Speakers of KMW 2026

Mikko Sopanen is the Co-Founder and CEO of Titanor, a Finnish, central ostrobotnian company developing one of Europe’s most advanced titanium mineral projects. He has extensive experience in mining business and finance development and funding of the mining and techonlogy development projects worldwide. His work focuses on unlocking the potential of critical mineral resources and strengthening Europe’s domestic supply of strategically important raw materials.

Ms Paula Lehtomäki (born 1972) has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Finnish Forest Industries Federation (Metsäteollisuus ry) since September 2022. Previously she has been the Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers since March 2019.

From July 2015, she held the position of State Secretary to Prime Minister Juha Sipilä in the Prime Minister’s Office. As State Secretary, she directed the functions of the Prime Minister’s Office, assisted Prime Minister Sipilä in the implementation of the Government Programme and was responsible for co-operation with the ministries.

Previously, Lehtomäki has been a member of the Finnish Government serving as Minister of the Environment between 2007 and 2011 and Minister for Foreign Trade and Development between 2003 and 2007. She was a Member of Parliament from 1999 to 2015.

Lehtomäki holds a Master of Science degree in Economics and Business Administration and is Bachelor of Social Sciences.

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.

A food scientist by training and a food enthusiast at heart, Annamari Jukkola holds a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and a Master’s in Dairy Science. Raised on a dairy farm where her family made cheese, she developed a deep respect for the craft early on. In 2017, she co-founded Mö with her sister, Marjaana Vuorio, applying her scientific expertise to develop proprietary technology that turns Finnish oats into flavorful, high-quality cheeses. She’s driven by a passion for building more sustainable food systems.

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.

Jani Rautio is Chief Technical Officer (CTO) at Endomines Finland Plc and a mining professional with more than 25 years of experience in mineral exploration, mining, and project development. He has held technical and leadership positions with mining and exploration companies in Finland, Sweden, and Southern Africa. He holds an M.Sc. in Geology and Mineralogy from the University of Turku.

Esa Eerola is Head of Operations at Cefmof Hydrogen Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Central Finland Mobility Foundation (Cefmof), where he drives the development and implementation of practical hydrogen solutions and partnerships.

His work includes establishing Finland’s first hydrogen refuelling station (HRS) and developing its operations, launching a hydrogen-powered city bus pilot in Jyväskylä, and initiating hydrogen production adjacent to the HRS. Through these initiatives, Esa focuses on turning hydrogen ambitions into real-world applications and building the partnerships needed to advance the hydrogen economy.

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.

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.

My name is Adanna Schadewitz, and I am a second-year student at Karleby Svenska Gymnasium. I will host the seminar and moderate the panel discussion, just as I did last year.

Hi my name is Elis Luomala and I am a second years student at Karleby Svenska Gymnasium. I will be moderating the panel and hosting the seminar asking tough questions about the battery industry and future solutions.

In Finland limits for harmful substance in natural waters are under consideration. For the first time also sulfates may be included in new regulations. New innovative ways to treat and utilize sulfate emissions are needed.

Elina Saarela is a Project Manager at South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (Xamk) and an expert at Robocoast EDIH. With a strong business-oriented mindset, she focuses on turning AI and emerging technologies into practical opportunities that create value and competitiveness for companies. She leads the communications of the Robocoast EDIH network, connecting experts, businesses and higher education institutions across Finland. Her work combines business development, digital technologies and strategic communication to make complex topics accessible and relevant for companies. Elina is passionate about building bridges between technology and business and helping companies turn new ideas into action.

Sari Tuomikoski is a University Researcher at the Research Unit of Sustainable Chemistry, University of Oulu. She has served as a Project Manager in the SAFELOOP Horizon project. She has long-term experience in materials chemistry research.

Dr. Anuj Kumar is a Senior Scientist at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), specializing in wood science and technology to advance the circular bioeconomy. His expertise spans multiple scales, from investigating wood structure-property relationships and non-destructive timber testing to engineering advanced wood-based panels. Focused on sustainable forestry and materials, his research has yielded high-impact solutions such as low-emission, formaldehyde-free adhesives and binderless MDF. At Luke, his work in the Biomass Fractionation Technologies group directly optimizes the conversion of raw forest biomass into eco-friendly industrial products. Throughout his career, he has actively collaborated with industrial stakeholders to translate fundamental forest and material science into practical, climate-resilient market applications.

Niko Mäkitalo is an assistant professor specializing in Physical AI and autonomous cyber-physical systems, with a focus on robotics, IoT, and edge computing. His work explores how intelligence can move beyond the cloud into physical systems that perceive, reason, and act autonomously in the real world. His research bridges AI, connectivity, computing, and robotics to enable the next generation of intelligent machines and industrial systems. At Kokkola Material Week, he will speak on how the AI is getting physical and how that will change work in the future.

I work as a Business Development Manager at SSAB, focusing on circular economy, recycling, and sustainable steel production. Over the years, I have gained experience in production, recycling services, and by-product management in both Finland and Sweden. My work is centered on developing practical solutions that support resource efficiency and the transition to fossil-free steelmaking. I hold a Master of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Oulu and enjoy combining technical and business perspectives in my work. I am particularly interested in collaboration, innovation, and creating value through more sustainable material flows.

Esa Koponen is an Investment Director at Tesi, where he leads investments in industrial scale-up and the energy transition. He has over 15 years of experience in private equity and venture capital. He works closely with management teams, co-investors and other stakeholders on strategy, financing, governance and long-term value creation. His portfolio experience includes Arctial, Nordic Ren-Gas, Norsk e-Fuel and Blastr, covering areas such as green industrial development, renewable and synthetic fuels, clean energy and large-scale industrial infrastructure.

Mikko Junttila works as an RDI specialist and project manager in Centria University of Applied Sciences’ chemistry and bioeconomy research group. His work focuses on utilizing industrial side streams in various applications.

Jyrki Hietaniemi is a doctoral researcher specializing in the battery circular economy, focusing on business models for second-life battery applications and value chain development. Before joining academia, he co-founded AutoJerry, Finland’s largest car service marketplace, and Smilee, an AI chatbot company where he served as Chief Sales Officer. Drawing on more than 20 years of B2B sales and business development experience, his research explores how Finland can unlock new business opportunities and competitive advantages through second-life battery applications and the circular economy of electric vehicle batteries.

Seppo Leinonen works as a senior specialist at the Geological Survey of Finland. He has over 30 years of experience in various positions in geology and mineralogy. His special interest is in industrial minerals. In addition to his duties as an exploration geologist, his research has focused on the mineralogy of graphite and its utilization as a battery anode.

Since 2024, I have been a Professor of Sustainable Systems in the Department of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering at Aalto University. My research develops models, algorithms, and decision-support tools to advance circular and sustainable solutions for renewable energy systems. My expertise includes process modeling and design, optimization, techno-economic analysis, life-cycle assessment, and geospatial analysis. To date, I have authored 35 peer-reviewed publications, secured 8 research grants, and supervised multiple theses.

I graduated from the University of Oulu in 2023 with a Master’s Degree in Chemistry. Since graduation, I have gained experience in areas including water treatment, fertilizers, nutrient management, and research-driven regional development. Most recently, I contributed to the KIP Competence Center project led by the University of Oulu, which focused on a feasibility study for establishing new research laboratory facilities and an innovative collaboration concept. The initiative aimed to strengthen cooperation between companies operating in the KIP industrial area and regional research organizations. Through this work, I developed expertise in stakeholder collaboration, project development, and innovation ecosystems.

Aleksi Haverinen works as the development manager in Plug Power, a US-based company that promotes large-scale Power-to-X projects in Finland. He has worked in the hydrogen economy for over 10 years, specializing in the development of investment projects and end-product markets. Plug Power, one of the world’s leading promoters of the hydrogen economy, delivers emission-reducing technologies and end-to-end solutions for industry, logistics and transport.

Anni has been the CEO of the Renewables Finland (former Finnish Wind Power Association) since 2009. Anni is one of the leading wind power experts in Finland and learning fast to become one in solar power. She holds a master’s degree in Environmental Sciences (MSc) and in Corporate Environmental Management (M. Econ).

Zun-h is a startup developing way to produce hydrogen directly off sunlight. Olli Myllylä is responsible for turning the photocatalytic hydrogen from a laboratory concept into a product for the real world.