Person Category: Helsinki

John has more than twenty years of international business experience from Project Management and Business Development roles primarily within ICT, telecoms and health sectors. His focus during thirteen years in ICL/Fujitsu and Nokia, was to deliver new solutions which improved operational efficiency, and to create new business opportunities through digital solutions.

Previously John has worked at Aalto University as part of the EIT Digital initiative supporting and promoting European health and wellbeing startups to international audiences for two years. He has also gained direct experience as an entrepreneur having had his own company for several years, working closely with startups and as an active member of the local Helsinki startup community. He co-founded and hosted a smartwatch meetup group and co-hosts a large IoT meetup group in Helsinki.

John is a founding member of the MyData Global organisation, was a team member for the first four international MyData Conferences, and is passionate about supporting individuals toward better control their personal data. He has also worked with Open Knowledge Finland on open data topics and has written articles about technology, startups and events.

John holds a Master of Science from Loughborough University (UK) and a Bachelor Degree in Sports Science and Leisure Management from Brunel University (UK). He is work alumni from Aalto University and since 2016 has been an active mentor for students in the yearly mentor program.

John enjoys spending free time with his family, supporting their various hobbies and sharing travel experiences. He participates in various sports himself, with endurance running as the main activity. John is also a keen photographer and likes to read about new technology.

Since joining Spinverse in 2016, Janne has been working in various commercialization projects related to the EU Horizon 2020 funding program. For example, he has conducted market studies for large EU consortium projects like INNPAPER, smart-MEMPHIS, and NanoPilot.  In 2018, Janne completed his master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and Management with a minor in Environmental and Energy Technology at Karlstad University (Sweden). His master’s thesis focused on the success factors and the challenges of inter-organizational collaboration in sustainable innovation. He speaks fluently in Swedish, Finnish, and English.

As a former football player, Janne enjoys doing all kinds of sports activities outside the office. Spending time with his family and travelling are other important things that he values in life.

Antero has over 15 years’ experience in a wide range of EU and national funding instruments. Before joining Spinverse, he worked in different roles in EU and national projects in public sector. He is also an IPMA-C certified project manager.

He holds an M.Sc. Economics degree in Corporate Governance from Hanken School of Economics and BBA in International Business from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences.

Antero has lived in five countries and in his spare time, he loves playing tennis and jogging. Travelling is also close to his heart and he loves to explore new destinations.

With 20+ years of work experience, Rohit has strong expertise in project management, international networking, business development and technology commercialization. Rohit helps companies and consortia with their R&D&I needs, including, for example, building and scoping collaborative projects, finding partners, preparing public funding applications and developing growth and innovation strategies.

At Spinverse, Rohit has been involved as an expert in the following multiparty projects H2020 EU projects; INNPAPER focusing on Innovative and Smart Printed Electronics, STARDUST to develop a new therapeutic approach for Parkinson’s disease via a novel wireless implantable device to target specific neural circuits of brain, NANOPILOT, A Pilot Plant for the Production of Polymer based Nanopharmaceuticals in Compliance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and PEPTICAPS project based on novel stimuli-responsive nanocapsules for skin care applications.

At Spinverse, Rohit also works with growth-seeking SMEs in the fields of e.g. medical technology, clinical trials, biomedicine, and nanotechnology, for instance, companies such as Macroarray Diagnostics and Desentum Oy.

Rohit has also participated in FP6 and FP7 EU projects such as NANOEAR 3g-Nanotechnology based targeted drug delivery using the inner ear as a model target organ,  SONODRUGS to develop Image-controlled Ultrasound-induced Drug Delivery.

Rohit holds a title of Docent/Adjunct professor in Medicinal Biochemistry in faculty of medicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland. He has published 40+ international peer reviewed research articles covering a wide array of topics. He has also given several presentations in international forums. He has also worked in California State University Northridge (CSUN), Los Angeles, USA and Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan.

Rohit received his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from India and has also completed Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) in International Business Management from South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences (XAMK) in Kouvola, Finland.

In his spare time, Rohit enjoys reading and traveling.

Anu joined Spinverse in 2015, and she has led the preparation of several successful funding applications. She has experience in a wide variety of EU funding instruments, such as SME instrument, EIC Accelerator, BBI, NMBP, SPIRE, ICT and EDIDP. The largest and most complex projects prepared are PEFerence (total budget of 45 M€), SWEETWOODS (total budget of 43 M€) and IMPRESS (total budget of 18 M€). In addition, she has helped consortia during the Grant Agreement Preparation phase and has supported the coordination of PEFerence and SWEETWOODS projects.

Anu holds a M.Sc. degree from Helsinki University of Technology. Before Spinverse, she worked at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, most recently as a Senior Scientist. She has also served as a liaison officer and intelligence officer in peacekeeping operations in Kosovo and Macedonia. In 2014, she completed Tieturi’s Professional Project Manager Training Programme, and achieved IPMA level C Project Management Certification (renewed in 2019).

In her spare time, Anu enjoys cycling, gym training, cross country skiing, sailing, good food and wines.

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.

Before Spinverse, Joni has worked for a private consulting company preparing EU project during 2012-13. He also worked in the development and commercialization of new particle accelerator structures at CERN during 2010-11. Thus, he has knowledge of both from industry and academia. Joni holds a M.Sc. degree in industrial engineering from Tampere University of Technology and has written his Master’s thesis at CERN.

In his spare time, Joni rides mountain bikes and plays floorball. Occasionally, you can find him skiing in the Swiss Alps.

Kaisu has wide experience from planning and managing different types of R&D&I activities, ranging from single company projects to large scale multi-party innovation programs and ecosystems. She works with both growth-seeking SMEs and large corporations in the fields of e.g. bioeconomy, circular economy, materials, and renewable energy. She is also an experienced facilitator of public-private-partnership activities.

Kaisu holds a M.Sc. degree in analytical chemistry from University of Helsinki and has also studied Organizations and Management at Aalto University School of Economics. From her previous work as a researcher at the Finnish Forest Research Institute she has hands-on experience in the research and development of new biorefinery processes and bio-based products.

In her spare time, Kaisu enjoys social dancing (especially salsa and other Afro-Latin dances), cycling, travelling, as well as good food and wine.

Risto’s industrial background is in Oil, Energy, and Renewables, where he has managed both small and large organisations in local and international environments. His early working career in ExxonMobil was spent both in local and international assignments. There he led several large business and development projects, headed large heating oil business, and worked in global team informally leading large service teams abroad. After ExxonMobil and prior to joining Spinverse, he worked for a Scandinavian Energy company St1 for nine years, where he first was responsible for sales & business development for bioethanol affiliate St1 Biofuels Oy, company that became leading actor for developing waste & softwood based second generation biofuels. For the last 6 years Risto led R&D, engineering, and projecting in the same company. In addition to building and leading required team of experts, Risto acted as owner of most of the development and investment projects in this area.

Risto is a leader with versatile business and technology background. He drives to build long-term relationships, to solving customer problems and lead international teams in growth. Throughout his career Risto has successfully worked with multitude of companies ranging from large industrial partners to small innovative start-ups. Organizing collaboration for finding new solutions is a passion for him.

Risto holds a Master of Science in Engineering (Production Economics) from Helsinki University of Technology, Finland (currently Aalto University).

Risto spends his spare time with his family of three sons and wife. He also coaches junior football players and reads as much as possible.

Matti is a seasoned professional with versatile business and technology understanding. He has over 12 years of management-level experience in technology based international business development, innovation management, international technology co-operation, commercialization and funding. In addition, Matti has been a co-founder and a partner in two start-ups and has obtained hands-on experience in scientific R&D during his early career at VTT – the biggest multi-technological applied research organization in Northern Europe. During those days he also contributed to over 40 scientific/technical publications and 3 patented inventions.

Matti holds a M.Sc. degree from Helsinki University of Technology.

In his spare time, he enjoys classic outdoor sports, dogs, family life and activities in many canine organisations.