Towards a Sustainable Future

I am Julia Engström, the Process development and engineering manager for cathode production at Northvolt. I started in Northvolt 5 years ago, when we were still a company without industrial assets and with less than 150 employees. Having grown with the company, I am now together with my team of process engineers responsible for industrialising existing and new cathode chemistries into large scale giga-factories. I am mostly hands deep into the start-up and ramp-up of first cathode production in Northvolt, while also covering, together with my team, the design of new and coming factories.

Benjamin Haycraft is the Executive Vice President of the EMEA region for Plug where he oversees business initiatives and operations in Europe, Middle East and Africa to accelerate the company’s growth. Mr. Haycraft joined Plug in May 2021 as Vice President of Strategy & Business Development in Europe. In that role, he helped define and execute Plug’s European strategy and contributed to Plug’s European initiatives, including the JVs with Renault (Hyvia) and Acciona Energia (AcicionaPlug), the acquisition of Plug’s system solutions group, the first green hydrogen plant in Europe, and broadly identifying strategic partnerships and structuring acquisitions.

MBA Lea Pellinen is an experienced HR professional with over twenty years of working career in chemical industry, currently working as an HR Manager in Umicore Finland Oy. In addition, she is a member in several committees, e.g. in Chemical Industry. One of Lea’s main focuses at the moment is attracting new workforce to the area and for the company, as well as keep the current skilled workforce.

Responsible for Cleantech Foreign Direct Investments into Finland as part of Business Finland Invest In organisation. – Passionate to work with companies developing business with solutions combating climate change in sustainable way. – Focus on clean energy production, batteries, hydrogen and derivatives value chain and large scale industrial projects.

Tom Van Bellinghen joined Umicore in 2009 as the Marketing & Sales Director taking care of Umicore´s Rechargeable Battery Materials business. In 2012 he became also responsible for raw material purchasing and since 2019 he’s focusing his time on managing the relationships with OEM’s worldwide and the global marketing responsibility for the Umicore rechargeable battery materials. Previously, Tom was a business Development Manager at Intel, and the Country Manager Benelux for Flir Systems. Tom Van Bellinghen holds a Master of Science degree in Electromechanical Engineering from the Catholic University of Leuven and obtained a degree in Business Administration from the Leuven Graduate School for Business Studies.

Aleksi Salo is Team Manager in the Mineral Economy Solutions Unit at the Geological Survey of Finland GTK. Before his career at GTK, Aleksi worked in near mine exploration and resource drilling programs in the mining industry, both in underground and open pit operations. As Team Manager, Aleksi is responsible for customer relations and project generation. His project background includes critical mineral evaluation for the EC and project management for the Koillismaa Deephole. Aleksi`s main research interests are the different aspects of utilization of mineral resources from research to national strategy and policies.

Taina Kamppuri is working as a research team leader in team called Textile and nonwoven materials. The team is part of Sustainable products and materials business area at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. Her research activities have included topics ranging from cellulose based textile fibres, nonwoven processing and other technical applications for textile fibres. Recently, she has focused on development of sustainable nonwovens and circularity of textiles.

Internationally experienced Educator with a demonstrated history of working in the Education Export Business. Currently working as the Talent Boost Coordinator at Centria UAS. Team member in the Work-Life and Career Services.

D.Sc. (Tech.) Hannu Johto works as Battery Industry lead in Sweco Finland coordinating projects and development in the field of battery value chain inside the company. Before joining Sweco, he have been in various positions in metallurgical industry in the field of base metals production, metallurgical process development and process engineering in the field of nickel, copper and precious metals extraction and recycling.

Pia Vilenius is the CEO of the Finnish Battery Industries (Akkuteollisuus ry). She has been working with companies in the battery value chain for the past 3 years, promoting Finnish companies and their needs for a competitive business environment. She also works for the Finnish Chemical Industry Federation, where she has been looking after the companies’ interests especially in the field of bioeconomy and circular economy for the past 17 years.

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.

Elina Pylkkänen on työllisyysasioista vastaava alivaltiosihteeri Työ- ja elinkeinoministeriössä. Hän koulutukseltaan taloustieteen tohtori. Nykyistä tehtäväänsä ennen hän on toiminut kansainvälisissä ja kotimaisissa tehtävissä tutkijana, ekonomistina, asiantuntijana sekä tutkimuslaitoksen johtajana.

Chief Business Officer, and founding partner at Lhyfe Vice-President MEDEF Nordics Background in strategic R&D partnerships between industry , research organizations at the French and European levels.

Klaus Bolving is a strong networker who matchmakes universities and research & technology organisations with high-tech industries within the defence, space, security, and dual-use sectors. He coordinates his activities in close collaboration with national and international governmental authorities and organizations. Klaus Bolving holds at position as Business Development Director of “Center for Defence, Space and Security” (CenSec) supported by The Ministry of Higher Education & Science and Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs. Klaus Bolving has held several posts at different management levels within naval, military, intelligence, security, academia, trade, human resources and business development areas. These include high-ranking posts at the Danish Ministry of Defence and the Royal Danish Defence College, as well as Klaus Bolving participates in a number of international expert groups and networks.

Peter has more than 15 years of experience in the renewable energy sector. He joined OX2 in 2018 having previously worked as Global Head of Onshore and Offshore Wind Development at Vattenfall.

A seasoned executive with group management team level experience (general management, legal, business development) in publicly listed companies operating in the areas of software, electronics manufacturing and natural resources. A wealth of international experience through positions in companies domiciled in Finland, France, Germany, Luxembourg and Poland and listed in Finland, Germany, and in the UK

General Manger Innovation and Sustainability and SHAPE Veturi Programme Manager, M.Sc Charlotta Risku is fascinated with the challenges and complexity of sustainability and inspired by the potential and opportunities still to be unveiled when harnessing these. Charlotta has long experience in product and process development, mainly in plastics and composites industries, and since 2018 leading research and development of surface finishing solutions at Mirka.

Kimmo Hyvärinen joined Tracegrow´s team as Board Member in 2017. In September 2022 he started the new role as CEO in Tracegrow. Kimmo is a highly seasoned director with nearly three decades of experience spanning in the finance industry and media sector. Additionally, he serves actively as a Board Member in various companies. Kimmo´s goal is to make the circular economy a viable future business model.

A hands-on executive with extensive experience of 5+ years in trade of various scales and profiles. I actively develop commercial relations with key customers in order to achieve the company’s goals, I cooperate and negotiate with local retail chains and distributors. Experience in sales, procurement, branding and positioning, initiating business partnerships and managing complex multi-stakeholder projects. I am involved in the development process of new products and the possibilities of those products in various markets. One of the goals is to educate that meat analogues are the same part of the diet, only much healthier and safer in nature.

Coming from France, I have been living in Finland for 14 years, including 13 years in Keskipohjanmaa (Kannus). I have faced the challenges of inserting myself in the Finnish labor market, which has been the sole difficulty in living here. Nowadays I work at KIP Service on fields that include HRD, communication, photography and video, ICT and a handful of other subjects. We are very much involved in the question of acquiring and keeping talents in the area as well as promoting it.

National Work in Finland services are conducted by Business Finland and KEHA Centre​. Work in Finland implements Talent Boost. I am the head for integration and international recruitment services and the responsible teamleader for Work in Finland overall development in KEHA Centret.

Dr. Kenneth Ekman is currently heading the Concept and Technology Development at Fortum Battery Recycling. As part of Fortum Group his main responsibility is to develop new technical and business concepts for the supply of sustainably produced battery metals from recycling and industrial side-streams. Dr. Ekman has a background as a serial entrepreneur since 1994 until 2020 when joining Fortum through the acquisition of CrisolteQ, founded in 2005.

I have a financial background, have been the CFO of TETRA Chemicals Europe for 17 years and since two years back I am the CEO of the same company. TETRA Chemicals Europe has the largest calcium chloride plant in Europe and we export our product to more than 30 countries around the world.

Timo Sivula is a Master of Science in International Marketing and Business Strategy. After his international career, he has launched several start-up companies in Finland and worked as a CEO in SMEs and in various board positions.

Francesca Cucinotta is the Director of International Affairs at Centria University of Applied Sciences. Her responsibilities include internationalisation and international mobility, transnational education and matters related to education-based immigration. She has worked in international relations, recruitment and employment issues for more than 25 years in different sectors. Management of multicultural teams, international marketing, along with developing Finland’s attraction and retention together, are important themes to her.

Toimin Tracegrown operatiivisena johtajana. Olen osallistunut Tracegrown toimintaan 2015 vuodesta lähtien. Minulla on vahva tausta metallien kierrätyksestä ja kaivosteollisuudesta. Koulutukselta olen prosessitekniikan DI.

I have experience in job market, HR consulting and policies, hiring and employer branding. I’m also skilled in fundraising and alumni relations at university context. My employers have been finnish public companies for two decades and now eight years public sector in Finland. At the moment my main task is to enhance job market and industries in Central Ostrobothnia and Ostrobothnia.

Jaana Koivumaa is the Manager of Hannukainen Mining. Jaana is a Civil Engineer with a M.Sc. in Water- and Environmental Management. She has strong experience within the Finnish Mining Sector as an consultant in EIA-, permission-, environmental monitoring and management issues. As a Manager, Jaana sets Environmental-  and Manager Policy. Working closely with local communities, people and government, Jaana manages here team, consultants and ensures that environmental criteria and companies policy are integrated into the design of the project.

Kristian Schrey has several years of experience as entrepreneur in different fields, and of work with start-up companies. He wants to work with companies who want to expand, regardless of the industry, by creating them prerequisites for succeeding in the international markets. Viexpo is natural working place for these ambitions, since the core of Viexpos expertise lies in helping SME-companies to find growth from abroad, especially in the Nordic Countries and beyond. Kristian Schrey has broad knowledge of Nordic co-operation and is the leading expert in NordicHub work. NordicHub is coordinated by Viexpo and is a Nordic network for Finnish clusters and a platform for Finnish cluster activities. His extensive networks are working for the benefit of the SMEs in Finland. Kristian Schrey is a family man and enjoys a good sport on his spere time. At the moment padel is his free time passion.

PhD Paula Erkkilä works as a CEO at Ostrobothnia Chamber of Commerce. The mission of the Chamber of Commerce is to support the export-driven region and its companies to success by strengthening the region’s attraction and retaining, the availability of talented workforce, good transport connections and a functioning infrastructure. Right now in the western industrial zone is going on the “investment tornado”. A historically significant amount of investments are planned, and importance of clusters and co-operation is needed.

Ulf-Erik is responsible for focus account customers relationship with Business Finland in the field of Energy, Process and Chemical industries. Ulf-Erik has extensive experience from senior leadership positions in these industries before joining Business Finland to accelerate customers growth and internationalization into innovative ecosystems for renewable energy and circular transition.

Jasmin works at the TE Office in Ostrobothnia where she produces and hosts an online recruitment live broadcast called TE-live. She has over ten years of experience working as a host from sport events to trade shows and shopping mall events. Her most important traits as a host are her natural set of skills in improvisation and quick reacting as well as the pure joy that stems for her passion towards hosting and the audience.

Kehittämispäällikkönä (Senior Advisor) Luonnonvarakeskuksen Tuotantojärjestelmät – yksikössä. Yli 300 asiantuntijan tutkimusyksikkö joka kattaa biotalouden eri osa-alueita genetiikasta biomassan jalostusteknologioihin ja elintarvikkeiden prosessointiin. Pitkäaikainen kokemus tutkimusorganisaatioiden johtamis- ja kehittämistehtävistä. Nykyisessä tehtävässä vastuulla erityisesti yksikön talouden ja johtoryhmätyöskentelyn kehittäminen sekä matriisiorganisaation kehittämistehtävät. Luonnonvarakeskuksen laajennetun johtoryhmän jäsen

Jarmo has almost 15 years of experience in various environmental tasks. For the past three years, he has worked as the environmental manager of Boliden Kokkola and previously for more than ten years as an environmental consultant. Boliden Kokkola has decades of experience in zinc production. Thanks to our solid know-how, we are able to develop among the forerunners in the industry. Boliden’s vision is to be the world’s most climate-friendly and respected metal producer, and the circular economy is central to this vision.

Jouni was the national focal point in the negotiations on the new EU battery regulation. He works at the environment ministry in the material cycles unit. He has background in energy issues, mining waste, and EU product policies.

Johanna Hylkilä works as the executive director of KIP Association. Johanna is a cluster developer rich in ideas and with a marketing spirit. The KIP Association is Kokkola Industrial Park´s (KIP) own regional development organization, which is managed by Johanna. The association develops cooperation between several actors belonging to KIP’s ecosystem/cluster, creating different operating models. The association builds and strengthens the KIP brand, and promotes the recognition and visibility of the entire industrial area.

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.

Virve Heikkinen is an experienced environmental and sustainability professional with over twenty years of working career in environmental services industry. For the last 15 years, she has been working in the Kokkola Industrial Park (KIP), currently as an environmental manager in KIP Service Oy. She is also a chairwoman of the KIP association’s environmental working group, a key player in the development and promotion of the industrial circular economy in the KIP area and representing Kokkola Industrial Park in many collaborations both in Finland and internationally.

Nowadays responsible for strategic investment studies at Neste’s Porvoo oil refinery aiming to build the transformation into new era. Basis in organic chemistry from Helsinki University and then >25 years long career in Neste starting from R&D and technical support in lubricants and base oils. After that moving cross several business areas in business development roles through strategy development finally close to the strategic investments. Red threat during the whole career has been in more sustainable solutions even when part of fossil oil refining organisation, e.g. initiatives for co-processing of bio based and circular feedstocks as well as electrolysis based green hydrogen production.

Development engineer at NordFuel Oy finding new solutions and applications for sidestreams of biorefinery process. Background in chemistry and PhD in process technology, applied chemistry. Work experience of circular economy in research, company and business development level.

I am Annastina Liedes and I work at Clewor Oy as a business manager. Clewor’s mission is to ensure the smoothness of the customer’s everyday working life with modern and environmentally friendly service solutions, with the aim of succeeding together with our customers and partners. We want to be the most wanted in our industry partner.

I am a circular economy researcher, especially interested in how companies can seize business opportunities from circular principles. In my work as a RDI specialist at Centria University of Applied Sciences, I get to tackle this question by helping companies with their sustainability journeys and developing their businesses. Additionally, I am also completing my PhD on this topic at the University of Turku. My previous experience centered around communications, social media and also an attempt at becoming a circular entrepreneur.

Hanna Lehtimäki is a Professor of Innovation Management in Business School and a Director of Research Center for Sustainable Circular Economy at the University of Eastern Finland. She is among the leading global academic researchers who study circular economy from the perspectives of business and management. She and her research team advance transdisciplinary business studies and social sciences research on sustainable innovation. The SunLab research team works in close collaboration with companies and public sector organizations to accelerate the implementation of sustainable circular economy in business and society.

Koulutukseltani olen molekyylibiologi. 10 vuoden kokemus proteiinikemiasta ja fermentoinnista. 10 vuoden kokemus LVI- alalta ja lämpöpumpuista. Eniferbion liiketoiminnan kehityspäällikkö.

Susanna Rokka toimii Luonnonvarakeskuksessa erikoistutkijana. Hänen erikoisalaansa ovat elintarvikkeet ja ruokajärjestelmä.

Johannes Malkamäki is a Master of Biotechnology, an entrepreneur and a professional performer who, in his more than 10 years of performing career, has become accustomed to act in a wide range of different interaction situations. As a host Johannes strives to create a warm atmosphere for guests and speakers. His mission is to engage the audience and let them enjoy themselves.
Johannes wants to inspire and create a meaning for the occasion, relying on his relaxed and engaging enthusiasm. An event host must also be able to improvise and be prepared for the unexpected – and he certainly is.

Työskentelen Luken Biotalous ja ympäristö -yksikön Hiilen kierron hallinta -ryhmässä. Tällä hetkellä työni painottuu joutoalueiden metsitykseen ja turvetuotannosta vapautuneiden alueiden jatkokäyttöön. Niissä tärkeätä on määrittää menettelytavat, joilla alueiden hiilensidontaa lisätään ja haitallisia ilmasto- ja ympäristövaikutuksia vähennetään.

Toimin Centria-ammattikorkeakoululla Kemia ja Biotaloustiimissä asiantuntijana, erikoisalaani on epäorgaaninen kemia. Työssäni toimin pitkälti kiertotalouden parissa tiimimme Epäorgaanisten materiaalien sekä Vähähiilisen energian osaamisalueilla. Lannoitteet, maanparannusaineet ja ravinnekierto on ollut yksi työni painopisteistä Centrialla.