Saara Matala

Saara Matala is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology. She specializes in the history of industrialization with a focus on the interaction between technology, economy, and politics over time.

Her research explores the Cold War's impact on Finnish shipbuilding, Arctic maritime technology, winter navigation challenges, mobile platform security, and oil capitalism. Key projects include Energiliv: Infrastructural Citizenship in Nordic Energy Transitions (funded by Formas, 2024–2028).

Her publications analyze how geopolitical conflicts shape technological development in neutral states, including the long-term consequences of economic sanctions and alliances. She maintains collaborations with researchers like Christian Stutz and Aaro Sahari.

Selected Scientific Contributions:

• 2025: Manufacturing national consent for industrial policy (with Stutz)
• 2024: When Great Powers Struggle (with Stutz); History of Technology in Global Perspectives
• 2023: How Finland Survived Stalin; National Security and Soviet Energy Dependency
• 2021: Finnish Icebreaker Diplomacy; Cold War Industrialization Book
• 2020: Transnational Icebreaker Development (with Sahari)