MPD Organizing Committee
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| Chair of the Committee | Scientific Co-chair | Operative Co-chair |
| Mikko Nyman | Dr. Minna Lanz | Dr. Harri Kulmala |
| CEO | Professor | CEO |
| Fastems | Tampere University | DIMECC |
| minna.lanz(at)tuni.fi | harri.kulmala(at)dimecc.com | |
| (Contact for summit content) |
(Contact for partnerships, side-events, practicalities) |
Confirmed moderators, speakers & panelists
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Amy Chen Amy Chen is SVP – Chief Innovation Officer at KONE. With the mission to improve the flow of urban life, she leads the company’s customer-centric innovation unit, focusing on consistently bringing new solutions to the market. Prior to joining KONE, Amy has extensive experience in corporate and startup innovations, as founder of Car2Share and CEO of car2go China with Daimler, COO of Didi and Li Auto’s mobility EV joint venture, and as strategy head for Volkswagen China’s software and digital services arm. Amy’s other professional experience includes Engagement Manager with McKinsey & Company in Germany, while she started her career with Motorola in the US. Amy holds an MBA from RSM Erasmus University in the Netherlands, and a BA in International Finance from Renmin University of China. |
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Dr. Dirk Didascalou As CTO, Dr. Didascalou is responsible for the overall technology and architecture strategy for Siemens Digital Industries. He oversees strategic industrial engagements with partners and joint customer initiatives. Additionally, he takes a leading role in the company wide IoT board and is driving digital transformation across all Siemens divisions. Dr. Didascalou joined Siemens from Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he was Vice President for the Internet of Things, based in Seattle, Washington, USA. Prior to his time at AWS, Dr. Didascalou worked for Microsoft as Corporate Vice President Technology. He moved to Microsoft with that company’s acquisition of Nokia Corp.’s Mobile Phones entity, where he held various leadership positions in Copenhagen, Denmark, and Beijing, China. |
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Matthias Holzäpfel
Matthias Holzäpfel was born in 1973 in Esslingen near Stuttgart (Germany). After studying electrical engineering and information technology at the University of Stuttgart, he began his professional career in 2002 at Pilz GmbH & Co. KG in Germany as an embedded software developer for safety-critical systems. After holding various positions at Pilz in both product development and advanced development, he has been responsible for Advanced Development at Pilz as Vice President since 2016. His focus themes are functional safety, industrial security, industrial connectivity, sensor technologies and agile development.. |
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Janne Honkonen
Janne Honkonen is a professional in using location information, with concrete evidence of business development and implementation of demanding change projects in organizations of all sizes. Janne has worked in various roles with several different industries. In addition to business challenges, he understands the potential of ICT solutions and modern architectures in developing competitiveness. As a consultant, Janne approaches things through strategic thinking and an overall picture and does not cling to insignificant details. |
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Ilona Ivanoff Ilona Ivanoff is IT professional with expertise in change management, digitalization, and data-driven strategies. Her aim is to help business rethink and digitalize processes, ensuring that change is implemented successfully engaging employees. Kiilto is a growing, family-owned company, with over a hundred-year history and a vision looking ahead to 2080. We have chosen environment as the core of our sustainability work and made an ambitious promise to it. Our Promise to the Environment defines us and is reflected in all the decisions we make on our way to reach the environmental leadership in our field. It is the bedrock we stand on, side by side with our customers, helping them to reduce their environmental footprint, and sharing our expertise also for others, resulting in the benefit of the whole industry. Ilona Ivanoff has M.Sc. in Information and Knowledge Management from Tampere Technical University. |
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Dr. Mikko Kerttula Dr. Kerttula is working in Kajaani Data Center Program at CSC – IT Center for Science Ltd. The program aims at strengthening data intelligence and supercomputing ecosystem is Kajaani, Finland. Dr. Kerttula focus especially on supporting LUMI use in industry. Before joining CSC, he was in charge of CEMIS - Centre for Measurement and Information Systems in Kajaani. Dr. Kerttula has experience in software product and service business, data centers business, international sales and marketing, R&D management, start-ups, and digitalization (including IoT, VR and AR). He finalized his doctoral thesis in 2006 in virtual design of user-centered electronics at the University of Oulu. |
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Kenneth Korhonen Kenneth Korhonen is an Operational Excellence professional with a Lean Manufacturing background in the Oil & Gas industry and Electrical sector since 2007. Passionate about people and processes he started working with extended reality (XR) and augmented reality (AR) as Director of Industrial XR Solutions at Stereoscape. XR is an enabler of lean culture, creating autonomous, connected, and committed workers, creating value for organizations and their clients. Kenneth has travelled the globe leading Lean transformations of several plants, designing plant layouts, building new production lines, improving logistics processes, while changing attitudes on all organizational levels. |
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Andre Klein Andre Klein finished his diploma graduate degree at the University of Kaiserslautern in 2018. Thereafter, he joined John Deere as a Product Engineer PhD. John Deere is the world’s largest manufacturer of agricultural machinery. Since 2018, Andre has worked on various advanced projects in the area of electrification in the external relations team at John Deere’s European Technology and Innovation Center in Kaiserslautern, Germany. Most of the projects have been publicly funded by governmental organizations. Besides his current position André is enrolled as a doctoral candidate at the University of Kaiserslautern in the department of mechanical and process engineering. |
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Mika Laitinen Mr. Laitinen is responsible of the robotic systems sales in Fastems globally. Fastems is a leading supplier of flexible automation solutions for metal cutting industry. Fastems automation offering covers both pallet handling automation (FMS) and robotic part handling systems. Mr. Laitinen has major role in Fastems to develop and promote new innovations to full fill customer requirements in modern workshop in different industry segments. Mr. Laitinen has been working in robotics business since 1992 and been working at Fastems 13 years. |
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Timo Laitinen Mr Laitinen leads the Rock Drills Business Unit, which develops and produces one of Sandvik’s core technologies, rock drills, in Tampere. Mr Laitinen has been with Sandvik in Finland most of his career, but has also worked many years overseas (in USA, China, Malaysia and Australia). Before the current role he was responsible for Sandvik’s tunneling equipment business and was then also appointed into the executive committee of the ITA, the International Tunneling Association. Currently Mr Laitinen is in the board of MEX ry (Manufacturing Excellence Finland). Mr Laitinen has MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Tampere University and MBA from Aalto University. |
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Malte Lohan Malte Lohan is the Director General of Orgalim, Europe’s Technology Industries, speaking for innovative companies spanning the mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and electronics, and metal technology branches. Together they represent the EU’s largest manufacturing sector, generating annual turnover of around €2,497 billion, manufacturing one-third of all European exports and providing 10.97 million direct jobs. Appointed Orgalim Director General in January 2018, Malte is responsible for setting Orgalim’s strategy, acting as the senior representative of the European technology industries in Brussels and managing the operations of the association. He joined Orgalim from Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s leading brewer, where most recently he was Head of Corporate Affairs for AB InBev’s European region. Prior to joining AB InBev in 2014, Malte was Public Affairs Director at the World Federation of Advertisers (WFA). He has also worked at Interel, one of Brussels’ leading public affairs agencies, and in the European Parliament. |
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Dr. Andrew Lynch Andrew is the international Vice President of the EUREKA SMART Manufacturing Board of Directors, he leads the ManuFuture ETP Working Group (State Aid Strategies- Research & Innovation) and is the national delegate to the European manufacturing policy platform, ManuFuture High Level Group (HLG). Andrew is an expert panel member of the Made in Europe Partnership Board, and was the founding chair of the European Industry 4.E Lighthouse Initiative (LIASE) within ECSEL. Andrew is on the Board of Directors of both the Irish Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence (AMTEC) and the W8 Innovation Centre (Ireland NW). He is the founding chair of the Irish National Steering Committee on Collaborative Robotics, a member of the Ingenuity Executive Steering Committee and is on the National Advisory Board for the Digital Manufacturing Futures Centre (AIM). |
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Annamaija Mäki-Ventelä Ms Annamaija Mäki-Ventelä is a project director at Patria’s Land Operations. Mäki-Ventelä has a strong experience from defence industry since 2004, gained through several entities. Her latest responsibility has been to act as a project lead for Patria’s sales project to the Slovak Armed Forces. After a successfully achieved contract, she has been turning the sales phase into a delivery project. The contract includes 76 armoured combat vehicles with technology transfer program and integrated logistics services.
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Soili Mäkinen Soili Mäkinen, M.Sc. (Econ.) has worked as Cargotec CIO since 2006 and Senior Vice President, Digitalisation years 2018–2022. She has been a Member of the Leadership Team since 2019 and Member of the Executive Board 2018–2019. Prior to Cargotec, Mäkinen was CIO at MacGregor 1993-2006. |
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Juha Mäkitalo |
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Yves Paindaveine Yves Paindaveine is senior Expert in the unit dealing with the Digital transformation of ecosystems in the European Commission, at DG CONNECT. Graduated in electrical engineering and in computer science from the Polytechnic School of Louvain, Yves has been working in the policy fields to foster the uptake of digital technologies since the Digital Agenda for Europe in 2010 and has been driving digitalisation initiatives and supporting industry to succeed in a digital and data economy. |
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Raimo Puro Raimo Puro, CEO and co-founder of Delfoi, holds an M.Sc. in Production Technology. Since the foundation of Delfoi, in 1990, Mr. Puro has been working within Smart Manufacturing domain for companies like Valmet, ABB, Metso Nokia, Volvo, Daimler, Boeing, Airbus, Saab. Mr. Puro has been also responsible for Delfoi’s cloud-based production planning and scheduling solution business. In 2014 Mr. Puro lead Delfoi for strategic change to focus on own software sales and in 2022 Delfoi sold their world leading robotic software business to Visual Components owned by KUKA AG. |
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Dr. Pekka Tiitinen Dr. Tiitinen has been the Managing Director of ABB Finland since 2016. Prior to this he has held various roles in ABB, which he joined in 1989. Most recently he was Head of Group Marketing & Sales Function (2015–1016) and President, Discrete Automation and Motion division Member of the Group Executive Committee, ABB Ltd, Switzerland (2013–2016). Dr. Tiitinen has various Board memberships, such as Chairman of the Board, VTT (since 2020), Member of the Supervisory Board, Varma (since 2021), Board Member Teknologiateollisuuden työnantajat (since 2021), Board Member Teknologiateollisuus - Technology Industries of Finland since (2016).
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Janne Tägtström |
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Mikko Uuskoski Managing Director Beckhoff Automation, Finland and Baltic countries |
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Giuseppe Saragò
Giuseppe Saragò is a passionate technology & transformational leader with significant experience in 4 stroke engine design & manufacturing. Since the very beginning of his carrier, he has been engaged in engine technology and innovation, starting as a researcher on the topics of combustion optimization, passing through 4S engine product development; currently heading Manufacturing Excellence focused to Engineering & Innovation in manufacturing domain at Wärtsilä Sustainable Technology Hub in Vaasa. His motto is: Love the problem, not solution. |
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Ulrich Seldeslachts is executive director of LSEC.eu, a not-for-profit industry association focused on Cyber Security and Data Protection in Europe, based in Belgium and with operations in the Netherlands, UK and Germany. LSEC is a cyber security catalyst, bringing together enterprise and government users, with industrial ICT Security expertise and academic experts and researchers. As a spinoff of KU Leuven university, LSEC is a thought leader on Cyber Security since 2002. LSEC helps cybersecuring industrial applications, including industrial robots and digitalization of industry. It runs the support to Security Bill of Materials and Computing on Encrypted Data in Europe, CyberSecurity for Robotics (CSfR) and operates Industrial IoT automated assessments and Artificial Intelligence CyberSecurity together with leading European innovative technology companies. Prior to LSEC, Ulrich was responsible for the corporate development of a US-European Broadband wireless operator (Sprint-Clearwire), held operational ICT security positions at Orange and ran Cybersecurity investments at a Corporate Venture Capital. Today he is leading the Cyber Security activities of the DIGITALIS and Digihub Digital Innovation Hubs in Belgium and the CYSSME CS maturity improvement program from the EU Digital Europe Program. Ulrich has been coordinating operational digital transformations since 1996, experienced in leading executive teams, operational staff and change management on the basis of technology innovations leading to strategic change and business improvements. |
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Ossi Talvitie Ossi Talvitie is a highly regarded software entrepreneur, industrial technology innovator, and a former Managing Director of Lenze AB. He has an extensive background in the global machine building industry, having worked for several companies including ABB. As the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Noux Node, Talvitie has been instrumental in developing cutting-edge toolkit for industrial machine builders that enable the use of IT technologies in OT solutions. Noux Node's platform offers unique solutions that are utilized by market-leading companies in the industry. In addition to his work at Noux Node, Talvitie is also the CEO of Fatman and fter.io, companies dedicated to developing and implementing innovative software solutions for optimizinf maintanance and aftersales processes. He holds a Master of Economics degree from the Helsinki School of Economics and a Master of Science in Engineering from the Helsinki University of Technology. |
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Sari Toivonen Saving the world is good business. |
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Mikko Veikkolainen Veikkolainen leads the research, development and innovation (RDI) unit of electric vehicle charging manufacturer Kempower. Kempower is one of the world's fastest growing listed companies. RDI plays an important role in the company and Veikkolainen was the first employee when the company started in early 2018. Today it has 500+ employees and known from its innovative products. Mr Veikkolainen has MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Lappeenranta. |
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Dr. Riikka Virkkunen Professor of Practice, Dr Riikka Virkkunen works on industrial renewal and digitalization at VTT, Finland. She is Co-chair of the European manufacturing partnership Made In Europe (MIE) and member of EFFRA and MIE boards. She is also vice-chair of EIT Manufacturing advisory board for the CLC North. Recently, Virkkunen has been supporting the Ministry of Economics and Employment in the execution of the national Artificial Intelligence 4.0 program. Previously, she coordinated the Finnish Industrial Internet Forum. At VTT, she has had various manager positions and led VTT’s strategic initiative on Industrial Renewal. Virkkunen holds a PhD in computational materials physics. |
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Dr. Valtteri Vuorisalo Valtteri Vuorisalo is the Head of Trusted Society at Fujitsu Finland. Additionally, Dr. Vuorisalo is a part-time Professor of Practice in National Security and Security Policy at Tampere University, a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London's Department of War Studies, and a member of the Scientific Advisory Board for Defence (MATINE). Dr. Vuorisalo’s focus revolves around the theme of flow security, the security impact of data and information flows especially, and how the rapid evolution of technology creates new dependencies in the international security architecture. |