product sector, value-added products, and quality management at the research-business interface. In particular, her recent research topics have been extraction and separation processes,bio-active compounds obtained from nature and their utilization in value-added products, such as textile coatings and cosmetics.

Olli Sipilä is the CEO of Gasgrid Finland, the transmission system operator responsible gas transmission system in Finland, as well as the builder of the national hydrogen infrastructure and markets. He is also a board member at several energy and hydrogen related institutions. Mr. Sipilä has previous experience for example from directing the Energy Consulting Business in Finland at ÅF Pöyry Management Consulting as well as strategy and transaction services for the energy sector in the Baltic Sea region. His background of over 20 years includes the entire value chain of the energy and capital-intensive industries and several processes aiming towards carbon neutral energy systems.

I’m a 24-year-old politician and student from Kokkola. I’m currently studying Regional and Municipal Governance at Tampere University.Apart from studying, I’m a member of the city board and the city council of Kokkola. I live my life between Kokkola, Tampere, and Turku, but there’s never any doubt that my heart and home lie in Kokkola.

Matt Cherevaty is currently Senior Vice President, Operations and Refining with Umicore NV’s Battery Materials Division and is responsible for all refining, pCAM and CAM operations and joint ventures globally.Prior to joining Umicore, Matt had a career spanning over two decades in the mining and metallurgy industry marked by dynamic roles and transformative achievements. Starting as a metallurgist in Inco Limited in2000, he ascended through roles of increasing responsibility in Sudbury and Thompson, Canada. His tenure at Vale SA included managing the Port Colborne Refinery complex and working in Corporate Development pioneering deals in cobalt streaming and joint ventures in HPAL and RKEF operations. Matt’s impactful leadership in business development and partnerships in Asia, particularly Indonesia, resulted in multibillion dollar investments and strategic alliances, notably securing Ford Motor Company’s involvement.

Dr. Johanna Kohl is the Director of the Circular Bioeconomy Research Programme at the Natural Resources Institute Finland. She actively collaborates on regional, national, and EU-level Bioeconomy and Circular Economy research and innovation topics. She has 25 years of experience in strategic foresighting. Current research portfolio in the Circular Bioeconomy Research Programme covers topics on optimizing nutrient cycles, getting added value and new products from bio-based main and side streams, and transition to circular bioeconomy.

Kaisa Kaapo is the new Executive Director of the Kokkola Industrial Park Association and has gained work experience in various leading expert positions at SOK, Finlayson Oy and Manna&Co. She has over 10 years of experience in designing, selections, purchasing, sales, conceptualizing and marketing well-known Finnish brands. In her new job, Kaisa is eager to develop and market the industrial area and her new hometown Kokkola.

Joonas Jukkola is the CEO and founder of Jukkola Systems Oy. JukkolaSystems is a Finnish company established in 2007, specializing inindustrial services, innovation, and energy efficiency. Under hisleadership, the company has become a trusted partner for the needs ofthe industrial and municipal sectors.

Dr. Marja Vilkman is a Principal Scientist at VTT, and she has worked with functional materials and their processing for more than 20 years. Marja is also the research chair of the Batteries Europe/BEPA Working Group of Raw Materials and Recycling. At VTT, she develops materials and processing methods for sustainable next generation batteries, such as solid-state batteries and batteries that use more abundant or even bio-based materials.

I work as the Chief Specialist for minerals policy at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland. My primary responsibilities involve participating in the strategic planning and preparation of key initiatives related to minerals policy, with a focus on the mining industry. Currently, one of my main tasks is coordinating the national implementation of the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act in Finland.

Mikael Staffas is the President and CEO of Boliden since 2018. He has been a member of the top management group at Boliden since 2011,first as CFO and then as President Business Area Mines. Mikael is the Chairman of GAF (Swedish federation of Mining Employers) and Deputy Chairman of Eurometaux (an umbrella association representing the interests of the combined non-ferrous metals industry in Europe), Industriarbetsgivarna and SveMin (industry association for mines, mineral and metal producers in Sweden). He is a member of the Board of International Zinc Association, International Copper Association, ICMM as well as member of the Executive Board and Board of Svenskt Näringsliv (the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise). Mikael is also a member of the Board of Kemira OY Before joining Boliden, Mikael was the CFO of the Swedish forest products group Södra and before that he was a Partner at McKinsey & Co in Stockholm, Munich and in Moscow. Mikael holds a MSc in Engineering Physics from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and an MBA from INSEAD in Fontainebleu, France. Mikael has a passion for travelling and he has so far visited 183 countries worldwide. Other interests are literature, history and orienteering. Except for fluent English, French and German, he also speaks fluent Russian.

Kaisa Hietala is an experienced business and sustainability executive who helps companies to transform the challenges of environmental megatrends into business opportunities and growth. Currently, Ms.Hietala serves on the Board of Exxon Mobil, Rio Tinto, SmurfitWestrock, and Tracegrow, a private Finnish circular economy company. She is the Founder and Chair of Greencode Ventures investing in digital green transition start-ups in Europe. Ms. Hietala holds a Master of Philosophy degree from the University of Cambridge, UK and a Master of Science degree from University of Oulu, Finland. In 2024 she was awarded an honorary doctorate on Technology by the University of Oulu.

Mr. Antalich is a seasoned entrepreneur and former CEO of ICC LabsInc. (TSXV), the first publicly traded company to sell cannabis to afederal government. He led ICC Labs to a successful $300 million sale to Aurora (TSX) in 2018, showcasing his ability to drive growth in emerging industries. With expertise across medtech, foodtech, and pharmaceuticals, he remains at the forefront of biotechnological innovation. Currently, he leads ETERNAL Bioworks, focusing on sustainable solutions and revolutionizing food systems. His work is dedicated to integrating technology and biology to address global challenges.

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.

I’m a passionate cosmetic expert with more than 30 years of experience in R&D. My main focus have been on finding new cosmetic active ingredients that deliver proven skin benefits. Recently I expanded my expertise onto product development, embedding sustainability thinking such as the principles on circular economy, aiming to trailblaze circular beauty.

Bruno Jamet is Director of Energy & Propulsion Programs: he supports innovation projects involving thermal, hybrid, battery-powered and hydrogen engines. He is totally techno neutral, and has led teams working on ICE’s, battery electric, fuel cell electric powertrains during his20 years experience. Since 2018, he organized or was involved in several business and innovation delegations to Korea, Japan, China,Germany… Finland… Previously he was Director of powertrain R&D department in Peugeot-Motorcycles, he graduated from IFP-School and ENSAM engineering schools in 2001. Bruno Jamet is leading this French delegation to Finland about batteries and hydrogen.

Eric FESTA leads business and projects development in TE H2, a JointVenture set up between TotalEnergies and Eren Group to develop largescale green hydrogen projects worldwide. Prior to this position, Eric ledthe Liquefied Natural Gas assets management and businessdevelopment teams at TotalEnergies. In his career at TotalEnergies, heheld various overseas positions in operations, engineering, M&A,strategy and general management. Eric received a MEng. from Frenchengineering school Centrale-Supelec and subsequently obtained aMaster from the French Petroleum Institute (IFP School) in Paris. Hewas a scientist in the Energy Lab at the MIT (USA) for two years beforejoining TotalEnergies.

Kimmo Tiilikainen has been working as Director General at GeologicalSurvey of Finland since beginning of June 2021. Previously he wasinvolved in politics: he acted as a Member of Parliament for 16 years,held several ministerial positions for five years, and for the last couple ofyears he was State Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Affairs and theMinistry of Finance. Combining environment and economy is one of hisguidelines both in work and private life, key elements being sustainabilityand circular economy. Kimmo Tiilikainen has worked towards thesegoals internationally. He was one of the EU’s Ministerial Negotiators ofthe Paris Agreement and signed it on behalf of Finland in 2016. He wasone of the facilitators in UNFCCC COP 24 when Paris Rule Book wasfinalized in Katowice 2018. As a Minister of Energy in Finland, heimplemented Finnish climate policy by promoting both renewable energyas well as coal ban. Tiilikainen has also acted as Vice President ofUnited Nations Environment Assembly 4 (UNEA4) 2017 – 2019. Since2022 Kimmo Tiilikainen has been a member of World Economic Forum’sGlobal Future Council and acts as a Chairman of the Board in theFinnish Forest Certification Council, PEFC Finland (Programme for theEndorsement of Forest Certification).

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.

Johannes Malkamäki is a Master of Biotechnology, an entrepreneur and a professional performer. With over 10 years of experience in public speaking, he is accustomed to engaging in a wide range of interactive situations. As a host, he combines his two strengths: his scientific educational background and his strong performance skills. Johannes has over ten years and hundreds of performances worth of experience in the corporate world. As a host, Johannes aims to blend credibility with a relaxed demeanor. He delves into the nature of the event and conveys its message convincingly and entertainingly

Ilkka Homanen is leading hydrogen and battery activities within Business Finland under Hydrogen and Batteries program umbrella. He has wide experience on international businesses in automation technologies, steel and machinery industries and renewable energy in listed companies, SMEs and startups. His education covers B.Sc. in Automation and Industrial Economics and MBA.

Hannele applies Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to study environmental impacts of food production systems. Her primary areas of focus encompass the assessment of carbon footprints, tracking international methodological developments in environmental assessment, and contributing to the harmonization of LCA methods to back up green claims. She collaborate closely with the agricultural sector, food industry,restaurants, and retail. Hannele’s research has spanned various aspects, such as studying the environmental impacts of different foodproducts, carbon footprints of meals and diets, consumers’communication needs of the environmental impacts of food, and facilitating the communication of sustainable production methods to farmers. She wants to drive the necessary transition in our food systems to ensure both consumption and production align with planetary boundaries.

An experienced researcher with a background in higher education,specializing in Research and Development (R&D) of polymer composites and Life Cycle Assessment. Holds a Doctor of Science (DSc) in Materials Science and a Master of Science (MSc) in Polymer Science (Chemistry), demonstrating a strong commitment to advancing the field.

M.Sc. Agriculture.

Kimmo Heponiemi (M.Sc.) is an experienced sustainability expert specializing in circular economy, material efficiency and resource efficiency. He has been working at Motiva since 2022 and has over 20years of experience in the process industry. Kimmo is a seasoned speaker and trainer, having shared his expertise with companies and other organizations at numerous events.

PHD in chemistry 2010, Switzerland Postdoc Max Planck Institute Stuttgart 2012 Habilitation at Helmholz Insitute Ulm Since 2017 at Umicore Position of a Senior Scientist, doing R&D work.

Juho Ollila is technology specialist in mining and metals sector. His specialties include copper, nickel and cobalt metallurgy, process simulation and battery recycling. His role includes participation to investment project development from conceptual studies to EPCM projects as well as due diligence studies of metal refining projects. He has experience from e.g. process development, piloting and cost estimation. Mr. Ollila holds M.Sc. in Metallurgy and has studied at Aalto University and TU Delft, specializing in hydrometallurgy and minerals processing.

I´m working in circular economy solutions unit as a group manager of waste group. My work is very versatile, including leading r&d projects,information exchange, networking and cooperation in circular economy and waste issues.

Sami Selkälä, Ph.D. in organic chemistry, is the founder of Innomost. Sami currently works as Chief Technology Officer at Innomost. Sami is experienced biobased business and products developer. Sami also has extensive experience in various fields of the chemical industry. For the past 8 years, Sami has been focused on developing a new type of business from birch bark, a side stream of the forest industry.

Markus Ekberg is a seasoned mining professional having over 40 years of experience in exploration, mine development, mine operation, and business development roles in Finland, Norway, Ireland, and Australia.His latest duties include Executive chairman at FinnCobalt Oy, non-executive director Endomines Oyj, and non-executive director Kupukan Grafiitti Oy. Previous assignments include Chief Executive Officer of gold mining company Endomines AB 2009- 2017, General Manager of theHitura nickel mine, Resident Manager of the Pahtavaara Gold Mine,Finland, Project Manager of Tara Mines Limited, Ireland, Project Manager for Outokumpu Mining Australia, and Mine Manager and Chief Mine Geologist at Nikkel og Olivin AS, Norway, Chief Geologist Bidjovagge Gold Mine Norway. Markus has an MSc in geology from Turku University 1985 and is a Eurogeologist and MAIG.

Markus’ latest project is the Kälviä Titanium mine project some 80 km SE from Kokkola. Kälviä Titanium project is an advanced-stage mine development project and has been subject to extensive exploration and economic evaluation over the years. More info:  www.tetraekberg.com

As CEO of the Port of Kokkola Torbjörn Witting is responsible for running of the Port of Kokkola, seeing to that all the Ports customers receives the optimal service and that all actors present on the port areas can operate safely and effectively every day. An important part of the job has been and still is to sustainably build the third port in Kokkola – the Silverstone Port and to enlarge&enhance service levels in the two other ports, Deep and General Port. All to maintain high diversity in operations and good capacity in Kokkola for the Ports existing customers and to facilitate the green transition highly visible in the Kokkola area. Witting has led the Port of Kokkola for 20 years and has 29 years of experience in the port trade.

Toni Kauppinen (M.Sc) is working on wide range of research on hydrometallurgical circular economy solutions for battery and industrial waste streams. He is currently finishing his PhD and developing technology to recover battery metals selectively.

Founder and CEO Jaakko Pellinen has university background in chemistry. Since university times he has been an entrepreneur and worked in industrial water treatment sector for 18 years. He has passions for business, nature, golf, and good food and drinks.

I am leading Biolat, a Latvian biotechnology company founded in 1993, specializing in the development and production of natural bioactive substances extracted from conifer trees. The company emerged from the Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava,” leveraging over 70 years of scientific research and expertise in forestry and natural compounds.

Enni Suonperä works as the Dam Safety Specialist at Boliden Kokkola, where she is responsible for ensuring the structural integrity and safety of the company’s process waste facility. As an experienced environmental geologist and project management professional, Enni brings expertise from the mining industry, waste management, and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). In her current role, she oversees the implementation of the Global Industry Standard on Tailings Management (GISTM), ensuring compliance with the latest international guidelines on dam safety. Enni thrives in environments where she can continuously expand her skills while working collaboratively with experts from diverse disciplines.