Markku Heino

Markku is working as a Principal Consultant and Ecosystem Leader at Spinverse. In addition to innovation management he is specialized in materials & nanotechnology, advanced manufacturing and cleantech. Recently he has been working actively on smart cities, health care and many projects driving the green transition. He has wide experience covering scientific research in academia, strategic application driven R&D and practical product development applying new materials in many industrial applications, as well as running large multi-partner innovation programs to successful results.

At Spinverse his main activity is innovation management, building and leading innovation ecosystems and multi-party projects in several fields. He also contributes regularly to technology reports, feasibility studies, innovation events, commercialization activities, project building and other case studies in his expertise areas.

Currently he is leading the LuxTurrim5G ecosystem, driven by Nokia with other 25 partners, an ambitious multi-partner cocreation activity enabling new digital services and business opportunities for smart and sustainable cities. Developing and demonstrating single fast 5G network based on smart light poles with integrated 5G base stations, a variety of sensors, cameras, screens, radars and other devices and a secured data platform, LuxTurrim5G is creating the digital backbone of smart city (read more).

Markku is also facilitating the work of CleverHealth Network ecosystem a unique innovation activity through which Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) and a group of prominent Finnish technology companies use health care data to develop together better health care solutions for Finns and successful export products for the companies.

Earlier, as Program manager of the DIMECC Materials programs (2014-2017), Breakthrough Steels & Applications (BSA) and Hybrid Materials (HYBRIDS), which he was also building, he has led these novel industry-driven public-private partnership (PPP) programs from ideas to high impact results. The programs built & run in parallel gathered together 68 companies, all leading Finnish research groups and selected top-notch international partners. One unique element built-in was the industry driven DIMECC Breakthrough materials Doctoral School with 38 interlinked doctoral projects solving together the critical research problems with industry through application driven digitalized materials R&D. Earlier as Program manager of the FIMECC DEMAPP program (2009-2014) he has been contributing to developing the best practices for such specific PPP programs, in addition to driving the work towards significant results.

During 2009-2013 he coordinated the Tekes Functional Materials Programme, which was an extensive effort building key enablers to renew Finnish industry through ambitious application-driven R&D on sustainable materials and energy-efficient manufacturing. The intensive, target-oriented industry/academia cooperation has resulted in scientific novelties and new business base, e.g. for solar energy, printed intelligence and biomedical applications in global markets.

During 2014-15 he was the responsible coordinator of Tekes Green Growth Programme boosting new tangible solutions in cleantech and bioeconomy from R&D to business. The four focus areas of the program were: Energy and material efficiency, Bioeconomy and biomaterials, Recycling, recovery of raw materials and waste processing and Business models, service concepts and comprehensive solutions.

Previously Markku worked at Nokia Research Center (in 2003-2009) as Research Manager, exploring new technologies and developed novel advanced materials based solutions for future multimedia devices. At Nokia, he managed a multidisciplinary research team dealing with various materials and actively co-operated with many organizations in several technology areas. The last 2 years Markku was Principal Scientist in NRC´s NanoSciences laboratory making focused scientific research on functional nanomaterials with top university groups.

Before Nokia, Markku was R&D Manager at Draka NK Cables (in 1996-2003), where he was responsible for material development, dedicated R&D projects and application of new materials for mass production of high performance mobile networks, fiber optic and telecom cables.

Markku has a D.Sc. (Tech) degree at Helsinki University of Technology (today called Aalto University), where he has also been Docent of Polymer technology. He has written about 50 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals, 5 book chapters, co-authored the Ecosystem Handbook, several other scientific, technical or popularized articles, given numerous conference presentations regarding polymer/material science, nanotechnology, telecommunications, cable applications, innovation management etc. He is known also as an active contributor bringing research results and new technologies to professional magazines and common media in an understandable way.