Aalto University Magazine 35, May 2025 – English edition
Follow the money
26 On science
Wool electronics and orange peel clothing
Correction to an article in Aalto University Magazine #34
The original version of the article The future of computing is cold – very cold, as seen in the print magazine, incorrectly stated that IQM and VTT have a €70 million budget to expand their current quantum computing infrastructure over the next four years and to build a 300-qubit quantum computer by 2030.
As of the magazine’s publication in September 2024, VTT was still looking for an innovation partner to scale up a quantum computer towards 300 qubits.
The paragraph containing the incorrect information was removed from the digital version of the magazine, along with the reference to the construction of a 300-qubit quantum computer within this decade, which was mentioned earlier in the article.
Esa Kapila
32 Entrepreneurship
The European Space Agency opens an innovation lab in Otaniemi
5 Openings Ilkka Niemelä and the university at 15.
6 Now Small news, big impact.
10 Oops! Tomi Erho’s product launch went off track.
Theme / Follow the money
12 Theme Will future professionals be educated with fewer euros? 19 On science Research news in brief.
20 Who Salla Vainio is an exceptional generalist.
24 Partnership Chemical engineering collaboration with Neste.
26 On science Bioinnovation Center accelerates the circular economy.
30 Meet-up Ukrainian student Anna Marushchak finds her path in Finland.
32 Entrepreneurship The European Space Agency opens an innovation lab in Otaniemi.
34 Focus The Nokia Design Archive opens to all.
40 On science Smartwatches detect pandemic risks.
42 Then and now Aino Marsio-Aalto’s story and the Marsio family’s visit to campus.
46 Doctoral theses Hilla Back on language-based discrimination against immigrants; Desmond Attah-Kyei on a greener metal industry; Veera Moll on children as an urban planning issue.
48 Everyday choices Viktar Asadchy, how do you control light?
50 Key figures Aalto at a glance.
Cover image
Photographic artist Nikolas Palonen created the cover and main article illustrations for this issue, which focuses on university funding. The works were generated using AI models he trained with his own photographs. They explore a speculative sense of place – situated somewhere between the past, present, and future, and at the intersection of truth and fiction.
For the front and back cover portraits, a total of ten current Aalto University students were photographed.
34 Focus Treasures from the Nokia Design Archive
nokiadesignarchive.aalto.fi
Aalto alum, illustrator and comic artist Ulla Donner was awarded the Puupäähattu Prize by the Finnish Comics Society in 2025.
Donner illustrates the Oops! column in the revamped Aalto University Magazine. She describes her relationship with this issue’s theme – money – as follows:
‘I rejoice in saving money when I buy yogurt with a 30 percent discount, but if I want something beautiful, my mind is flooded with thoughts like “money isn’t real” and “what if we die tomorrow”.’
Photographic artist Nikolas Palonen is about to graduate with a Master of Arts in photography from Aalto University.
He created the cover and lead story visuals for this issue. On his relationship with money, Palonen says: ‘I’ve heard stories about having lots of money, but I haven’t really seen much of it myself.’
Publisher Aalto University, Communications
Editor-in-chief Senior Manager
Anitta Pirnes
Managing Editor Paula Haikarainen
Layout/photo editor Dog Design
Cover Nikolas Palonen
Contributors in this issue
Ahti Brummer, Ulla Donner, Jaana Eloranta, Tiina Forsberg, Riikka Haikarainen, Anna-Kaari Hakkarainen, Sarah Hudson, Minna Hölttä, Katrina Jurva, Esa Kapila, Kalle Kataila, Anne Kosola, Tuomas Kärkkäinen, Nico Luode, Juuli Miettilä, Liivia Pallas, Nikolas Palonen, Tiiu Pohjolainen, Marjukka Puolakka, Nora Rahnasto, Mikko Raskinen, Eeva Räisänen, Sedeer el-Showk, Petri Silenius, Tiina Toivola, Kristina Tsvetkova, Outi Turpeinen, Outi Törmälä, Laura Vaherkoski, Akseli Valmunen, Nita Vera, Kanny Wu, Enni Äijälä
Address PO Box 18 000, FI-00076 Aalto
Telephone +358 9 470 01
Online aalto.fi/magazine
Email magazine@aalto.fi
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Printing PunaMusta, 2025
Paperi UPM Fine 140 g/m2 (covers), Berga 80 g/m2 (pages)
Print run 3,000 (English edition) & 27,000 (Finnish edition)
Source of addresses Aalto University CRM Partnership and alumni data management
Our university celebrates its 15th birthday this year. When I walk around the Otaniemi campus, it’s only with pride that I see our students, researchers and staff from different fields and over 120 countries.
Aalto has achieved the goals set out when we were founded. During the last fifteen years, we have brought together art, science, technology and business. The number of Masters’ degrees and academic articles produced yearly has risen by more than 50 per cent, and the innovation ecosystem that has formed around Aalto gives rise to 100 new companies per year. We are also one of Europe’s most international universities.
We need you, Aalto alumni and friends, to build a sustainable future.
How will we ensure Aalto’s success in the coming decades?
Finland needs more talent, more entrepreneurs and more innovations. To make this a reality, we need to increase the number of students significantly by 2035. We want to build the required research and education capacity gradually –without compromising quality.
Responding to these new needs is, however, a challenge. Adjusted for inflation, Aalto’s basic public funding has decreased by more than a third since 2010; it now makes up just 55 per cent of Aalto’s overall funding. Aalto’s development since founding has been possible only by significantly optimising activities and expanding our funding base. Donations have made up a considerate portion of this growth. Together, the university’s endowment fund returns and donations now account for about 10 per cent of Aalto’s budget.
We need you, Aalto alumni and friends, to build a sustainable future. We have launched a fundraising campaign, A! sign of change. With over 9 million euros already raised when this magazine goes to print, we are on our way to our goal of 30 million euros over two years, through the help of 1,500 donors.
With the help of donations Aalto will be able to better respond to growing needs for education, research and innovation activities – and in this way boost Finland’s prosperity and role in building a more sustainable future.
Join us and invest in the future!
Ilkka Niemelä President, Aalto University
Kalle Kataila
Students in the course led by Suzanne
engage in practical exercises that prepare them for careers in corporate environments.
What’s happening at Marsio
Aalto Ahaa is a public lecture series organised in collaboration with the City of Espoo. These free lectures, held in Finnish, present science in an accessible way. They take place at the Marsio building, located at the heart of the campus (Otakaari 2, Espoo).
This spring, the topics included love, water, and creative thinking. The autumn season will feature three more Ahaa lectures.
Marsio also hosts events for younger audiences.
Aalto University Junior’s Science Theatre is designed for schoolchildren aged 9–12 to attend with a teacher or another adult.
Marsio’s event calendar and recordings online: aalto.fi/marsio
Building bridges between the university and business
Suzanne Innes-Stubb, who started teaching as Executive in Residence at the School of Business in February 2025, aims to prepare students for the demands of the business world.
‘In working life, communication must be clear and concise,’ she says, highlighting that essential points need to be conveyed in just five minutes.
Innes-Stubb leads the business law course ‘Ethics and Compliance for International Business’, in which students practice compliance assessments and presentation skills relevant to the corporate environment. Assignments include a five-minute video presentation and the preparation of a compliance investigation plan to help students understand real-world corporate processes.
With extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, Innes-Stubb brings a business perspective to her teaching. She has worked as a lawyer for the UK government, in a law firm and in corporate compliance roles.
Ethics and compliance is more than just following regulations – it requires a broad skill set.
‘Companies must recognise that their operations cannot be solely about profit,’ she points out. Issues such as artificial intelligence, climate change and global supply chains will increasingly shape compliance work.
Innes-Stubb hopes students will enter the workforce as ethical professionals who are willing to address concerns and see the bigger picture. ‘Open-mindedness is a strength, and the best ideas come from diverse environments,’ she says.
Innes-Stubbs
Karoliina Kauhanen spoke about compassion and the benefits of kindness at the Aalto Ahaa event in February. Kauhanen is one of the founders of Commu App, a platform where you can give and ask for help nearby.
Mikko Raskinen
Ahti Brummer
125,000
125,000 children and young people from 240 different municipalities participated in Aalto University Junior activities in 2020–2024.
Textbook guides engineers in transition to sustainable energy
How should energy engineering education evolve to ensure that the green energy transition effectively mitigates climate change while remaining ecologically and socially sustainable? The newly published textbook Designing Renewable Energy Systems within Planetary Boundaries (Springer, 2025) addresses this question.
Edited by Aalto University Professor Mika Järvinen and energy transition researcher Hanna Paulomäki, the book explores renewable energy production and storage from the perspective of planetary boundaries. The textbook covers topics such as wind and solar power, the sustainable limits of bioenergy, land use considerations, and the critical role of energy storage.
The multidisciplinary textbook equips future energy engineers with the knowledge to design energy systems that curb climate change and support biodiversity — without creating new harmful path dependencies.
The book was produced with support from the Tiina and Antti Herlin Foundation and Aalto University.
BRILLIANT NEWS
An exceptionally popular online course
Launched in November 2024, the online course Diving into Radical Creativity reached its goal of 10,000 learners in just three months.
Creativity is not only an inherent trait; it can be learned and practised. The course encourages participants to work creatively, embrace change, tolerate ambiguity and seize emerging opportunities.
Change opens the door to new possibilities. The course encourages participants to try out new ways to approach challenges in both their personal and professional lives. It also features inspiring examples, such as Finland’s first satellite company, and social innovations, like Buurtzorg home care and the doughnut economics model.
The free course has received enthusiastic feedback, with many participants reporting breakthroughs in long-standing issues.
The most popular parts of the course by attendance have been ‘Culture of Radical Creativity’ and ‘Creativity and Wellbeing’, which focus on the culture of collaboration and dealing with uncertainty.
Course available in Finnish and English: divingintoradicalcreativity.aalto.fi
Juuli Miettilä
Kirsikka Heiskari’s experimental chandelier was showcased in March at the Contemporary Design master’s programme exhibition at Väre on the Otaniemi campus.
A total of 16 design students explored glassmaking and decoration techniques, interpreting the theme ‘Body of Work’ in their own way. Their works incorporated various methods, including glassblowing, sand and plaster mold casting, glass painting techniques and engraving.
The Lahja exhibition marked 15 years of Aalto
The university’s 15th anniversary exhibition showcased what it has given to its community and society: bold experiments, art and design, startups and skilled professionals, new ways of learning, world-class research infrastructure, and knowledge to tackle climate change and other challenges. At the heart of the exhibition was an artistic installation of a festive table setting, inviting reflections on dining as part of celebration traditions. The table featured works by university alumni, faculty and students, as well as pieces from the collection of EMMA – the Espoo Museum of Modern Art.
aalto.fi/lahja
A new look for our magazine
You are now holding the first issue of Aalto University Magazine with its renewed look. The name has been streamlined into the A logo and the word Magazine, while the layout, typography and visual storytelling have been refined to be clearer and more confident. Photographs and illustrations have always come from Aalto alumni or students – and this issue is no exception. Some regular columns now have established contributors, all renowned in their fields: photographers Outi Törmälä and Akseli Valmunen, and illustrators Ulla Donner, Tuomas Kärkkäinen and Juuli Miettilä.
The new visual identity was created by Dog Design, a studio founded by three Aalto University alumni.
Aalto University’s stakeholder publication, Aalto University Magazine, has been published since 2011.
The exhibition atmosphere was enhanced by a media artwork created by alum Niko Tiainen.
Mikko
Raskinen
Liivia Pallas
Kanny Wu’s photo, RADS3, from the series Endless World. ‘My work explores the uncontrolled power and fragility of the female body through installations and drawings.’
The exhibition Masters of Photography 2025 – Image Being was on display at the Finnish Museum of Photography from January to April. Showcasing the work of graduating photography students, the exhibition presented a shared vision of contemporary photography from 14 emerging artists. For them, it could mean anything from biomaterials and diaries to recalling a forgotten dream, documentation, or fiction.
Kanny Wu
Launch went off track
Aalto University’s Head of Innovation Ecosystem Services, Tomi Erho, found himself struggling with winter sports a little over ten years ago.
Text Paula Haikarainen
Illustration Ulla Donner
‘As a startup entrepreneur in 2013, I was trying to commercialise a new type of paper at The Active Paper Company Oy. The innovation was that when the paper got wet, it would reveal hidden graphics – like printed text that was invisible when dry.
I thought this kind of “magic” would be perfect for things like coasters, postcards, children’s books, and all sorts of promotional products. So, off to launch we went!
At the time, Russia was a market full of endless possibilities. In the run-up to the Sochi Winter Olympics, I happened to chat with a representative of a Finnish sports company that worked with the Russian national ski team.
One of their top skiers was a huge celebrity in Russia – Vladimir Putin himself had attended his wedding. We decided to create postcards featuring this skier, with the Finnish company’s branding. In the image, the skier was wearing a white vest, which would reveal the number one when rubbed with a damp finger.
The idea was that the skier would hand out these postcards to fans in the Olympic Village. It would make for amazing YouTube videos and boost awareness of Finnish products in Russia.
But shortly before the Olympics, my business partner found out that advertising in the Olympic Village was strictly forbidden for anyone except the main sponsors. That was a tough blow – I had already produced thousands of postcards as part of our test runs.
Then my partner had a new idea: we’d stir up some media buzz at the Lahti Ski Games, which were happening a week after the Olympics. He had connections at a Finnish TV channel, and we started envisioning a lighthearted news segment where our Russian skier meets fans and hands out postcards.
Our skier, however, never made it to Lahti. Russia decided to leave him at home to “rest,” and our media splash remained just a dream.
Shortly after the Olympics, Russia annexed Crimea, and a couple of years later, our celebrity skier got caught doping.
Luckily, my own papers stayed clean – literally.’
Follow the money
Finland wants to provide higher education to at least half of each age group. This goal can only be achieved with sufficient resources.
12 Theme Will future professionals be educated with fewer euros?
19 On science Research news in brief.
20 Who Salla Vainio is an exceptional generalist.
24 Partnership Chemical engineering collaboration with Neste.
26 On science Bioinnovation Center accelerates the circular economy.
30 Meet-up Ukrainian student Anna Marushchak finds her path in Finland.
31 Entrepreneurship The European Space Agency opens an innovation lab in Otaniemi.
Universities struggle with shrinking funding while expectations continue to rise. New revenue streams and broad societal support are more critical than ever.
Will future experts be educated with fewer euros?
Text Terhi Hautamäki
Illustration Nikolas Palonen
It could be called a productivity leap. Over 15 years, the real, inflation-adjusted core funding from the Ministry of Education and Culture to Aalto University has decreased by more than one-third, while the university increased its student numbers by 40% and the number of international publications by 50%.
Aalto researchers now secure 140% more competitive international research funding than in 2010.
Going forward, expectations continue to rise – Finland needs more expertise and innovations. Global problems require research-based knowledge and solutions. Once known as a model country for education, Finland has fallen worryingly behind many countries in higher education attainment among young people.
At the turn of the millennium, 39% of 25–34-year olds in Finland had completed a higher education degree – the highest rate in the world, compared to the OECD average of 27%. Now, the average share of young adults with a higher education degree in OECD countries has risen to 47%, while Finland remains at 39%.
The goal is to provide higher education to at least half of each age group. Aalto is also expected to increase the number of students and support entrepreneurship and innovation more than ever. The university is ready to increase its intake of new students by as much as 40% by 2035. However, achieving these goals is only possible with sufficient resources.
The easy productivity gains are done Aalto University was founded in 2010, the same year Finland implemented a major university reform. The early years saw increasing public funding, but the 2015 education cuts hit universities hard.
Today, the Ministry of Education and Culture funds 55% of Aalto’s operations.
Chief Financial Officer Marianna Bom explains that during the cuts, Aalto gained full ownership of its campus from the state and has since improved its space use by about one-third, reducing facility expenses and earning rental income from its partners. Competitive research funding and returns from the university’s endowment have also helped offset the decline in public funding.
‘The easy productivity improvements have already been made. The price erosion, where universities receive a little less money per degree each year, needs to stop. If funding drops, universities face the wrong incentive to lower quality. It’s absolutely critical for us not to compromise on the quality of teaching and research,’ Bom says.
Adequate university funding is essential to address the much-discussed skills shortage. As more international students and research-
‘It’s absolutely critical for us not to compromise on the quality of teaching and research.’
ers are recruited into master’s or doctoral programmes, it is crucial that they have a genuine opportunity to stay and find employment in Finland.
Free core funding is vital
In Finland, there is broad agreement on the importance of research – at least in principle. During the previous parliamentary term, all political parties committed to a decision to increase research, development and innovation (RDI) funding to 4% of GDP by 2030. One-third of this funding is to come from public money and two-thirds from businesses.
Part of the budget missing after the Ministry’s core funding is channeled through organisations like Business Finland and the Academy of Finland. ‘RDI funding typically comes as project money, where the funder provides 70–80% of the total costs, and the university must find the remaining 20–30% itself. If we receive a lot of project money but miss the corresponding core funding, the overall societal benefit of RDI funding is lost,’ says Bom.
In science, long-term resourcing is required because high-quality research takes time. Innovations do not emerge from thin air, and basic research often yields results decades after it begins – results that could not have been imagined at the outset. Research infrastructures require significant investments and evolve alongside scientific discoveries and technological advancements.
The adverse effects of university funding cuts become evident gradually. The government that makes the cuts does not witness the consequences during its term. The current economic situation is not easy, as public funding is urgently needed for many purposes outside of higher education.
Resources are used efficiently
When discussing university rankings and admiring the world’s top institutions, it is easy to forget that their resources are in a different league than those of Finnish universities. With its current resources, Finland achieves surprisingly much, says Professor Hannu Seristö, Aalto’s Associate Vice President for External Relations.
For example, the total budget of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), with fewer students than Aalto, is twice that of Aalto’s. The US-based Stanford University’s funding is nearly 19 times as large as Aalto’s, and its staff numbers nearly five times larger, even though the student population is roughly the same.
‘One can always ask, which comes first, resources or results. Top quality at Stanford or Cambridge naturally attracts funding, but at some point, building that quality must have started. It’s challenging to achieve excellent results with limited resources,’ Seristö says.
Public funding reflects the state of the national economy. Other Nordic countries are wealthier than Finland, and Denmark is particularly fortunate: private foundations fund university research with sums roughly equal to the entire Finnish university sector budget.
At Seristö’s initiative, some master’s students at the School of Business are comparing what kind of results universities achieve with different levels of investment. ‘Considering resources and Finland’s cost levels, Aalto is likely among the best in the world. Here, people work hard and ambitiously,’ Seristö says.
Photographic artist Nikolas Palonen describes the illustrations of the main article:
‘These AI-generated images depict architecture on the Otaniemi campus. They incorporate an element of speculation – something that doesn’t actually exist. Yet the works contain fragments of truth. Through a process between the human and the non-human, that truth is transformed into something else. It becomes a new kind of truth.’
‘Considering resources and Finland’s cost levels, Aalto is likely among the best in the world. Here, people work hard and ambitiously.’
Wealth for future generations
Aalto University has an endowment of approximately €1.5 billion, accumulated from donors and a state matching capitalisation campaign that touched all Finnish universities. The significant capital was built during the university reform, with Aalto receiving €200 million from businesses and alumni, matched by about €500 million from the state. The university’s endowment also includes the previous endowment funds of the three merged universities.
Spending from endowment accounts for about 10% of the university’s total funding, helping to compensate for declining public funding.
‘It may seem like the university has no problem with so much wealth. However, if we earn a 6–7% return on capital and inflation is 3%, only 2.5–3% of the endowment value can be used annually for university operations,’ says CFO Marianna Bom
To ensure the quality of research and education for future generations as well, the inflation-adjusted capital itself cannot be spent. Aalto’s in-house professional team invests primarily through funds in listed and unlisted equities, as well as alternative investments. Short-term money market investments and cash always cover at least two years of operational needs.
Even small donations from private individuals or companies can have an impact greater than their monetary value. A strong balance sheet has helped the university obtain long-term debt for campus investments on competitive terms.
‘Thanks to our donors, we’ve been able to build a campus that serves as a cradle of innovation, where the university collaborates with startups and other businesses,’ Bom says.
Many private donors give freely for the university’s use. Donors can also choose a specific target to support, such as artificial intelligence or quantum technology research. One of the newest funds is the entrepreneurship donation fund, which supports emerging innovations before commercialisation.
‘Fifteen years ago, donating to universities was new in Finnish culture. Now awareness has increased. Especially alumni are eager to give back to their alma mater,’ Bom says.
Impact through donations
Many people donate to charity, but can private individuals support universities and science? Yes, with any amount.
Anna Berg, AV producer at Aalto, participated in preparing the university’s new fundraising campaign and decided to donate herself. ‘I thought it would be nice to participate after all these years when my life has been so closely tied to the university,’ she says.
Berg has studied two master’s degrees at Aalto: one in technology and the other in art. Since then, she has worked at the university almost continuously.
‘In my work in science communications, I see what the university does and think about all the good that science and research bring to society. Society is developed through taxes and voting, of course, but donating is a more targeted way to contribute. You can feel like you’ve made an impact,’ Berg says.
Vuolteenahos encourage student exchanges
Business School alumni Tuomo and Tarja Vuolteenaho have made a special pledge to Aalto’s fundraising campaign.
The couple, who live in the United States, will match all donations to international student exchanges at the School of Business – up to $1 million – by the end of 2025. This applies not only to individual donations but also to donations made through companies in which the donor owns more than 50%.
‘High living costs and tuition fees abroad discourage exchanges, so we want to encourage students to seize available opportunities,’ says Tarja Vuolteenaho.
‘During my years at the School of Business, I went on exchange to South Carolina, and Tuomo completed his postgraduate studies in Chicago. Neither of us had to pay tuition fees – either the schools or private donors covered our studies. We want to offer a similar opportunity to current and future students.’
‘By donating, you can feel you’ve made an impact.’
A! sign of change
is a fundraising campaign launched for Aalto’s 15th anniversary, inviting both small and large donors.
The goal is to reach 1,500 donors and raise €30 million by the end of 2026. Donations are tax-deductible for both companies and individuals.
aalto.fi/asignofchange
AV producer Anna Berg holds two degrees from Aalto.
From the Vuolteenaho family album: Olivia (front left), Milla, Tarja, Tuomo and Sonja Vuolteenaho.
Mikko Raskinen
Kärkkäinen
Tuomas
AI strikes an emotional chord
AI has the potential to enhance decisionmaking and innovation, yet only about one in five companies succeeds in leveraging it. The challenge lies not only in the technology itself but also in people’s emotions and reactions.
A research team followed a company with 600 employees for over a year as it developed an AI tool for skill mapping and resource management. The experiment ultimately failed: while the tool was seen as useful, some employees felt uneasy about AI analysing their calendar entries and communications. As a result, they either restricted data sharing or manipulated the system. This led to distorted AI-generated data, further eroding trust.
The company struggled to understand why AI adoption declined, despite efforts from leadership to promote the tool.
Researchers identified four attitudes toward AI: complete trust, complete distrust, uncomfortable trust and blind trust. In particular, emotional distrust led to AI avoidance or manipulation – even among those who otherwise believed in the benefits of the technology.
‘This isn’t just about AI; it’s about users’ emotions and reactions toward AI,’ says Assistant Professor Natalia Vuori. ‘The adoption of AI is not just a technological challenge but also a leadership challenge. Without a human-centered approach, AI cannot reach its full potential.’
Fewer students choose their hometown university
Students from the Helsinki metropolitan area are increasingly moving to other cities for their studies. This trend emerged in a study by the urban economics research group AlueAvain, which analysed student migration patterns in Finland’s largest cities over the past 20 years using Statistics Finland’s registry data. In 2001, only 10% of new students left the capital region for
university, but by 2021, the figure had risen to 30%. While staying in the region remains more common than elsewhere in Finland, fewer students are choosing to study at a university in their hometown.
A similar trend can be seen in Tampere and Turku, where the share of students moving away has increased from 20% to 40%. In Oulu, the shift has been more gradual, but those who leave tend to move
farther – often over 350 kilometers – whereas students leaving the capital region typically stay within a 50–200 kilometer radius.
‘Outside the Helsinki metropolitan area, every second university student relocates to a new city –and the number is growing. While universities in Tampere and Turku attract students, many local young people choose to study elsewhere,’ says Professor Tuukka Saarimaa
An exceptional generalist
Little did a young business student know that the most valuable lessons of her career wouldn’t come from lectures but from student union work. Over the years, Salla Vainio has found herself in many extraordinary situations in leadership roles around the world.
Text Tiiu Pohjolainen
Akseli Valmunen
When meeting someone new, Salla Vainio doesn’t introduce herself as a board professional. Instead, she calls herself a board artisan. ‘You never reach the finish line in board work – you’re always learning. I feel the same way about leadership. It’s a craft,’ she says.
Vainio is no stranger to boardrooms –her first board position was for the Student Union of the Helsinki School of Economics (KY) in 1990. Since then, she has served on numerous boards.
A few years ago, she was preparing to step away from full-time work. That’s when she got a call from Save the Children Finland. The then-chair of the board asked if she wanted to hear more about the world’s largest children’s rights organisation and an upcoming leadership change in its Finnish chapter. She certainly did, and since January 2023, Vainio has served as the board chair at Save the Children Finland.
Always a bit of an outlier
Vainio has worked in leadership roles across multiple industries. ‘I’ve stepped into five different industries from outside, with no prior experience in the field,’ she says. ‘I tend to end up in situations where I’m somehow an unlikely choice.’
Perhaps her unconventional path started early. She began primary school a year ahead of her peers. Later, when her family couldn’t afford to send her on a high school
exchange year, 16-year old Salla walked into a bank and secured a loan of 15,000 Finnish marks.
Her courage to jump into new situations is something she partly attributes to her time at business school – and especially its student union. In her second year, she joined KY’s board and was elected chair the following year. At 21, she was the youngest chair ever on the KY board, a record she may still hold.
By 33, she was leading an engineering team in the US – the only woman, the only non-engineer, and the youngest in the group. Later, from 2014 to 2018, she was the first non-lawyer to serve as CEO of the law firm Fondia.
A hidden treasure
Her time in the student union delayed her international business studies, but it gave her something invaluable: a circle of friends who, over the years, have become an extended family, complete with many godchildren.
‘Some might call it a network, but to me, they are dear friends.’
KY provided Vainio with a safe environment to practice leadership. It was a forgiving space where she could make mistakes, ones that might have caused major problems in the corporate world. ‘At KY, I learned how to work with people, organise, and manage projects. You can’t pick up those skills just by reading a book. And back then, I had no idea how valuable they would be,’ she says.
Photos
Salla Vainio is a friend and patron of the arts.
Even today, she draws on those lessons. ‘Thirty-five years later, I’m still tapping into the same treasure.’
The fixer
Of course, her formal education also prepared her for working life. Her studies in finance and accounting were especially valuable in giving her the tools to survive the first few years after graduation.
After four years in international consulting, she moved to Sonera, then to Silicon Valley for a role at Sonera’s US division. Later, she transitioned to a startup that had spun off from Sonera.
‘In the US, I ended up in sales for the first time, which terrified me,’ she says. ‘When our company was acquired, I suddenly found myself as the regional sales director, leading offices in North and South America. It was quite a situation.’
As a young female leader, she often felt under extra scrutiny. And the companies she joined were often in unusual situations, too. There could be some kind of transition happening – one that led them to seek her help.
‘It wasn’t always a crisis, but there was a need for change. And when they wondered how to “clean up the mess”, they hired me –probably because I don’t know how to say no,’ she laughs. In the same breath, she jokingly calls herself the corporate janitor.
‘It’s common for women to be hired as CEOs to clean up the mess left behind by their predecessors. There are even studies on this,’ she says.
‘I’ve often been brought in to fix things,’ she continues, citing examples where pricing hadn’t been reviewed in years, product development was stagnating, or a company had just lost its market leadership.
Of course, she’s done more than just cleaning up. As CEO of Fondia, she led the company through its IPO. When the law firm listed on the First North market for growth companies, Vainio became the second woman in Finland to take a company public as CEO. The first was Kirsti Paakkanen of Marimekko.
Speaking up
Vainio has spent most of her career as a CEO – 16 years in total – leading three companies: Sanoma Pro, Fondia, and Marketing Clinic.
She’s quick to emphasise that she hasn’t achieved anything alone. ‘I’ve never felt like I was doing things by myself. It’s nonsense to say that CEOs are alone.’
For a CEO, the executive team is a crucial partner. ‘I’ve been surrounded by fantastic people. You can’t fail when your leadership team understands the industry and knows what they’re doing.’
She’s also had great bosses. Among them, she highlights Pekka Harju, who recruited her to Ilta-Sanomat tabloid to lead media sales.
‘It was incredibly bold to hire someone from the US whom nobody knew and who had zero experience in media sales,’ she says. She also appreciates how demanding Harju was. ‘We argued nearly every month. I was incredibly sharp-edged, and he took the time to smooth out those edges.’
Throughout her career, Vainio has held onto a principle she learned at McKinsey right after graduating: the obligation to dissent –the duty to voice disagreement. That’s why the first organisation she ever donated to was Amnesty International. ‘I gave them money to support the right to dissent.’
Better Business, Better Society
These days, fundraising features prominently in her interests – especially now that she volunteers in the world’s largest children’s rights organisation, Save the Children. She’s particularly drawn to the organisation’s domestic and global reach and its commitment to ensuring that aid reaches those in need as effectively as possible.
As a self-proclaimed board artisan, she knows she’s fortunate to be able to use her time and expertise for good. And when it comes to making the world a better place, she still draws on the same toolkit she built during her student years. Or perhaps, deep down, she’s still that exceptional 16-year old who took out a loan for her own future.
‘A welfare society doesn’t function unless we create more profitable, productive, and growing businesses,’ she says. ‘Even as a student, I could feel the excitement around me –the drive to take action and create something valuable to share.’
The Aalto University School of Business’s current motto, Better Business – Better Society, deeply resonates with Vainio. ‘It’s inspiring, like a call to action: if you truly want to change the world, this is the place to be.’
Salla Vainio
/ Graduated with a Master’s degree from Helsinki School of Economics (now Aalto University) in 1994.
/ Has worked at the Ilta-Sanomat tabloid, as well as at Sonera and McKinsey.
/ Spent a total of 16 years as CEO at Sanoma Pro, the law firm Fondia, and most recently at Marketing Clinic.
/ Has focused full-time on board positions since 2022.
/ Chair of the Board at Save the Children Finland since January 2023.
/ Named Aalto University School of Business Alumna of the Year in 2016; member of the KY Association’s Honorary Council and the Aalto Alumni Ambassador Club.
She’s also
/ A lifelong history enthusiast, especially fascinated by the early medieval period. ‘I must have been a Celt in a past life,’ she says, as her historian’s heart belongs to England, Scotland and Ireland.
/ A bon vivant. ‘I love lounging on the sofa, reading history books and sipping white wine.’
/ A passionate royalist with near-encyclopedic knowledge of the British monarchy. Can tell you something about every British monarch since William the Conqueror. Subscribes to Majesty magazine and eagerly reads second-hand Svensk Damtidning issues. Keeps her Swedish board colleagues up to date on royal news.
Chemical engineering collaboration
Neste has evolved from a local oil refiner into one of the world’s leading producers of renewable fuels. The company provides solutions to mitigate climate change and accelerate the shift to a circular economy. During the years of collaboration, Neste has offered career opportunities to hundreds of chemical engineering experts, many of whom are graduates of Aalto University.
2035 – the year by which Neste has committed to reaching carbon-neutral production.
Nearly 1,000 employees at the Porvoo Technology Centre.
Neste’s technology centre in Kilpilahti conducts research, development and engineering work, focusing on the entire value chain from raw materials to end products. It is one of Finland’s largest industrial research units.
Using renewable diesel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75 to 95%
over the fuel’s life cycle, while sustainable aviation fuel can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 80%
over its life cycle compared to using fossil jet fuel.
Text Paula Haikarainen Illustration Juuli Miettilä
Operations in 17 countries on 3 continents:
Neste operates renewable fuel production facilities in Finland, the Netherlands and Singapore, and has a joint operation in the United States.
Top 3 raw material categories:
The company uses used cooking oil, animal fat waste and various wastes and residues from vegetable oil processing to manufacture its renewable fuels.
Neste and Aalto University have a long-standing partnership dating back to the Helsinki University of Technology era. Between 2014 and 2023, 130 master’s theses were completed in collaboration with the company.
15 research articles, 4 doctoral theses, 4 master’s theses. In the Digifuels collaboration project from 2019 to 2022, Neste and Aalto studied how digital modelling can enhance fuel development and testing processes. The project, supervised by Professors Annukka Santasalo-Aarnio and Ossi Kaario resulted in several research articles and theses.
‘New digital tools are clearly more accurate than older methods, which can provide significant economic benefits in large volumes,’ says Teemu Sarjovaara, Head of Product Development at Neste.
In 2023, around 630 Aalto University alumni worked at Neste, making it a significant employer of chemical engineering professionals.
Neste Corporation
/ Founded in 1948 to secure the supply of oil products in Finland.
/ The world’s leading producer of sustainable aviation fuel and renewable diesel.
/ Revenue of €20.6 billion (2024).
Wool electronics and orange peel clothing
Doctoral researchers at Aalto University
Bioinnovation Center discuss accelerating the sustainable bioeconomy, the importance of collaboration and bold entrepreneurial dreams.
Text Minna Hölttä
Speeding up commercialisation
‘My research isn’t about developing new technologies; it’s about helping others bring their inventions from the lab to the market faster. I use environmental assessment methods to ensure both the economic viability and environmental impact of a technology. This way, potential issues can be identified and solved as early as possible, increasing the speed of scaling up and the chances of success.
My dissertation focuses on textiles. Since the beginning of the millennium, global textile production has doubled, reaching 128 million tons per year. The majority are made from oil-based synthetic fibre or cotton, which requires vast amounts of water, farmland, and chemicals to grow. This is unsustainable for the planet, creating a strong demand for new solutions.
I’m part of a large collaboration project with 15 partners searching for new raw materials for textile fibre production. Right now, we’re studying how cellulose from orange peels performs in textile fibre and final products. Using recycled materials reduces the need for virgin raw materials, but that alone isn’t enough – we need to assess functionality and environmental impact across the entire lifecycle, from raw material sourcing to recycling.
At the Bioinnovation Center, we have regular meetings where doctoral researchers from different fields share knowledge and ideas. It’s both inspiring and educational – designers, for example, have valuable insights into user needs. My supervisor, Professor Luana Dessbesell, provides support but also gives me both authority and responsibility – after all, my dissertation is my own creation, my baby. That said, I’m not doing this research for myself. I’d be thrilled if my work helps other researchers and, in doing so, contributes to building a more sustainable future.’
Real de Almeida, doctoral researcher
Experimental bio-based materials from the Bioinnovation Center’s research projects.
Maria
Esa
Kapila
Maria Real de Almeida studies the profitability and environmental impacts of circular economy materials to support the successful commercialisation of new technologies.
Maria Real de Almeida
Making the most of milk cartons
‘I’m working on my PhD as part of the Sereplas project, a collaboration between the Bioinnovation Center, Valmet and Stora Enso. Our goal is to develop new, energy-efficient solutions for recycling liquid packaging boards, such as milk and juice cartons.
In Finland, these cartons are currently recycled alongside other cardboard, which is a missed opportunity. The carton itself is made of high-quality, virgin, bleached cellulose fibre. However, the polyethylene plastic layers on both sides often end up being incinerated. With new EU regulations pushing for better plastic recycling, this project is both timely and highly relevant for companies.
To make the plastic in cartons suitable for recycling, it must be completely free of cellulose fibers. This means that the carton and plastic need to be separated as precisely as possible, while also recovering high-quality fibre. The separation happens in a device called a pulper. However, the plastic and additives prolong the pulping process, increasing energy consumption – a challenge both economically and environmentally.
We’ve been exploring ways to reduce processing time and, consequently, energy use through pre-treatment methods. Techniques such as pressure-assisted pre-wetting and perforation have shown promising results.
The next step is figuring out how to scale them up for industrial use.
The Bioinnovation Center is a unique place for a researcher, offering expertise from various fields and valuable new connections. Lately, I’ve found myself entertaining a bold new dream – becoming an entrepreneur. I’d love to develop machines that make it possible to scale up the methods I’m researching. I believe recycling challenges can be solved through technical innovations, and as an entrepreneur, I’d have both the freedom and independence to create them – and a huge opportunity to make an impact.’
Emilia Kauppi, doctoral researcher
Smart textiles that benefit both people and the environment
‘I develop new biodegradable materials for smart textiles to replace the metals and plastics traditionally used in their electronics. Smart textiles can have various functionalities, but my focus is on sensors. These sensors can detect touch or temperature and respond in different ways – through lights, sounds, or vibrations. For example, a dancer could create music with their smart textile costume.
Emilia Kauppi aims to find the most energy-efficient way to separate the cardboard and plastic in liquid cartons.
Kalle Kataila
Technology is often perceived as cold and complicated, something that only large tech giants far away can manufacture. I don’t think it has to be that way. For instance, I have woven a keyboard from wool and cellulose fibre. It allows users to create various graphic elements on a screen, and it can be not only pressed but also bent and squeezed. The keyboard was showcased at Dutch Design Week, one of Europe’s largest design events. I enjoyed observing visitors’ reactions from a distance. The keyboard held up well, and older people, in particular, were excited about it.
I believe the first practical applications of our work will be in areas where people’s vital signs are already closely monitored, such as healthcare. Many current measuring devices are expensive or disposable. Wouldn’t it be great if they were beautiful, affordable and compostable?
I’m a designer passionate about technology, and I’ve always eagerly joined multidisciplinary projects. At the Bioinnovation Center, I work closely with a doctoral researcher in chemical engineering. My dissertation supervisor is a professor of design, but I also have advisors from electrical engineering, engineering sciences and artificial intelligence. The atmosphere is inspiring and encouraging – I almost feel spoiled to be working in such a wonderful environment. After completing my PhD, I dream of having my own studio where I can experiment with experts from various fields, from artists to healthcare professionals. I would also love to collaborate more in my home country, Chile, which has a rich textile tradition and an abundance of fascinating materials to explore.’
Sofia Guridi Sotomayor, doctoral researcher
‘I believe the first practical applications of our work will be in areas where people’s vital signs are already closely monitored, such as healthcare.’
What is the Bioinnovation Center?
/ Aalto University Bioinnovation Center was established in 2021 with a €10.5 million grant from the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation. The centre’s goal is to accelerate the transition to a circular and bioeconomy and create opportunities for sustainable economic growth in Finland.
/ The research focuses on textiles and packaging, with 14 ongoing doctoral research projects.
/ At the heart of the Bioinnovation Center is a multidisciplinary doctoral school and its professor, Luana Dessbesell. The centre is directed by Professor Michael Hummel, with a steering group that includes professors from all six Aalto University schools.
/ In recent years, the centre has also secured significant external funding. One of the largest grants was awarded to the SciSustain project, led by Luana Dessbesell, which aims to develop and accelerate the commercialisation of scientific bio-based innovations. The project has a budget of €1.2 million and is funded by Business Finland and industry partners, including Valmet, Paptic, LignEasy, Stora Enso, Boreal Bioproducts, UPM and Metsä. Accelerating research breakthroughs also requires investment in research infrastructure. The Bioinnovation Center has supported the construction of a pilot production line for Ioncell, an ecological textile fibre technology. This year, the centre is investing in a biodegradation laboratory.
/ Societal impact is a key part of the Bioinnovation Center’s mission. One of the highlights of 2024 was the widely publicised Mainiot Materiaalit (Magnificent materials) book, which encourages children and young people to experiment with materials. An English-language version of the book will be published this year. Researchers from the centre also showcase their work at various exhibitions and events, including Designs for a Cooler Planet, which will take place again this autumn at the Marsio building on Aalto University’s Otaniemi campus.
Sofia Guridi Sotomayor designs human-centered soft technologies, such as keyboards woven from wool.
Kristina Tsvetkova
Nice to meet you, Anna Marushchak!
What’s your story?
I was born in rural, central Ukraine. I’m studying finance, banking and insurance at Kyiv Mohyla Academy, one of the oldest Ukrainian universities, and was in the middle of my first year when the war began in February 2022. I stayed home for a while before I started to volunteer in Kyiv that summer, helping to clean up and rebuild. I decided after that it would be a good time to go on exchange.
Tell us about your studies…
I studied first in Jyväskylä on an Erasmus+ scholarship, then in Kouvola and finally here at Aalto, where I’ve now been for more than a year. Aalto has a programme where Ukrainian students whose studies have been interrupted by the war can come here and do credits towards their degree back home.
I take classes from different majors, mostly related to finance. I’ve now applied for a master’s degree here in finance, with a connection to sustainable business.
Since my parents in Ukraine cannot afford to support my studies – due to inflation, they can barely cover their own expenses – the Aalto scholarship offered a great opportunity to develop myself.
What was it like moving to Finland?
Finland made my heart warm. It meant a lot to me that when I moved here for the first year I got free public transport inside Helsinki and free travel around the country.
There is a lot of empathy towards Ukrainians, plus support. Government loans don’t exist for students in Ukraine, and there is not so much emphasis on wellbeing. For example, sports facilities are not so developed or affordable for students.
When I arrived in Finland, I was so shocked that the university would promote parties for students – in Ukraine, partying and university are two very different paths!
What do you miss most about home?
I miss it most when I go to social media and see what my friends are re-posting. War has united people in a way, and they’re super patriotic.
I feel a bit jealous that they are able to contribute so much to Ukrainian society and are proud to say they played a part, volunteering, donating, fundraising and buying medical equipment, for example. I miss being a part of this community.
What are your plans for the future?
I would like to stay in Finland for at least a few more years, because I expect swift career development. But after that, I would like to combine my life with Ukraine.
I have a very strong feeling that I need to give something back. At some point I would like to go back – and bring with me some of the Finnish values, knowledge and experience that I have gained here.
Since spring 2022, Aalto University has offered a free separate study right to approximately 120 university students who have fled Ukraine due to the war. This study right applies to individual courses, but several students have expressed their plans to stay at Aalto to complete their bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
The Aalto community has also provided financial support to students from Ukraine. Funds raised through donations have supported 41 students with a monthly grant of €800. The scholarships have been awarded for one semester at a time.
The majority of individual donations have been under €100, demonstrating that even small contributions can have a significant impact when many people donate.
Text Sarah Hudson Photo Nita Vera
Anna Marushchak, who studies at the School of Business, is grateful to the donors on behalf of herself and her Ukrainian student colleagues: ’I believe that such kind gestures will have far-reaching positive effects on the relationship and collaboration between Ukrainians and Finns.’
ESA funding for the space business
The European Space Agency’s new innovation programme in Otaniemi helps Finnish companies commercialise inventions, leverage satellite data and strengthen their position in the industry.
Text Tiina Forsberg
Image The European Space Agency ESA
Spectacular rocket launches, probes exploring the mysteries of outer space, lunar missions, or projects aimed at colonising Mars are probably the first things that come to mind when thinking about space technology. But for humanity’s survival, monitoring our own planet from space is becoming increasingly important.
Space technology is no longer the exclusive domain of large space agencies like NASA and ESA or corporate giants like SpaceX. Finland’s space era began in 2017 with the launch of Aalto-1, a student-led satellite project. Since then, the country has become home to dozens of space technology companies, such as Iceye and Kuva Space, which have gained international recognition as satellite operators.
‘The space sector in Finland is growing rapidly, and there is still huge potential, particularly in developing data analytics and geospatial technologies,’ says Miika Kostamo, project manager of the newly established ESA Phi-Lab Finland.
This role brings together many of Kostamo’s passions. With a background in land surveying, extensive experience in the geospatial sector, studies in international business, and involvement in a company that expanded into global markets, he sees ESA’s innovation programme as a critical resource for Finnish space entrepreneurs. ‘Now is our chance to make a mark,’ he says.
ESA’s interest signals recognition Phi-Lab Finland operates out of the Aalto Startup Center accelerator and collaborates with the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the National Land Survey of Finland’s Geospatial Research Institute
FGI and the University of Vaasa. ESA BIC Finland, a business incubator supporting space startups, is also a partner.
The innovation funding offered by Phi-Lab can be used for research (30%) but is primarily focused on com-
Radar image of the Atacama Desert in South America, captured by ESA satellites.
mercialisation (70%), such as identifying customer needs and acquiring potential clients. The minimum funding amount is €200,000. The programme also provides consulting support, offering 110 hours of expert assistance for research and another 110 hours for business development.
Companies receiving the funding do not have to be startups.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) must contribute 20% of the project’s financing, while large companies need to cover 50%. ‘In practice, even major corporations can apply for funding from ESA Phi-Lab – there are no age or size restrictions,’ says Kostamo.
To qualify for funding, a company must be based in Finland or demonstrate that the project’s benefits will remain in Finland. This ensures that the funding fosters national space innovation, new business opportunities and the development of expertise.
‘Distributing funding is our key task, but building an ecosystem for the space industry and sharing knowledge is just as essential.’
Bridging knowledge gaps in Finland’s space sector
According to Kostamo, the biggest barrier to growing Finland’s space industry is not a lack of talent but a lack of awareness. Finnish companies have limited understanding of international networks and customer needs, while elsewhere in the world, Finland’s high-quality expertise remains largely unknown.
‘Many space companies are engineering-driven, so they could benefit more from Aalto’s strengths in design and business.’
Large space organisations like NASA and ESA are not looking for single, isolated solutions but rather surveying the full range of available expertise. ‘We need
to be able to communicate that Otaniemi is home to a hundred top AI researchers, quantum computing expertise, geoinformatics specialists and worldclass space technology experts. We must present a comprehensive package to potential partners,’ says Kostamo.
Kostamo believes that ESA Phi-Lab is a valuable asset for the entire university. ‘The fact that the European Space Agency has operations in Finland is a brand and communication advantage in itself – it can also attract interest from other potential partners.’
Coping with climate change drives space technology development
Phi-Lab can fund the development of sensors and satellites, as well as the analysis of data from positioning and remote sensing satellites. While some radar satellites have both civilian and military applications, Kostamo emphasises that ESA is a civilian organisation, and Phi-Lab does not fund defence technology.
Instead, radar satellites can be used to monitor floods and changes in natural ecosystems. The international market potential is vast – Iceye, for example, provides real-time disaster monitoring services to governments and the insurance industry.
‘In the event of a flood or other natural disaster, satellite data can quickly identify the affected areas,’ Kostamo explains.
Companies can also receive Phi-Lab funding to apply space technology to new industries. For instance, a forestry company might begin using space technology in agriculture. Satellites offer an unparalleled tool for monitoring environmental changes, such as glacier melt or the effects of the EU’s restoration regulations – challenges that are difficult to assess from the ground alone. Kuva Space’s
hyperspectral imaging, for example, is helping to address these climate and food security issues. Climate change is also shaping the development of space technology. ‘Winemakers in Southern Europe are already analysing where Chardonnay will be grown 10 to 30 years from now,’ says Kostamo. ‘
‘Maybe Finland won’t be a prime wine region within this century, but parts of the Baltics are getting close. Satellite data enables the creation of predictive models that can determine these future trends.’
Finland launches the fourth ESA Phi-Lab
Finland is one of the 23 member states of the European Space Agency (ESA) and contributes approximately €28 million to the organisation annually. This membership fee funds various programmes, such as the ESA BIC business incubator and ESA Phi-Lab, supporting the development of the space sector in member countries.
ESA has granted €5.2 million for the six-year Phi-Lab Finland project, with €4.4 million allocated directly to supporting companies and projects.
The total budget is €11 million, with additional funding from foundations such as KAUTE, Weisell and the Technology Industries of Finland Centennial Foundation.
Finland’s ESA Phi-Lab is the fourth of its kind. The first was established in 2017 in Italy at ESA’s Earth Observation Center, followed by labs in Austria and Norway.
What windows does the Nokia Design Archive open? ?
Early this year, news spread worldwide about the opening of Nokia’s design history at Aalto University – an extraordinary collection in both its richness and authenticity. The materials offer unique opportunities for research across various academic disciplines.
Text Anna-Kaari Hakkarainen
Illustration nokiadesignarchive.aalto.fi
‘The headquarters in Keilaniemi, Espoo, was being cleared out, and Microsoft wanted to get rid of everything,’ says Anna Valtonen, lead researcher of the Nokia Design Archive project and Vice-Chancellor of Konstfack University College of Arts, Crafts and Design in Stockholm.
The year was 2016. Microsoft had acquired Nokia’s mobile phone business a couple of years earlier.
Valtonen was Dean of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture at Aalto University, when she unexpectedly received a call from a former Nokia colleague. She had just 24 hours to act – otherwise, the entire design department archive of Nokia’s mobile business, which Valtonen had helped establish during her time at Nokia, would be lost among other discarded materials, possibly ending up in a dumpster.
Before a van could even be started, legal teams had to be consulted, ensuring that the transfer posed no issues for either Aalto University or Microsoft. Emails and phone calls flew between Espoo and Seattle. Once all parties gave the green light, the van could finally head toward Keilaniemi, just next to Aalto’s Otaniemi campus.
Bringing order to chaos
Nearly a decade later, postdoctoral researcher Kaisu Savola points to neatly arranged folders in the basement of Aalto University in Otaniemi.
‘The archive looked as if designers’ desks had simply been swept into boxes. Everything was in disarray. There was an overwhelming number of boxes,’ Savola recalls.
The archive boxes remained untouched, just as they were when Valtonen rescued them years earlier. Inside were papers, USB drives, objects, photographs, sketches –a mountain of materials that gave no immediate indication of what was essential and what was not.
This marked the beginning of a massive multi-year effort. The core research team secured funding from the Academy of Finland and the KAUTE Foundation. Experts from various fields contributed. The first step was structuring the archive to make it accessible for research.
Savola worked alongside another researcher and an archival trainee to sort and catalog the materials. They categorised content by themes and developed methods to bring logical
The archive now consists of around 25,000 objects and 1 TB of digital files.
order to the chaos. The archive now consists of around 25,000 objects and 1 TB of digital files.
The research project took four years, with two and a half dedicated to building the archive. In September 2022, designer and doctoral researcher Michel Nader joined the team to create an interactive platform, making the materials accessible to a broader audience.
A resource for the humanities
From the outset, the research team agreed that the digital archive should be a curated version of the physical archive, making access easier. They
Fun Camera created in 2000s
Image, virtual glasses created in 1999
Sketches created in 1996
The curated collection provides a unique glimpse behind the scenes of a technology company.
selected 700 unique elements for digitisation, structured them into thematic categories and included video interviews of about 20 Nokia designers, together with transcripts.
The curated collection provides a unique glimpse behind the scenes of a technology company and even a look back at the evolution of our present reality. Nokia played a significant role in shaping the technological aesthetics and experiences we live with today.
The archive’s potential extends beyond designers and historians; it could interest business executives, marketers, sociologists, gender studies researchers, psychologists and fashion scholars – anyone from the humanities.
Given the vast range of perspectives, we asked Savola and Nader to highlight a few key themes that particularly fascinated them and offer rich potential for further research.
1. Behind technology, there’s always a human
From the beginning, Kaisu Savola was drawn to materials that revealed a human presence: hand-drawn sketches, physical models, and prototypes.
She was surprised by the sheer number of prototypes and material samples that had been part of the technology development process. When discussing artificial intelligence and cloud computing, the physical aspect of technology is often overlooked – but it hasn’t disappeared.
Physical objects, of course, cannot be included in a digital archive. To see them up close, you need to visit Otaniemi. However, the digital archive contains photographs of these objects, along with something unique that the physical archive lacks: personal stories.
Michel Nader was determined to reach out to as many former Nokia designers as possible. He managed to track down around 500 and contact around 200, conducting short interviews and filming video clips, all of which are included in the digital archive, along with their CVs. The collection also features artwork by the designers and even photos from company retreats to Lapland.
According to Nader, technology companies such as Philips and Microsoft have design archives, but their materials have been selectively curated to exclude confidential content. The Nokia Design Archive, by contrast, includes a much broader
Rendering, Morph, created in 2008
Video, Design Trends Update, undated
Presentation, EGG Touch Screen Communication Product, created in 1999
Untitled sketches created 2001–2002
2. Business was built around the user
range of materials, making it a rare and extensive qualitative resource.
‘It’s really cool that Finland has such an enormous qualitative dataset,’ Anna Valtonen says. ‘Could there be more like this here?’
She notes that while today’s discussions often focus on quantitative data, extensive qualitative materials like the Nokia Design Archive provide a deeper understanding of how different factors interconnect.
‘This material is valuable now, but just as much 50 years from now, when someone wants to analyse what the world was like,’ Valtonen says. It also offers insights into the present: ‘During Nokia’s peak, the world was in the midst of major technological shifts. Now, with AI, we are experiencing another wave of change. This archive shows how previous transformations were navigated and solved.’
User-centric thinking was a core part of Nokia’s story, Savola says. User needs were continuously studied and anticipated, and product development responded rapidly to emerging signals.
‘In the early 1990s, mobile phones were clearly targeted at businessmen and drivers. They were large, clunky, and neutral in dark tones. Then Nokia popularised colourful phones with interchangeable covers, turning phones into accessories for a broader audience beyond business professionals,’ Savola explains.
However, even as bright-coloured models emerged, Nokia still offered gray, boxy phones. A wide product range was part of its strategy –something for everyone. The archival materials related to user research, however, contain highly stereotypical imagery, particularly regarding gender roles.
‘Nokia turned phones into accessories for a broader audience.’
Rendering, HiSmileCommunication for Kids, created in 2001
Presentation, CMD Evolution from 2005 to 2008, created in 2000s
Photo, handmade model, created in the 1990s
Presentation, lolo - Stories of Value, created in 2000s
‘From the 1990s onward, you can see how Nokia envisioned people using phones for more than just calls and texts: gaming, fitness, self-tracking. They were keenly interested in consumers and continuously studied different target groups.’
Savola also found it fascinating that fashion is a recurring theme in the archive. Nokia saw technology as a form of personal expression, deliberately engaging with the fashion world and collaborating with major fashion houses.
3. Design had many roles
The Nokia Design Archive helps designers reflect on their profession – how design expertise can be applied beyond product development.
At Nokia, designers weren’t just involved in product creation; they also engaged in creative concept work and bold envisioning of the future. ‘Design was used to spark discussions and create
future scenarios,’ Savola says.
For example, Nokia’s 3G concept videos were remarkably accurate, Savola notes, showing a 1999 video where two colleagues have a video-call – one in London, the other in Shanghai – discussing which crab to order for dinner. At the time, such technology was utopian; today, it’s commonplace.
Some ideas, however, missed the mark. ‘The wildest concepts were about nanomaterials. Around 2007–2008, there was a belief that self-shaping materials would be the future, but that hasn’t materialised in daily life.’
4.
Preserving knowledge is always incomplete
Working with the archive gave Savola a concrete understanding of how historical knowledge is preserved – what survives is ultimately random. Research relies on fragmented and incomplete materials. ‘The key is asking what
Publication, Only Planet China, created in 2005
What survives is ultimately random.
News clipping, Morph, created in 2005
Video, Fashion Collection 2005, created in 2004
Unknown model, undated
past events mean in the present. Even if decisions are based on limited sources, making those interpretations is essential.’
The researchers hope that many people will study the archive from different perspectives, generating varied conclusions. The archive offers a uniquely uncensored look into a major design company’s operations – its greatest successes and vulnerabilities alike.
Explore online: nokiadesignarchive.aalto.fi
Mobile phones transformed the world
Nokia began its operations in the 19th century in the paper industry and gradually expanded into a multi-industry company. Over the decades, it produced car tires, rubber boots and electrical cables before shifting its focus to electronics and telecommunications in the 1980s.
In the 1990s, the company rose to become the world’s leading mobile phone manufacturer, with phones like the iconic Nokia 3310 gaining immense popularity.
Nokia had a significant impact on the Finnish economy: its global success generated export revenues and created thousands of jobs. At its peak, the company accounted for nearly four percent of Finland’s GDP.
In 2014, Nokia sold its mobile phone business to Microsoft and has since focused on network infrastructure and technology development.
Unknown model created in the 2000s
Smartwatches could end the next pandemic
Everyday smartwatches are extremely accurate in detecting viral infection long before symptoms appear. Now, research shows how they could help stop a pandemic before it even begins.
Text Sarah Hudson Illustration Tuomas Kärkkäinen
Early detection of sickness is critical for preventing its spread – whether it’s COVID-19, influenza or the common cold. Yet, many illnesses are at their most contagious before people even know they’re sick. Research shows that 44 percent of COVID-19 infections were spread several days before the sufferer came down with symptoms.
Researchers at Aalto University, Stanford University and Texas A&M, have shown how smartwatches could provide a simple and effective way to dramatically minimise the unwitting spread of disease in pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic people. The research, published in prestigious US journal PNAS Nexus, reveals a powerful new tool for pandemic management.
‘Unlike during the pandemic, we now have concrete data on how pandemics develop and how effective different measures are at curbing the spread. Add to this that wearable technology is now extremely effective when it comes to detecting the very early physiological signs of infection, and we’re much better prepared,’ says Märt Vesinurm, from Aalto University.
How
an early ‘ping’ could flatten the curve
Numerous studies have proven the accuracy of wearable devices when it comes to recognising the physiological markers of various illnesses several days before the wearer themself. For example, everyday smartwatches can tell with 88 percent accuracy – from respiration and heart rate, skin temperature and other markers – if you’re coming down with COVID-19. And their accuracy rises to 90 percent accuracy for the flu, Vesinurm says. On average, people reduce social contact between 66–90 percent
from the point when they realise they’re sick, even when not in a pandemic situation.
‘Even at the lower end of compliance, if people receive and act on an earlier warning by self-isolating, the impact is significant. Even just a 66-75 percent reduction in social contacts soon after detection by smartwatches –keeping in mind that that’s on a par with what you’d normally do if you had cold symptoms –can lead to a 40-65 percent decrease in disease transmission compared to someone isolating from the onset of symptoms,’ says Vesinurm.
Notably, the research shows that higher compliance, such as that seen in a pandemic situation, could effectively stop a disease in its tracks. So, could smartwatches help us manage a potential H5N1 (avian flu) epidemic?
‘I see no reason why not,’ says Vesinurm.
‘As we gather more specific data about how different illnesses affect these measurements, there’s no reason we couldn’t distinguish between diseases, from bird flu and HIV to the common cold, especially when used in conjunction with advanced machine learning methods and other data from the user.’
Towards smarter pandemic policies
The team are the first to take real-world data from numerous peer-reviewed epidemiological, biological and behavioural studies and draw it together to mathematically model how infection spreads at a population level. Through this powerful combination of data and tech, Vesinurm foresees a future in which smartwatches change the way we deal with pandemics, at both the individual and the policy level.
‘People are used to wearable devices and they’re likely to trust them. While they’re not yet diagnostic, they could help make unpopular approaches like masks, lockdowns and invasive testing more targeted and less of a blunt instrument,’ he says. An early warning from your smartwatch would be the cue to take other actions, like getting a PCR test, wearing a mask, or not visiting your grandma. The action would depend on the social context at the time and an individual’s assessment of risk.
Having this information not only empowers individuals to make choices that keep their loved ones or community safe, but it also gives decision-makers a powerful tool.
‘It could be that governments find it most cost effective in a pandemic situation to provide every person who wants one with a smartwatch – although of course, this comes with its own ethical considerations,’ says Vesinurm.
‘Either way, with early detection literally at our fingertips, I see a lot of reason to hope.’
The article Terminating pandemics with smartwatches was published in the PNAS Nexus journal.
M A R S I O-
I N O A A L T O
‘Beauty is the harmony of purpose and form’
Aalto University’s new meeting place was named after Aino Marsio-Aalto (1894–1949). As a pioneer of multidisciplinary creativity, she had a significant impact on the history of Finnish architecture and design.
Text Johanna Sippo
Photo Alvar Aalto Foundation
In her designs, Marsio-Aalto emphasised simplicity, humanity and natural materials that bring warmth and humanity to design and connect people with the world around them.
Aalto University’s new meeting place was named Marsio as a tribute to Aino Marsio-Aalto, who was a creative pioneer, architect, designer, entrepreneur and alum of Aalto University.
Marsio-Aalto had a significant impact on the history of Finnish architecture and design. Marsio-Aalto, together with her spouse and partner, architect Alvar Aalto, designed buildings, interior decorations and objects that continue to inspire people and bring beauty into everyday life.
Not just an architect
Aino Marsio-Aalto (1894–1949) studied at the Helsinki University of Technology (now part of Aalto University) in the 1910s, a time when Finland was one of the few countries where women had the right to study to become architects. She graduated as an architect in 1920.
Marsio was interested in learning new things: she developed her skills with a broad scope from the very beginning of her career. She drew and worked as a carpenter and a mason. Later, she became interested in glass. Her broad material knowledge helped develop new types of technology and products, as well as the curved shapes that are characteristic of Aalto design.
When Aino Marsio was 30 years old, she started working at Alvar Aalto’s architectural firm in Jyväskylä. Alvar was four years younger than her. Aino was a modern and independent woman who had travelled in Europe to seek influences for her work. Aino and Alvar started working together, found a common professional calling, and fell in love.
A symbiotic partnership
The couple started their honeymoon to Italy by boarding a seaplane in Katajanokka in Helsinki. This dazzling couple, who were familiar with the trends of the time, were able to work together in an equal and symbiotic manner from the very beginning.
As people, they were opposites: according to Aino, their work complemented each other’s, which made working together fruitful and diverse. When looking at their collaborative works, it’s hard to say who did what. Their shared career began to flourish.
The beauty of functionality
Marsio-Aalto was interested in many aspects of design. Aino’s interest in fashion was evident in her international trips, when she would look for boots and fabrics to take home.
At the same time, her career was characterised by societal awareness. As an architect, she designed health centres and maternity and child health clinics. Marsio-Aalto also studied furniture design and the impact of home decoration on human well-being.
To Marsio-Aalto, functionality meant not only practicality but also beauty and harmony. Instead of luxury, her designs were aimed for beautiful everyday life. One of her most loved designs is the Aino Aalto glassware collection (1932), inspired by the ripples formed by rock thrown into water.
In her designs, Marsio-Aalto emphasised simplicity, humanity and natural materials that bring warmth and humanity to design and connect people with the world around them.
The Aaltos’ legacy in Otaniemi Aino Marsio-Aalto played a key role in establishing Artek in 1935. Artek’s name combines art and technology, and the company specialised in designing and selling furniture, lighting and interior decoration products.
Artek quickly became known for modern design combining aesthetics with functionality. Marsio-Aalto influenced the formation of Artek’s design language. She worked as both a designer and a managing director at Artek.
Otaniemi and the Helsinki University of Technology played an important role in the lives of Aino and Alvar: their education provided a solid foundation for their careers as a pair of entrepreneurs. The couple’s architecture firm won the design competition for the Otaniemi area in 1949. However, Aino passed away before their victory was announced.
Aalto University, named after Alvar Aalto, also carries with it Aino Marsio-Aalto’s heritage in the field of Finnish architecture and design.
The design philosophy of the open-minded globetrotter Aino Marsio-Aalto continues to inspire new talent in the creative field.
The Marsio building in Otaniemi brings together experts from different fields and the latest technology. Inspired by Aino, Marsio is a meeting place where you can already see tomorrow today.
The article is based on Heikki Aalto-Alanen’s book Rakastan sinussa ihmistä. Aino ja Alvar Aallon tarina (I Love a Human Being in You. The Story of Aino and Alvar Aalto), Otava, 2021.
A family connection on campus –the Marsios explore Marsio
Representatives of the Marsio family visited the newly opened Marsio building in the fall of 2024.
For Mikko Marsio, the Otaniemi campus is already a familiar place. In the 1990s, he studied energy technology at the Helsinki University of Technology’s Department of Mechanical Engineering, in a building right next to the new Marsio.
‘I was an active teekkari (student of technology),’ he says. ‘I served as the freshmen captain of the Guild of Mechanical Engineers and was a member of the vocational club and the student union, and also an author of May Day magazines – studies were somewhat secondary at times.’
One of his fondest memories is linked to the campus duck pond, which used to be between Alvarinaukio and the old shopping center. The traditional tug-of-war between mechanical and electrical engineering students was always held across the pond, ensuring that the losing team ended up in the water.
‘When I was the freshmen captain for mechanical engineering, the pond was filled in and paved over, so I had to find a new location for the tug-of-war together with the freshmen captain of electrical engineering, Pekka Mannila.’
They found a substitute near the Electrical Engineering building – another somewhat swampy pond. The new pond was officially inaugurated by
Text Paula Haikarainen
The Marsios gathered for a group photo in front of the stage and the big screen. Front row from left: Timo, Liisa, Virve (Suonperä), Kaija and Mikko. Top row from left: Leena-Maija, Leena, Lilli (Liisa), Ronja, Valtteri, Vappu and Riikka.
the legendary leader of the Otaniemi Teekkari Village, Ossi Törrönen, and was named after him. ‘The name Ossinlampi (Ossi’s pond) was something Pekka and I came up with.’
Mikko Marsio completed his master’s thesis in industrial engineering and management in 1997 and has since pursued a career in commercial leadership roles. He hasn’t strayed far from Otaniemi – today, he works in software companies in the Keilaniemi business district, one as a commercial director and the other as a board member.
A great joy for the family
Nearly all of the members of the Marsio family gathered in November 2024 for a visit to the new building.
‘Aino Marsio-Aalto was the sister of my grandfather’s father. There were 12 siblings in total. I recently checked, and today there are 20 Marsios,’ says Mikko Marsio.
‘Seeing your own surname on a public building is a bit surreal, but even more of a joy. All of us who were able to attend at the time liked what we saw.’
And Mikko Marsio adds that one of them is studying at Aalto today. ‘My daughter Vappu is a student of mechanical engineering. She represents the fourth generation of Marsios at Aalto University, or the fifth if you count from Aino’s generation.’
The Marsio building is located at the heart of the Otaniemi campus, at Otakaari 2.
Nico Luode
Nora Rahnasto
Doctoral theses
Approximately 250 doctors of technology, business, arts and philosophy graduate from Aalto University each year. The largest number of doctorates is completed in the tech fields.
Aalto University doctoral programmes are designed to be completed in four years when studying full time or in eight years if studying part time.
Workplace language is a barrier to inclusion
Finnish companies often market themselves as international organisations, where working in English is possible. In practice, however, a lack of Finnish language skills can lead to discrimination and feelings of exclusion.
In her doctoral thesis, Hilla Back examined the inclusion of highly educated migrants from a language perspective. The study is based on interviews conducted in two multilingual organisations in Finland, as well as surveys, media articles and internal company documents.
The research shows that lacking proficiency in the local language can make someone excluded, even when employees are promised the opportunity to work in English. Discrimination occurs in both spoken and written communication in remote work and in face-to-face interactions at the office.
For example, workplaces may hold ‘shadow meetings’ where decisions are made in Finnish before including all employees.
Language-based discrimination is not limited to interpersonal interactions but is also embedded in organisational processes. Companies should ensure that intranet platforms and forms are multilingual, internal news is published simultaneously in both Finnish and English and training sessions are conducted in a language accessible to all employees.
Back emphasises that if Finland aims to attract and retain international talent in the long term, organisations must pay more attention to language policies. Everyday language choices play a crucial role in multilingual workplaces.
Hilla Back 15.11.2024: Skilled yet minoritized: An equality, diversity, and inclusion perspective on skilled migrants in multilingual organizations
Doctoral theses can be interdisciplinary: they can include parts from other fields of research, for example, on art in a technology thesis or vice versa.
Text Marjukka Puolakka
There are 3,200 doctoral students representing 95 different nationalities. Approximately 1/3 of them are doctoral researchers working at Aalto.
Theses online: aaltodoc.aalto.fi shop.aalto.fi
Towards a greener metal industry
The metallurgical industry is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions due to its reliance on fossil-based reductants, such as coke. In his doctoral thesis, Desmond Attah-Kyei explored the use of alternative reducing agents in iron production.
Hydrogen, biochar, and leach residue obtained from waste-printed circuit boards were used to develop more sustainable pyrometallurgical processes and to enhance metal recovery.
Attah-Kyei conducted several high-temperature reduction experiments in a vertical furnace on a laboratory-scale. Thermodynamic simulations were carried out to compare the experimental results and to predict the outcome on an industrial scale.
The studies revealed that PCB leach residue can be used in the reduction processes but can only partially replace conventional reductants. Hydrogen was found to enhance metal recovery from iron residue from zinc processing, confirming its potential as a cleaner alternative to carbon-based reductants. Biochar, produced through biomass pyrolysis, demonstrated superior reactivity compared to coke, leading to improved metal recovery during treatment of nickel and copper slags.
The findings have several industrial applications. These include reducing the reliance on coke in iron and steel production, enhancing metal recovery from slags, and repurposing e-waste. By demonstrating the feasibility of alternative reducing agents, Attah-Kyei’s work helps the metal industry move towards greener processes, which can significantly lower the industry’s CO2 emissions.
Desmond Attah-Kyei 31.1.2025: The use of alternative reductants in pyrometallurgical operations
Playgrounds for children –away from car traffic
Children’s play became an important part of urban planning in Finland between the 1950s and 1970s as urban migration accelerated, says Veera Moll in her doctoral thesis.
Finland underwent rapid urbanisation from the 1950s to the 1970s. Streets filled with cars, and courtyards filled with children who needed space to play in growing cities. A lively expert debate began on what kind of play environment would be safe and suitable for children.
‘Children were not considered to be in the right place where they already were – in courtyards and on streets. With the construction of playgrounds and suburban areas designed for families with children, childhood became part of urban planning.
At the same time, adults took responsibility and power over children’s spaces for play and movement,’ says Veera Moll, who examined the shaping of childhood in urban planning in 1950s–1970s Helsinki in her doctoral thesis.
At the mercy of cars
Playgrounds competed for space in an urban environment increasingly dominated by cars. While the desire to promote children’s play areas was clear, increasing car traffic forced ever tighter restrictions on children’s freedom of movement and play.
‘Car traffic was seen as inevitable – almost like a force of nature – to which children’s play had to adapt,’ says Moll. ‘It can be said that Finnish urban childhood came secondary to the development of car traffic.’
Playgrounds became a hallmark of the childhood environments of the post-war baby boom generation. From the 1950s onwards, they were built extensively, particularly in Helsinki’s new suburban areas. Other spaces for play such as rocks, forests, shores, and courtyards were still important for kids as well. The 1970s was an active decade for developing playgrounds and children’s activities.
‘Playgrounds in the 1970s were often large park
areas. In addition to sandboxes, swings and ball game areas, many playgrounds had small pools, carousels and slides. The sandboxes in housing courtyards also became an important part of family life.’
The foundation for today’s playground networks
Various organisations produced reports and recommendations on children’s needs in urban environments, addressing issues such as the distance from home to the nearest playground, the size of play areas, and equipment suitable for different age groups.
The Leikkialueiden suunnittelu report (Planning of play areas), published in 1974, remains the only national guideline for playgrounds in Finland. Although play environments have diversified and safety requirements increased, many basic principles have remained unchanged.
‘Playgrounds are still free and open to all. Helsinki’s playgrounds offer supervised activities, and the cherished tradition of free summer meals has endured,’ says Moll.
At the same time, the threat posed by car traffic to children’s independent movement remains. Children have also moved to the back seats of cars, reducing their own active mobility in urban space.
Veera Moll continues her research as a postdoctoral researcher at the Transport Research Centre Verne at Tampere University, focusing on how transport and the urban environment can promote active travel.
Veera Moll 13.12.2024: Lapset kaupunkisuunnittelukysymyksenä 1950–1970-lukujen Helsingissä
Nita Vera
How do you control light?
Actually, it’s not just me – controlling light is something we all do every day, by turning on a lamp, closing our eyes, wearing sunglasses or taking a photo.
At the fundamental level, light is controlled through its interaction with materials. When light encounters a material, it causes the electrons in that material to move, creating new sources of light. By understanding and manipulating these interactions, we can design materials that guide light in specific ways. This principle is behind technologies like lenses, mirrors and even advanced optical devices.
When we talk about light, people usually think of its visible frequencies. But all electromagnetic waves have the same nature as light. So, with new materials, we can control microwave radiation, terahertz radiation or radio waves, too.
What are the benefits of controlling light?
The ability to manipulate light has vast applications. If we look at the past 120 years, about 20 Nobel Prizes in physics have been awarded for advancements in controlling light. In practical applications, lightbased technologies are used in, for example, laser systems, medical imaging, telecommunications, and even augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) glasses. The study of light leads to more efficient displays,
Viktar Asadchy, how do you control light?
This
associate professor of electromagnetics manipulates and directs light with materials.
Text Laura Vaherkoski
Photo Outi Törmälä
light sources and communication networks, as well as new ways to interact with the digital world –just to name a few benefits.
In your research, you focus on developing artificial materials that control electromagnetic waves. Why do we need new materials?
Naturally occurring materials can control light in certain ways, but they have limitations. That’s why we develop artificial materials, known as metamaterials. Instead of simply mixing materials chemically or physically, we can structure them in space at microscopic scales, creating unique properties. This way we can make optical devices smaller, more efficient and more versatile.
For example, we can design ultra-thin lenses to replace bulky camera optics or even create invisibility cloaks by bending light around objects. One recent promising application is metamaterial-inspired “smart walls” that enhance signal strength by directing electromagnetic waves precisely where needed, improving connectivity in urban environments.
What is your greatest dream as a researcher?
When I was younger, I had an ambitious – and now I can say also a bit silly – dream to discover a new type of fundamental interaction in physics. All known forces in physics
are categorized into four types: weak and strong nuclear interactions, gravitational forces, and electromagnetic forces. My dream was to find a new force that didn’t fit into any of these categories.
Now, my dream is more grounded in reality. I want to make discoveries that lead to real-world applications within my lifetime – something that can be implemented in industry within the next 20 or 30 years. Seeing my research contribute to technology and improve people’s lives would be the greatest achievement.
What fascinates you about electrical engineering and optics?
What I love about these fields is that they sit at the intersection of abstract theoretical physics and real-world applications. Abstract thinking is required to understand the principles of something we usually can’t detect with our own eyes –electromagnetic waves. But at the same time, we can conduct experiments and see direct applications of our work in the world.
Key figures from Aalto 2024
281 doctoral degrees,
2,257
master’s degrees (including architects and landscape architects), and
1,731
bachelor’s degrees were completed.
Ranked in patent applications in Finland. #3
80 %
of our students are considering starting a business in the future.
Over
33, 000
people from all over Finland participated in Aalto University Junior’s activities.
17,618
people participated in our lifewide learning and open university courses.
285
We produced artistic creations (including publications, exhibitions, and performances).
53,000 m2
aalto.fi/en/ lifewide-learning
115
With over nationalities in our community, we are among the most international universities in Europe.
16%
Almost of our scientific publications are among the top
