Salla Huttunen

Salla Huttunen serves as Vice-Rector for Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) and Digitalization at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, where she oversees strategic research initiatives and digital transformation efforts across the institution. With a PhD in International Business Communications, her academic background combines with over 20 years of industry experience, including more than 12 years at Nokia, to inform her leadership approach.

Professor Huttunen's research interests center on communication and interaction, particularly examining comprehension difficulties in meetings, which was the focus of her doctoral dissertation. Her expertise extends to organizational development, digital transformation in higher education, and the evolving landscape of business education to meet future workforce demands. She has published extensively on these topics, with recent work focusing on RDI impact assessment, curriculum development for future work, and digital transformation strategies.

Her scholarly output shows a clear trajectory from foundational work on communication in business contexts to applied research addressing contemporary challenges in higher education. The publications demonstrate increasing focus on practical applications of research to solve real-world problems, particularly in the areas of digital transformation, educational innovation, and organizational change.

• Oversees Haaga-Helia's research, development and innovation activities
• Leads digital transformation initiatives across the university
• Serves on boards of Unigrafia Oy and HigherEd Hub Finland Oy
• Contributes to national discussions on higher education policy

Professor Huttunen's leadership bridges academic theory and industry practice, leveraging her substantial business background to ensure educational relevance. Her work emphasizes creating meaningful connections between research activities and teaching, bringing researched knowledge directly into learning environments while addressing regional industry challenges through collaborative projects.