Scope #18 (12/2023)

18 WINTER 2 02 3/ 2 02 4

Small adjustments, tremendous impact

Aligning company values with daily work WOIMA Ecosystem in the heart of global climate change mitigation Building global field service capability and partnerships

S CO PE #18

Contents 4

Brand refresh: Tapping into the core

7

Prohoc values: What do we stand for?

10

Resilience muscles

11

From the CoB: All aboard on a growth journey

12

Global expansion

14

WOIMA: eFuels to the rescue

16

Portrait: Jani Laiho

18

PMC development begins to bear fruit

20 Unleashing potential:

Services hold the key to global growth

22

Scope is a stakeholder magazine giving insight to the daily business and development of Prohoc Group and its personnel. PUBLISHER: Prohoc Group EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Ilkka Palola ART DIRECTOR: Jonne-Pekka Stenroos/Staart COVER PHOTO: Anssi Koskinen PRINTED BY PunaMusta Oy, Finland. Papers and inks used are eco-friendly and produced responsibly.

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Wellbeing: Build your resilience

K E YNOT E

Beyond the finish line A

s we approach the end of the year, I find myself, like many of you, playing my usual dual roles: part analyst, reflecting on the year gone by, and part fortune-teller, gazing into the crystal ball of the future. What made me smile? Where do I hope not to trip again?

Many of you know that I am a fitness enthusiast, and I derive pleasure from the results. However, as all runners know, the true 'runner’s high' comes from running itself, not just from crossing the finish line.

Yes, the feeling at the finish line of a half marathon is euphoric, but a moment later you're already signing

up for a full marathon. This resembles an infinite game where true motivation springs from the workouts, the camaraderie with training partners, the journey itself, and continuous improvement, rather than from individual victories.

In the same way, I think about the journey we've taken with Prohoc: Where did we succeed, what challenges did we face, and most importantly, what are our aspirations for the future?

When I think about our past year, I feel pride in the successes of our people and our customers: Our employee survey and statistics indicate that we are now a happier and safer workplace than ever before. We have excelled in our roles across our services, resulting in forecasted revenue growth of 14%. We have also succeeded in strengthening the foundation for growth and profitability reaching the group profitability target of 7%.

Green KPIs feel good, and they are worth enjoying at the finish line of the year-end. But at the same time, our eyes are already on next year and how we work together with our customers, create value in our services, and develop our safe, sustainable, and happy work culture.

Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey and for the moments of growth we've shared this year. I wish each one of you a peaceful holiday season.

Ilkka Palola CEO

A SMALLTOWN BOY, BORN BY THE SEA. A complex mix-

ture of an engineer and a humanist. Passionate about planning for the next steps. Spends most of his free time on his couch with the family, running with a map in the woods, sweating in Les Mills classes and playing with Excel spreadsheets.

LI: @ilkkapalola 3

Hello old friend: Gazing at the Prohoc’s core

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P RO H O C — BRA ND

Looking in the mirror can be difficult if your appearance does not match your inner world. The turbulence of the past few years and strong growth have caused us to start looking at how future-proof the Prohoc brand is. When we started the work, the biggest question was “Do we need to change and, if we do, by how much?”. Instead of only looking at the external operating environment, we turned our attention inwards.

Text & Illustration Jonne-Pekka Stenroos

I

n 1996, the ice hockey community in Vaasa was faced with the oldest problem in the world: they had run out of money. At the same time, the local industrial facilities needed more workers.

The survival of the ice hockey team was seen as important, so interests met and a company called Prohoc was born.

When Prohoc’s Brand Update 4.0 started in early 2023, much had changed since the 1990s. Prohoc had progressed from grassroots support activities to its current situation, where the day-to-day operations of the Prohoc community involve nearly 400 seasoned professionals around the world, as well as ensuring these professionals’ well-being.

The story, which started with recognising the importance of a small ice hockey team, is still going strong.

The Vaasan Sport ice hockey team is doing pretty well, too.

As the organisation’s headcount increases, so does the variety of views within the organisation.

There are plenty of ideas and talk about how things are and how they should be dealt with. The operating environment also changes as the world around us never stops evolving. We’re always encountering new terms, such as Industry 5.0, Artificial Intelligence and Squash Padel Pickleball. Keeping up with the development has been a challenge for all of us.

“When I started working for Prohoc in 2013, disc golf was very trendy and we all worked in person at

the office. In many ways, the world was quite different. Now, I have nearly 400 colleagues, and our turnover has tripled over the past two years (2022: EUR 30 million). In the middle of these transformations, it has been important to realise that some things never change – such as my golf handicap, which is still 20,” says Iiro Wesslin, Prohoc’s newly appointed Head of Business Unit, Projects.

“Y

ou won’t notice the speed if you don’t look out of the window the whole time,” said the conductor as we were travelling to the brand workshop in Vaasa.

Inspired by the advice of someone more experienced than us, we started looking inwards when thinking about the reason for Prohoc’s existence: what unites us as Prohoc employees, other than the company’s logo in the corner of the payslip?

What is unchanging about us, and what can we rely on even when the world around us surprises us and forces us to do ukemi?

We were discussing the fundamentals of being human – and we had a lot to say.

We also had to test our theses, so we activated our swarm intelligence and asked the entire staff of Prohoc to talk about their motives and influences, not just in their work but also in life in general.

What makes us get out of bed in the morning?

“Defining the values of the organisation cannot be just left to the company’s management team. By including every Prohoc employee, we were able to 5

prompt in-depth discussions on the significance of life, work and the tensions between them with people at different levels of the organisation,” Wesslin says.

We found out that Prohoc is intelligent and productive, efficient and adaptable, but it is also emotional and hesitant, likes to dance and tell jokes.

We crave camaraderie and closeness, and value honesty and caring. We practise these virtues as well as we can at home and at work, indoors and in the garden. In addition to our rational success factors, we must also always have soft success factors.

You can learn more about the Prohoc’s values on the next pages of this publication.

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e found that the power that set Prohoc in motion is still there at the core of our organisation. We had discovered the philosopher’s stone. Now, we needed to make it even more visible and audible.

Synchronising Prohoc’s internal culture and external brand became our goal.

Design work, which is an essential part of developing the brand, is a creative process that aims to make things that are difficult to comprehend easy to understand, interesting and accessible.

The thorough groundwork made it a pleasure to start building an even more diverse and expressive toolkit that gets people thinking and talking about Prohoc’s unique characteristics. There was a lot to do. The colour palette expanded, the shapes became rounder and the logo became lighter. Our values, propositions and guiding principles got their standard written forms. Abstract ideas were turned into something concrete.

Spring turned to summer, and our project reached the finishing line. But the work is just starting. A brand is a living organism that develops every day during every encounter and interaction.

A brand is always a reflection of its creators and more than the sum of its parts. Just like a company called Prohoc and its people, who make up Prohoc.

O U R K E Y M E S SAGE S

Prohoc brand diamond

A CORE

B P ROJECTS

We believe that care amplifies growth

Right people make excellent projects

Prohoc was born to care. What started as a support for local sportlife evolved into a global growth company. One thing has stayed in our DNA from the beginning - care. Only by taking better care of each other can we grow as humans - and thus as a company.

Care amplifies growth.

VALU ES — OU R CARE DRIV ERS Team.

We care for each other Integrity.

We care for customer’s success Make it happen.

We care for excellence.

Well-being.

We care for happier workdays.

C O&M

Handling with care D P RODU CT I ON

Our team delivers E COMMU N I T Y

Caring for our people, delivering on our promises F RECRU ITM EN T

We’ve got your back

P ROHOC — VA LUES

What does Prohoc stand for?

Aligning company values with daily work and what matters to our employees in Prohoc is essential for us. Values create a pillar for us to lean on in our daily activities as our guiding principles.

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rohoc has always been a value driven organization, however during the fast growth of our organization it was now time to open the value discussion and involve our employees to give feedback, what do we stand for us a company.

Well selected values guide our actions, behaviour, and thinking both at work and at out of work. For this reason, we wanted to include all of us to define the choices of our common practices and behaviours.

“Last spring we conducted a value survey where employees could choose 10 values most important to them from a long list of values. After that the 10 chosen values were narrowed down to five most important ones. This was again narrowed down to three core values. At the end, the respondent could describe why they chose the three values and how those values are visible in their every-day” says Johanna Hämäläinen, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO) in Prohoc.

The idea behind the value survey was that the survey is not useful only to Prohoc but also to the respondent themselves. “We all should should think about our own values from time to time, and that is what we usually do at the crossroads of life. The survey gave us valuable input and quite easily we were able to align all answers into four culture pillars” says Johanna.

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rohoc was born to care. What started as a support for local sports life over 20 years ago has evolved over the years into a global growth company. One thing has stayed in Prohoc DNA from the beginning: Care. Only by taking better care of each other can we grow as humans and as a company. Care is at the center of everything we do. It’s the core of our success.

The four chosen culture pillars were all built around the care. These values together form the foundation for Prohoc filled with purpose, care, growth, and success.

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PRO H OC — VA LU ES

Our values, our culture pillars

W E CA R E FO R E AC H OT H E R

I

ntegrity refers to commitment to moral and ethical principles even when no one is watching. It is like a compass that keeps us on the right path.

The value of "Integrity" is a reminder that honesty, accountability, and moral courage are the cornerstones for excellence. Choosing to act with integrity builds trust, respect, and credibility, both with ourselves and customers.

Make it happen

T

eam stands for both work, family, friends and partnerships. Through collaboration and teamwork, we reach new heights. As the saying goes, "Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." The value of "Team" reminds us that we are not alone in our endeavors.

Working together with a diverse group of individuals brings a wealth of perspectives, skills, and experiences to the table. It fosters innovation, builds trust, and promotes a sense of belonging. In a strong team, each member complements the others, creating a synergy that guides us towards collective success.

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WE C A RE FOR OUR C USTOMER SUC C ESS

Make happ

“The value Team is very visible in Prohoc.

We Prohocians are just like a one big family; we care about our people and we all help our customers to succeed. In my own work I always try my best to build good relationships and collaboration both with our people as well as customers. I strongly believe that together we can do so much more, and co-operation is the key.”

“Value Integrity is part of my daily work constantly as I work with quality management. I review our current policies and working practices, investigate possible deviations to ensure right ways of working. I build integrity through common discussion as I feel integrity is also about sharing same understanding of our practices. In addition, supporting and guiding people to work according to agreed policies in important.“

Sakari Seppänen Lead Operations

Pauliina Finne Quality & Development Lead

Photos Anssi Koskinen

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W E C A R E FO R E XC E L L E NC E

Make it happen

ell-being was one of the core values selected by most people. This value reminds us to take care of ourselves, families, and colleagues.

Wellbeing is about finding a work life balance, managing stress, and nurturing relationships, but also in Prohoc humor and learning were seen as important well-being elements. By investing in our wellbeing, we recharge our spirits, making us better equipped to pursue our ambitions and support those around us.

Well-being

WE C A RE FOR HA P P IER WORKDAYS

T

he value of "Make It Happen" stands for achieving our goals and professional pride. It requires determination, resilience, and commitment.

Making it happen is about setting clear goals, creating a plan, and putting in the hard work. It's about embracing challenges as opportunities and learning from setbacks. It's about continuously taking steps, no matter how small, towards our common goals.

“Make it happen in my own work means I take care of the customer order diligently and I always take care even the most difficult or time-consuming tasks the best way I can. If there is any unclarities in orders I contact the customer right away to find out details, so I can continue my work quickly. Make it happen value is also visible in my personal life, as I’m the one in our family who always takes care of all arrangements and schedules.“

“Wellbeing value is part of my days many ways. I cycle to work every day. Lunch and coffee breaks together with colleagues bring energy during the workday and the best thing is that you get to know your colleagues much better which builds great team spirit and sense of belonging. For me wellbeing is also about caring others, that’s why committing to common ways of working for example meeting practices is important.”

Merja Huhmarsalo Marking Solution Specialist

Jussi Sulkakoski Business Controller

The power of values

Johanna Hämäläinen CHRO

The chosen values inspire us to be our best selves, to create positive change, and to make a difference as the journey goes forward. “When values are aligned to serve our mission and strategy and when they are connected to employees’ own personal values, they serve as a lighthouse to attract employees and guide them to do their best both professionally and personally” says Johanna and continues “the most difficult part is still a head of us as values don’t become real unless we put a lot of effort to align them into our daily working. This requires hard work and attention especially from our leaders, however we are sure it will be worth it”.

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R ES ILIEN CE

Tips for building resilience → 22

Bounce back and carry on We all know Tigger, the lovable fictional character from A.A. Milne’s “Winnie the Pooh” series, known for his endless energy, positiveness, bold enthusiasm and bouncing skills. Tigger once said “Why do we fall, you ask? So, we can practice our bouncing skills!”

relationships that enable them to call on others for assistance and support. This muscle enables you to lean on others and on the other hand support others when dealing with challenges.

6. STRUCTURE Resilient individuals effectively develop and apply systems, processes, and structures. This helps you plan, coordinate, and use your energy efficiently in challenging situations.

7. EXPERIMENTING Resilient individuals initiate action in the face of uncertainty, taking calculated risks rather than seeking the comfort of the status quo.

This helps you get out of your comfort zone and try new ways of operating when facing challenges.

C A RI NG A ND G ROW I NG

M

ost people feel well when things are under control. People also tend to expect predictability. However, we all face unplanned challenges. Predictability and control are not always in our own hands.

Then we need skills to bounce back.

PE RS ONAL R ESIL IENC E

Resilience is the ability to adapt, bounce back, and recover from adversity, challenges, or difficult life situations. It involves effectively coping with stress, setbacks, and traumatic experiences while maintaining mental and emotional well-being. “We all have our own individual capacity to cope with challenges, however having resilience we can face difficult circumstances with a sense of strength, determination, and flexibility, allowing us to navigate life's ups and downs more effectively” says Johanna Hämäläinen, CHRO in Prohoc and continues “good news is also that we can strengthen our own personal resilience capabilities to be able to bounce back easier, when challenges come to our way”.

RES I LIENCE MUSCLES

According to research done by Resiliency Alliance people going through change and oth10

er challenges have certain identified characteristics that help them to adopt change effectively. These characteristics represent the core components of resilience. Each of these muscles are important by themselves, however the magic happens, when you can utilize the muscles all together.

1. POSITIVITY Resilient individuals effectively identify opportunities in turbulent environments. This muscle helps you interpret situations in a way that offers hope and possibility.

2. CONFIDENCE Resilient individuals have the personal confidence to believe they can succeed in the face of uncertainty.

This helps you to trust your capabilities to overcome the challenge.

3. PRIORITIES Resilient individuals have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and when. This helps you identify the most important things to pay attention to as you face challenges.

4. CREATIVITY Resilient individuals generate a wide range of ideas and approaches for responding to new situations. This helps you review alternative possibilities and options for dealing with challenges.

5. CONNECTION Resilient individuals build

Resilience is important for our overall wellbeing, as it enables people not only to survive in challenging situations, but also grow from them. It’s a valuable skill to develop, as it helps people to better cope and recover from setbacks allowing us to grow through these experiences.

As the speed is fast and changes come and go it’s important that people have the skills to develop their change capabilities.

That’s why Prohoc has decided to invest on personal resilience development. “It’s good to keep in mind that developing resilience is not about developing superheroes, who never break down. It’s about supporting people to bounce back with lower damages while maintaining overall energy level and wellbeing when challenges come to your way” says Johanna and continues “Also, it’s important to understand that building personal inner strengths is not enough. In addition, we need to focus on complete wellbeing of our people and ensure the balance between work and personal life, good working conditions and supportive leadership.”

So, what can we learn from Tigger? Tigger reminds us that even in challenging times we can bounce back with positivity, self–confidence and nurturing good relationships.

After all “life is not about how fast you run or how high you climb but how well you bounce,” says Tigger.

FROM T H E DES K O F C O B

Kudos to amazing people in our journey Past few years have been extraordinary times to experience as a father and an entrepreneur. Personally, moving from the city to nature and having my family blessed with two newborns, altogether bringing fresh reminders on what truly is important in life. At the same time navigating through some troubled waters in the form of global pandemics, war in our neighborhood and the inflation and rising cost of capital. During the same time, we’ve been going through some big changes and growth in Prohoc business.

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e set ourselves on a growth journey late 2019 and as part of that rearranged the leadership, made one small acquisition, started a new business and expanded geographically into new territories.

Well, global pandemic gave one extra year for our initial target, but we are still on the right pace. Last year ended with a record revenue going pass 30M€ and this year we’ll see some further growth as well. During this time our community of prohocians has grown from a bit more than 100 to nearly 400 employees.

At the same time our eNPS and NPS figures are at all-time high. It has been a huge stretch from our team and without truly incredible people at the helm of Prohoc’s daily operations, we would’ve never made it.

The trust we’ve seen from our strategic customers has been just amazing, especially the way we’ve been welcomed as a strategic member in the Wärtsilä STH ecosystem among other great successes with Valmet, Andritz, Northvolt and Neste to name a few.

When we look at the drivers behind these successful years, we can divide them into four main ones. Firstly, and I believe most importantly the changes we made in the leadership.

Ilkka becoming CEO in 2021, newhires in the leadership team such as Jossu taking the role of CHRO, Jari joining the team to take over O/M business and Matias growing as a leader together with his production business. There would be dozens of more names to mention here, you all have done a superb job.

Secondly, we’ve been able to create new

services and formulate our value proposition in a compelling way and earn the trust of our dear customers. There are so many amazing people as our partners. It feels that with many of our customers we are being treated truly as partners. We share the same values and together strive to find new ways to make work smarter and the world better for all of us.

No names here, but you all know who I mean when I write true partners.

Thirdly, this growth would’ve never happened without success in our talent aqcuisition. The determination we’ve had over these years in building our employer brand and nominating the right people in leader positions. We have truly lived our mission.

Getting amazing new people into our key HR and recruitment positions. Johanna, Katri, Mariella and Kia together with the support of our backoffice and sales teams have simply delivered tremendous results.

Finally, building new businesses and markets at times of uncertainty, going through our restructuring into new corporate model, reinventing our processes and ways of working and finally bringing huge number of new prohocians to work with new technologies and services. This has been a super hard push from our entire personnel and I could not be more proud to say you’ve all done resiliently beyond expectations. Hands down, just amazing people forming a winning team. Yet we have a lot more to accomplish, and I look forward to each day caring and amplifying growth together with all you amazing folks!

Matti Manner Chair of the Board

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GLO BA L EX PA N S ION

Hello afternoon tea — Hola Pepián Text Matti Manner Illustration Shutterstock / Jonne-Pekka Stenroos

P

ast three years, Prohoc has been successfully building new partnerships and services in the domestic market, and at the same time growing its global presence by establishing business entities in Italy, Chile, Portugal and Sweden. Next, it’s time to learn the details of British afternoon tea and the Guatemalan local customs with its spicy delicacies. Luckily the leaders taking positions in these new subsidiaries are equipped with a vast amount of experience in these markets. Both Markku Aspholm and Pekka Mustonen are not fresh off the boat when it comes to working in their new territories.

Prohoc has started developing global field service resourcing business to support partner OEM’s with their lifecycle business.

Jari Saaranen and Markku Aspholm are looking to build a global service business to support mainly Prohoc’s key accounts and the first step beyond our Nordic presence is the establishment of a new subsidiary in Guatemala. As the country is currently in a transition phase with the recent elections and the new president taking office in 14 January, there’s surely still a need to see that the transition will go smoothly, but there’s a workaround if that’s not the case. Central Americas hub will anyway be operational during Q1 2024 and the business outlook is promising for the region.

In the Central Americas region, there is a large installed technology base with Prohoc’s current key accounts, and it also offers a good location to serve customers elsewhere in the Americas region. Prohoc has, through Markku’s knowledge in the region, access to capable technicians and engineers having the ability to work even around the world. As an example, Prohoc had 4 Guatemalan mechanical technicians 12

working in the production unit in Vaasa during latter part of this year. The experience was super positive, and the aim is to continue bringing engine experts from time to time if needed to balance the workload of the Vaasa production operations team.

The feedback from key account customers is that the future need for capable engineers and technicians, both mechanical and electrical, is rising and it’s becoming more difficult to find the needed skills available when the increasing lifecycle business creates surging resource needs during scheduled maintenance breaks and during the operations in general. Central Americas is the first global hub while more will follow during the next two years when Prohoc aims to establish hubs in eastern Europe and Asia.

E

ntering the UK is on the other hand more of a combined effort for Prohoc’s O/M and Project services businesses. The UK market, post-Brexit, now has quite some opportunities in the energy and industrial sectors. Investments in renewables have created a demand for balancing and backup power generation and investments in commodities production is also active. Brexit also brought a loss in foreign workers in the UK while foreign direct investments and investments into decarbonization and infrastructure keeps the demand for skilled professionals on the high side. “Combining our Finnish project services operations with the local presence in UK will open good opportunities to grow our project business”, says Iiro Wesslin, Head of Business Unit, Project Services at Prohoc.

Today it’s basically impossible to do business in the UK without a local subsidiary. Bringing experts to work on customer

projects requires presence and a sponsor license to operate in UK. Prohoc’s UK subsidiary is already incorporated and will be fully operational by January 2024. Besides the new investments, there is an abundance of opportunities in the asset management side, offering business opportunities for Prohoc’s O/M business. Several of Prohoc’s current customers have ongoing sites and new projects starting in the UK creating opportunities to join forces in the new market.

Having a strong background in global large capital-intensive industrial projects in different roles, Pekka Mustonen brings a great deal of expertise to Prohoc’s UK business development and service delivery. Having worked at Prohoc as a consultant for the first time more than 15 years ago, Pekka rejoined Prohoc as a senior project manager in 2018 and has been since then leading several different customer projects. Pekka’s experience in delivering projects in the UK, combined with understanding Prohoc’s key account customers businesses and Prohoc’s services, makes a unique skillset to establish Prohoc in the UK market.

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hile the business environment in many of the European countries, Finland in the forefront, is not looking that good, Prohoc aims to seek growth from new markets.

This is primarily being done by listening closely and following key account customers to markets where the opportunities still exist. It is never easy to enter new markets, but having great customers, the right talent and courage to try new things is a good start and the results you get is what you deserve.

In the coming Scope magazines, we’ll dive deeper into what is cooking for Prohoc both in the UK and in the Central Americas.

ILLUSTRATING THE CONTINENTAL DRIFT AS A BASIS FOR PROHOC'S GLOBAL EXPANSION

CAMBRIAN 570

ORDOVICIAN 505

MILLIONS OF YEARS

SILURIAN 438

408

GLOBAL

DEVONIAN 408

CASBONIFEROUS

360

PERMIAN

286

245

EXPANSION TRIASSIC

245

JURASSIC

208

CRETACEOUS

144

66,4

MILLONES DE AÑOS

ILUSTRANDO LA DERIVA CONTINENTAL COMO BASE PARA LA EXPANSIÓN GLOBAL DE PROHOC

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WO IMA

eFuels: Bridging the ways towards cleaner future Text Henri Kinnunen Illustration WOIMA Corporation / Jonne-Pekka Stenroos

O

ver the last 18 months, fossil fuel prices have soared due to the volatility in international oil and gas markets further exacerbated by geopolitical insecurity.

This, combined with the global drive towards zero carbon solutions, has led to fossil-fuel-dependent industries looking to cheaper low-carbon options. One answer is eFuels, which are types of synthetic fuels produced by synthesizing renewably-produced hydrogen with captured carbon to create a new environmentally-friendly hydro-carbon fuel.

DECAR BONIZING H EAV Y TRAN SPORT

As one of the highest emitting sector of the global economy, solving the challenge of decarbonizing transport, in particular high-carbon heavy transport sectors such as aviation and shipping, is one of the greatest challenges on the path to net zero.

The two most-discussed options are electric and fuel cell power. But electrification suffers from the relatively low energy density of solid-state batteries, while hydrogen fuel cells lower volumetric energy density would require a large tank space eating into the commercially available payload. Thus, these options are not an immediate solution, nor do they address the substantial sunken costs in existing infrastructure. This has the transport industry assessing various other technologies, including eFuels, in an attempt to decarbonize heavy transport.

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The eFuels have a much higher energy density than hydrogen and can be stored at room temperature and pressure. They also have the ability to act as ‘drop-in fuels’ in the existing fossil fuel supply chain and power systems. Specifically, as they are able to integrate into existing filling stations, refineries, storage terminals etc., eFuels could allow for a rapid and seamless transition to meet some demand for low carbon fuel. This could make eFuels important for airlines and shipping which have a large existing combustion engine fleet.

Substituting eFuels into existing assets (such as ships, aircrafts, and industrial

engines) rather than scrapping them, which would be necessary in the case of other heavy transport decarbonisation options, would avoid the cost and carbon emissions associated with replacing the vehicle fleet.

Though eFuels have their advantages, the production method presents a number of barriers that could prevent efficient and cost-effective adoption into the low carbon fuel market. The current conversion processes have a rather low efficiency and high cost compared to available fossil fuels. They also struggle to produce the required quantities to significantly affect the market and reduce the emissions.

WO I M A EC O SYST E M

T HE C O NC LU S I O N

The WOIMA Ecosystem is built around the wasteWOIMA® waste-to-energy power plant using an abundantly available fuel source, waste, and offering sustainable power for all other ecosystem processes. Capturing CO2 directly from the power plant’s flue gas stream offers significant efficiency benefits and synergies. Combining the green hydrogen and captured CO2 results in synthetic natural gas (SNG) which can be further liquefied to LSNG. The WOIMA Ecosystem is capable of transforming over 95% of the incoming waste fuel into valuable products and energy.

eFuels represent an attractive option alongside the more familiar technologies of electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, but heavy transport will never be a single solution industry. Whilst eFuels are unlikely to entirely replace conventional fuels, they will have a role to play as part of a diverse energy mix for heavy transport, where electrification, hydrogen and synthetic fuels will all contribute to decarbonizing specific segments of the market. When looking at the whole value chain, it is important to ensure that the energy powering the eFuels production is also carbon neutral. This is where the WOIMA Ecosystem plays a key role.

T HE B E NE F I TS & DRAW BAC K S

Learn more and let's roll Henri Kinnunen CEO henri.kinnunen@woimacorporation.com +358 40 835 8974

woimacorporation.com

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M EET A PROH OCIA N

Jani Laiho: Half a heart on the customer's side Working together and organizing things are natural to Jani Laiho. Similar enthusiasm and sense of responsibility can be seen in his work as the Lead of production development and quality.

Text Nadia Paavola Photos Anssi Koskinen

T

here is no point in reinventing the wheel again, but you can always try to do things a little bit better than before.

Following some principles in his work, Jani Laiho has accomplished a lot. He believes that if you have a good idea you should share it as widely as you can: that way it pays forward and benefits more people.

"This does not mean you have to rethink everything if someone suggests changes.

Sometimes all it takes is a small adjustment to the process, and the impact is tremendous.”

That is why, when he had the opportunity to improve and enhance the operation of Wärtsilä’s Turku factory, Laiho took it on with confidence. In the project, he had the opportunity to demonstrate his skills as a change-maker and this led to a rapid renewal of the factory layout. As summer came along, the set goals had already been achieved. ”In the process, there were our team from Prohoc, as well as various people from Wärtsilä, whose development support was great.

A long history working with the customer facilitates communication and builds trust between partners."

According to Laiho, improving production starts with visualizing the end result and involving all people in the change. After that, it is essential to make sure that the change is actually implemented, meaning that good 16

plans don't just stay on the drawing board but are implemented in practice.

It is good to have a certain type of character: a developer needs to have a grasp of the bigger picture and a sense of responsibility.

This is fortunately in Laiho's nature. He is typically the person in the group who brings people together and maintains connections.

Beloved hobbies such as fishing and team sports often require the unifying force that ensures everyone in the team feels comfortable. This principle also works well in the professional world.

When Jani Laiho is not at work or engaging in hobbies like ice hockey, floorball, or padel, he spends time with his family. The family cottage in the Gerby archipelago is a place where his soul finds peace in the heart of nature but still close to city services.

I

n addition, he is studying at Vaasa University of Applied Sciences for a bachelor’s degree in technology, which is expected to be completed in 2025.

He views his development work as a form of customer service. It requires clear communication with an emphasis on a firm but friendly attitude. This assures the customer that they are working together to improve efficiency.

"I always have half a heart on the customer's side."

WORK HISTORY

Jani Laiho Prohoc Oy 2023 Lead Production Development and Quality Danfoss drives 2021–2023 Industrial Engineer Wärtsilä 2002–2021 Supervisor MTC Finnhydraulic 1999–2002 Vaasan Tiimityö Oy 1998–1999 Tool Manufacturer

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PROJECT M A N AG EM E NT S E RV I C E S

PMC development begins to bear fruit Text Ullakaisa Kalander, Matti Manner

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n the dynamic realm of project management, Project Management Contractors (PMC) are the corner stone that ensure the smooth and successful execution of projects across a multitude of industries.

Prohoc’s operations have long been centred around providing services for capital-intensive industrial projects, with the PMC team delivering project management consultancy services for a diverse range of projects. Recognizing the need to ascend the service maturity ladder and shoulder more responsibility on behalf of our customers, Prohoc has taken significant strides in this direction.

Today, Prohoc has blossomed into a formidable force of over 400 professionals. This growth necessitated a crystallization of the Prohoc way of working in PMC projects, a unique approach that combines our vast experience with advanced methodologies. As we continue to evolve and adapt, we remain committed to delivering excellence in project management.

At Prohoc, we are more than just a service provider specializing in project management. We are a team dedicated to delivering top-tier Project Management Contracting services with a human-oriented approach.

Our focus is not just on attracting skilled workers, but also on building functional teams and equipping them with the tools they need to excel.

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ur commitment to our customers is unwavering. We wouldn’t commit to selling a project unless we were confident in our ability to deliver it. This confidence stems from our unique approach to project management, which involves a robust methodology and a set of comprehensive 18

templates designed to be utilized during the development and execution phases of projects. These methodologies encompass processes and instructions that guide our teams, ensuring that every project is handled with the utmost professionalism and expertise.

In addition to our internal resources, we also rely on our extensive network of partners, particularly for engineering and design.

This collaborative approach allows us to bring a diverse range of skills and perspectives to each project, enhancing the quality of our work and offering customers an option to split traditional EPCM (Engineering, Procurement, Construction Management) contract model into E and PMC ensuring the best expertise and optimised risk/incentive alignment for the project.

Key contributors behind Prohoc’s excellence are: 1.

STREAMLINED PROJECT EXECUTION:

We focus on efficient project execution, ensuring that projects are completed on scope, on time and within budget.

2. SKILLS OPTIMIZATION: We excel at resource management, making sure that the right capabilities are allocated to each project, optimizing productivity and skillset.

3. RISK MITIGATION: Our project professionals are adept at identifying and mitigating project risks, ensuring that project requirements and potential obstacles are addressed proactively.

4. QUALITY ASSURANCE: Quality is paramount, and we uphold rigorous standards to ensure that projects meet or exceed customer expectations by controlling the project requirements all the steps down to operation and maintenance phase.

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his redesigned service, boasting over 50 templates and other documents instructing the work throughout the project, from identification to benefit archiving, has already piqued the interest of our customers.

Projects are currently at various stages of the project lifecycle, demonstrating the versatility and applicability of our resources. Notably, these templates have proven to be successful tools during the sales and preparation phases of projects, further enhancing our service’s value and effectiveness. This positive reception and practical application underscore the significant strides we have made in improving our service.

We are committed to continuous improvement and are in the process of evaluating tools including new AI (Artificial intelligence) and RPA (Robotic process automation) solutions for the coming years. These tools will cater to different use cases and expertise areas within the PMC, ensuring that our service remains at the forefront of project management solutions.

INTERESTED? Whether you're an investor,

owner, or main contractor, our Project Management Contractor (PMC) services stand ready to lead your project execution, aligning with your time, cost, and scope goals.

Iiro Wesslin Head of Business Unit, Projects iiro.wesslin@prohoc.fi +358 40 831 5878

EVA LUAT IN G PM C ' S E VO LU T I O N

The Maturity levels 1

INITIAL

Process unpredictable, poorly controlled, and reactive

2

MANAGED

Process characterized for projects and is often reactive

3

DEFINED

Process characterized for the organization and is proactive

4

QUANTITATIVELY MANAGED

Process measured and controlled

5

OPTIMIZING

Focus on continuous process improvement

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O PE R AT ION S & M A I NT E NA NC E

Meeting the (global) needs through partnership Text Nadia Paavola Photos Anssi Koskinen Illustrations Paulapé

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n global and hectic business, it is essential to have the right skills in the right place at the right time. On this quest, we can stand by the customer and offer them the expertise we have gained over the past years.

"Our customers often have annual and periodical projects which create demand peaks for field service technicians and engineers", says Jari Saaranen, Head of Business Unit O&M. Having a strong background in OEM’s (Original equipment manufacturer) lifecycle business, Saaranen points out that for the OEMs, it’s all about reliability, agility, and responsiveness. Prohoc aims to build global capability to support on this quest. Partnering with experts like Prohoc is a sensible way to enhance responsiveness and reliability, while optimizing the use of OEM’s internal field service resources.

This is in Prohoc's DNA, Saaranen says. In addition to just providing skills and competence to meet the customer's needs, it is crucial to take a holistic approach to every project. It is the key to growth and broader service offering.

S MALLER WOR L D, BIGGER B U S IN ES S

When it comes to achieving a global footprint, the time is now.

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During the pandemic, the world seemed P L AY I T SAF E A ND W I N to shrink: the digital communication took Building the global presence, Prohoc is esan unprecedented leap, which made it easitablished as a partner that understands the er to build and run businesses globally even customer and is able to serve them with confor mid-sized companies. Combined with fidence. As a result of building global partthe change of perspective in the market, this nerships, Prohoc has access to top talents gives us momentum like never before. Asset around the world. owners and investors are seeking to find “We’ve been supporting global OEMs in more LTSA (Long Term Service Agreement) their projects since the end of 90’s and this deals with the OEMs to secure their investhas taken us to more than 100 countries around the globe. We know the skills and ments, and while the latter are happily doing this, it creates needs for the OEMs to further competencies required, and what it takes to strengthen their global service capability. mobilize our teams and work safely around Nevertheless, the opportunity does not the world", Matti Manner, Executive Chaircome on a silver platter. In order to mainman of the Board, sums up.

Safety plays a critical role in Prohoc's new tain, not to mention improve, our position O&M strategy. One of the main principles is in business, we must be vigilant in identifying that if the location country has lower safety potential partners. This requires acknowlstandards than our company has, we will aledging the competitive factors and strengths of our customers. ways follow the higher standards.

Once these essential factors are identified, "Recently, health and safety have finally rewe can focus on supporting the customer in ceived the attention they deserve. Our own areas critical to them and provide solutions procedures are helpful in maintaining the for those that are not at the core worksite safe even in situof their expertise. For example, ations where the factory is we can be a reliable partner in re- “The feedback has operating during the mainsource allocation and finding the been very positive. tenance break", Jari Saararight competence for the global Clearly there is a denen says. lifecycle business. mand for global field

services resourcing.”

↓ → The best result is achieved by listening to the client and maintaining an open and communicative touch. Jari Saaranen demonstrating.

N ETWO RK I S T HE NET WO RT H

Expanding the global field services have already begun. The next step is to establish a foothold in Central America, where the development of collaborative networks have already been underway for quite some time.

Early 2024, Central America hub will be up and running, where there is, among other things, an abundance of engine power plants.

Markku Aspholm from Prohoc's O&M Business Development is currently conducting a marketing survey in the region and establishing Prohoc business. The preliminary results are looking bright.

"The feedback has been very positive.

Clearly there is a demand for field services resourcing in the area", Aspholm states.

Markku has a long work history in the region as leader in the OEM’s lifecycle services and has good access to expertise in the area.

Networking is the key to success in this business. The first recruitments have already been made as well as a plan to grow the headcount rapidly. 2025 will be a year of expansion in Central America and the aim is to build global scalability in the following years.

"Major industrial players in energy, pulp paper, mining industry among others have locations in that area and we are ready to help them operate their field services business as efficiently as possible and later expand to other regions."

G O B I G O R G O HO M E

After Central America, the natural development is to seek further growth in other countries. For example, the US, having a very attractive investment market at the moment driven by the IRA stimulus, is a market where Prohoc is looking to expand rather soon.

Eastern Europe and Asia could also be profitable locations for new service hubs and these are currently in the evaluation phase. It is best to aim high, says Jari Saaranen, because after all, you basically have to put the same amount of effort in both small and big business development initiatives. The main thing, however, is to keep the goal in sight: a happy customer. It is best achieved by listening to the customer and maintaining an open and communicative touch.

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WEL L BEING

Building resilience Text Anni Kemppainen Illustration Shutterstock

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n the ever-evolving landscape of engineering and project management, where the winds of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, and Ambiguity (VUCA) blow fiercely, the art of resilience takes center stage.

The ability to not only weather the storm but thrive in it has become more vital than ever. Embracing change, effectively managing stress, and fostering a nurturing, collaborative work environment are now the bedrock of success in this dynamic field.

Strategies for building resilience NAVIGATIN G UNCHARTED WATERS

N ETWOR K I NG AND S UP P ORT

P L ANNI NG , G O O D HAB I TS A ND YO U R PAL S

Adaptability and collaboration are your trusted compass and sails. Embrace change as an opportunity for growth and innovation, recognizing that adaptability is a treasure in engineering and project management. Collaborating with peers not only brings fresh perspectives but also unleashes innovative solutions to navigate the most treacherous waters.

A robust professional network and the support of colleagues serve as your anchors in the stormiest of moments, ensuring you never drift too far from your goals.

Establish clear, attainable project goals and break them into manageable tasks, allowing you to bask in a sense of accomplishment as you navigate the challenges of your professional voyage.

Incorporate mindfulness and meditation into your daily routine to stay grounded and focused amidst the tempest.

Collaborating with colleagues not only divides the burden but also lessens individual stress.

Effective task prioritization reduces last-minute rushes and minimizes the turbulence of stress, allowing you to sail towards success with grace and ease.

A regular regimen of exer-

cise and a balanced diet are your loyal companions on this journey, contributing to both mental and physical resilience.

Lean on your project team for support and assistance, for they are your fellow sailors on this tumultuous sea.

When the situation feels overwhelming, do not hesitate to lean on your professional network for assistance. Your project team and other parts of organization offer a lifeboat of resources and training to help you steer through even the roughest of waters.

FOR THE CAPTAINS

C R EATI NG A RE S I L I E NC E - O RI E NT E D WOR K E NV I RO NM E NT:

The harbor of success A supportive work environment can transform the turbulent sea into a harbor of tranquility in the world of engineering and project management.

Companies that value resilience and open communication do so through: ● Encouraging team members to openly communicate and collaborate, creating an environment where every idea is treasured and considered. ● Offering flexible work hours and remote options to foster work-life balance and enhance the sharing of knowledge and collaboration among the team, ensuring a smooth voyage through the professional seas.

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Caring for our people, delivering on our promises C A R E A M P LIFIES G ROW TH

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PRO HO C. F I