Dr. Juha Kärkkäinen is a University Lecturer and Principal Investigator at the Department of Computer Science, University of Helsinki, specializing in Algorithmic Bioinformatics. He supervises PhD students in the Doctoral Programme in Computer Science and actively contributes to research outputs and academic events. Institution: University of Helsinki Department: Department of Computer Science Rank: Lecturer His research focuses on string processing , data structures , and combinatorial pattern matching , with recent work on bijective Burrows-Wheeler transforms, LCP arrays, and efficient string indexing. Google Scholar lists publications spanning 2024 to 1999, highlighting his expertise in algorithm design and compression techniques . Notably, he has participated in and organized events like the International Workshop on Combinatorial Algorithms and delivered a keynote speech at the 1st Summer School on Bioinformatics Algorithms. While no explicit awards are detailed, his editorial roles in scientific collections and conferences underscore his academic influence.
Jukka Manner is a Full Professor (tenured) of Networking Technology at Aalto University's Department of Communications and Networking (Comnet), School of Electrical Engineering. With a career spanning over two decades in internet technologies, he leads research in networking, wireless systems, and energy-efficient ICT solutions. Dr. Manner received his MSc (1999) and PhD (2004) degrees in computer science from the University of Helsinki. His academic journey has been marked by significant contributions to internet standardization through the IETF since 1999, where he served as co-chair of the NSIS working group. Professor Manner's research focuses on networking, software and distributed systems, with particular emphasis on wireless and mobile networks, transport protocols, energy efficient ICT and cyber security. His work bridges theoretical advancements with practical applications, addressing critical challenges in modern communication systems, sustainable networking practices, and security frameworks. His research group has made significant contributions to 5G technologies, UAV communications, and energy-efficient network design. His extensive publication record shows a clear evolution toward sustainability in networking technologies, with recent work focusing on energy efficiency in 5G systems, sustainable web technologies, and the environmental impact of digital infrastructure. The research demonstrates strong interdisciplinary connections between telecommunications engineering, computer science, and environmental science, with particular emphasis on reducing the carbon footprint of digital systems while maintaining performance. Cross of Merit, Signals (2014) Medal for Military Merits for contributions in national defence and C4 (2015) Professor Manner has supervised over 200 MSc theses and more than 20 doctoral dissertations, establishing himself as a dedicated mentor in the field. He has been principal investigator and project manager for over 15 national and international research projects, including serving as Academic Coordinator for the Finnish Future Internet research programme (2008-2012). His leadership extends to conference organization, having served as local co-chair of Sigcomm 2012 in Helsinki, and active participation as a peer reviewer and member of various Technical Program Committees. As an active contributor to internet standardization through the IETF, Professor Manner's work has practical impact on global networking technologies. His research group maintains strong connections with industry partners and participates in shaping future networking standards and practices, particularly in the areas of sustainable networking, 5G evolution, and security frameworks for emerging technologies.
Sanna Järvelä is a Professor in the Faculty of Education and Psychology at the University of Oulu, where she leads the Learning and Educational Technology Research Lab (LET). She is a leading figure in learning sciences, with a focus on self-regulated learning, collaborative learning, and AI integration in educational contexts. Her research is supported by major international and national grants, including from the Jacobs Foundation. Research Interests: Self-regulated learning and socially shared regulation Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) Artificial intelligence and adaptive technologies in education Development and application of multimodal research methods Her work bridges theoretical advancement with innovative methodological practices, contributing significantly to the understanding of learning in digital environments. While no specific publications are listed, her research output is extensive and highly cited, evidenced by her inclusion in Stanford University’s top 2% most-cited scientists list (2024). Scientific Awards and Honors: Member of the Finnish Academy of Science and Letters (2015) Francqui Chair, Ghent University (2015–2016) Learning Sciences Fellow (2022) Knight First Class of the Order of the White Rose of Finland (2022) Finnish Ostrobothnia Cultural Foundation Science Prize (2023) Stanford University’s Top 2% Scientist List (2024) Advising and Grants: As the head of the LET Lab and co-PI of the Center for Learning and Living with AI (CELLA), funded by the Jacobs Foundation, she mentors researchers and leads large-scale interdisciplinary projects. She also leads the University of Oulu’s Profi 7 Hybrid Intelligence research programme, shaping strategic research directions in AI and education. Labs and Teams: She founded and leads the Learning and Educational Technology Research Lab (LET), a vibrant research group focused on advancing knowledge about technology-enhanced learning. She is also a member of the OECD PISA 2025 ‘Learning in the Digital World’ expert team, influencing global educational policy and assessment frameworks.
Robert Piche is a Professor at the Computing Sciences Mathematics Research Centre, specializing in advanced signal processing, positioning systems, and sensor fusion. He holds a Doctor of Science (Technology) and Master of Science from the University of Waterloo, Canada (1986 and 1982, respectively). His research focuses on Kalman filters, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), particle filters, and indoor positioning technologies. He has contributed extensively to fields like satellite orbit prediction, non-line-of-sight (NLoS) positioning, and machine learning applications in biomechanics and robotics. Dr. Piche has authored over 230 publications and received recognition through an invitation/ranking in a 2014 competition. He actively participates in academic activities, including conference presentations and peer-review roles. His work bridges theoretical advancements and practical applications, with contributions to autonomous systems, sensor data analysis, and wearable technology. Collaborations span international institutions, reflecting his global impact in engineering and computer science disciplines.
Riikka Koulu is an Associate Professor of Social and Legal Implications of AI at the University of Helsinki, holding joint appointments at the Faculty of Law and Faculty of Social Sciences. She serves as Director of the University of Helsinki Legal Tech Lab, an interdisciplinary research hub focused on law, technology, and society, and is an affiliated researcher at the Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin. In 2025, she will be an academic visitor at Oxford University. Education: Doctor of Law (OTT), University of Helsinki (awarded November 17, 2016) Title of Docent (digitalisation of law), University of Lapland (2020-present) Riikka Koulu is a socio-legal scholar specializing in the interconnections between law, technology, and society. Her research focuses on understanding law's role in shaping and being shaped by digitalized societies. She combines doctrinal and theoretical legal analysis with empirical research from a public law perspective. Her current work examines digital public administration, AI policy and regulation, European technology regulation, and the impact of digital technologies on legal decision-making. She is particularly interested in human oversight mechanisms and interface design in automated systems. Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on the legal implications of digital transformation, with particular attention to automated decision-making in public administration, algorithmic governance, and the changing nature of legal procedures in digital environments. Her work spans theoretical explorations of legal concepts in digital contexts and practical analyses of how technology is reshaping justice systems and public administration. Scientific Recognition: Title of Docent (digitalisation of law), University of Lapland (2020) Affiliated researcher, Alexander von Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin (2019-present) Riikka Koulu actively supervises doctoral researchers through the Doctoral Programme in Law and has secured significant research funding for multiple projects. Her current research portfolio includes the ADM-Gov project (2022-2026) on automated administration governance, the REPAIR project (2022-2025) on algorithmic system maintenance, and the DARE project (2021-2026) on inclusive digital administration design. These projects involve collaboration with international partners and interdisciplinary teams. As Director of the University of Helsinki Legal Tech Lab, Koulu leads an interdisciplinary research hub that is part of the Network of Centers (NoC). The lab serves as a focal point for research on the intersection of law, technology, and society, bringing together scholars from legal studies, computer science, social sciences, and design disciplines to address pressing challenges in digital governance.
Jouni Sampo is a University Teacher at the LUT School of Engineering Sciences, specializing in Computational Engineering. Affiliated with Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT), his work bridges theoretical and applied mathematics with computational methods in engineering contexts. Fields of Interest: Computational Engineering Computer Science Applied Mathematics Numerical Analysis Engineering Sciences Contact: Email: Jouni.Sampo@lut.fi
Jarno Vanne is a Professor at the Department of Computing Sciences, Faculty of Information Technology and Communication Sciences at Tampere University. His research focuses on video coding standards, real-time systems, and hardware acceleration, particularly in the context of FPGA implementations and open-source tools. He leads projects involving VVC (Versatile Video Coding), V-PCC (Volumetric Video Coding), and HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding), with an emphasis on efficiency, low latency, and machine learning integration. Key research interests include point cloud compression, saliency-guided encoding, parallelization schemes, and real-time video communication protocols. His work often addresses challenges in multi-party video streaming, embedded systems, and encryption mechanisms for privacy protection. He has contributed to open-source projects like the UVG dataset, Kvazaar encoder, and CiThruS simulation frameworks. Recent publications highlight advancements in VVC intra encoding optimizations, machine learning-driven partitioning schemes, and FPGA-accelerated solutions for edge computing. His research bridges theoretical video coding algorithms with practical implementations, aiming to improve compression efficiency while maintaining real-time performance.
Prof. Vesa Välimäki is an Audio Signal Processing Professor at Aalto University's School of Electrical Engineering, leading the Audio Signal Processing Research Group within the Aalto Acoustics Lab. He also serves as Vice Dean for Research and Head of the Doctoral Programme at the university. His research focuses on digital signal processing, machine learning, and their applications in audio, acoustics, and music technology, particularly in artificial reverberation, audio filter design, and virtual analog modeling. He has pioneered techniques like velvet noise for reverberation synthesis and contributed to open-source tools like FLAMO. His academic accolades include IEEE, AES, and AAIA Fellowships, along with multiple best paper awards at venues like DAFx and ICASSP. He has advised numerous students, including recipients of prestigious awards like the Huawei Master's Thesis Award. Prof. Välimäki has held editorial roles at the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society and organized major conferences such as SMC-17. His work extends to applied projects like acoustic optimization for early childhood education facilities and immersive audio in virtual reality (e.g., the 'Space Walk' project). Key Projects: NordicSMC (Nordic University Hub for Sound and Music Computing), Aalto Acoustics Lab, FLAMO library Grants: NordForsk funding (2018–2023), Foundation for Aalto University Science and Technology His research spans both theoretical advancements (e.g., diffusion models for audio restoration) and practical implementations (e.g., real-time equalizers, headphone compensation systems). He collaborates internationally, contributing to acoustic measurement techniques and noise reduction strategies for diverse environments.
Heikki Remes serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering at Aalto University's School of Engineering, where he investigates high-performance steel structures for marine environments with emphasis on lightweight ship designs using advanced materials and manufacturing techniques. His research integrates fundamental fatigue and fracture mechanics with practical structural challenges, spanning from crystal-level material behavior to continuum-scale modeling. Key focus areas include welded joint integrity, additive manufacturing defects, and computational analysis of marine structures under extreme conditions. Recent publications reveal strong trends in fatigue assessment methodologies for complex welded geometries, experimental validation of distortion effects, and AI-enhanced damage prediction systems, reflecting his commitment to bridging theoretical mechanics with shipbuilding applications. Scientific Awards: Aalto Education Impact Award (2018) for establishing Marine Technology study programs SNAME Honorable Mention for 2018 Vice Admiral E. L. Cochrane Award Teaching Award of Aalto School of Engineering (2012) for educational tools No specific student advising or grant information appears in available sources, though his active publication record indicates ongoing research leadership. He contributes significantly to the Marine and Arctic Technology research group, driving projects on structural integrity assessment and advanced manufacturing solutions for next-generation marine vessels.
Professor Garg Vikas holds the position of Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the School of Science. His research spans quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning with applications in computational biology, healthcare, and drug design. He leads the HEALED/Garg project focused on human-steered machine learning for drug discovery and collaborates with institutions like MIT and industry partners. He co-founded YaiYai Oy, providing AI/ML solutions to global sectors. Education: PhD from MIT CSAIL under Tommi Jaakkola, with postdoctoral and industry experience at Amazon, Microsoft, and IBM. His work aligns with UN SDGs, particularly in healthcare and sustainable energy. Research interests include graph neural networks, generative models, and quantum AI. Recent projects involve climate modeling via physics-informed neural ODEs and optimizing quantum circuits using graph autoencoders. Key collaborations include MIT’s MLPDS Consortium and the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence. He supervises doctoral researchers like Yogesh Verma and postdocs such as Kogkalidis.
Ari Jantunen is a Professor in Strategy Research at the LUT Business School, LUT University, Lappeenranta, Finland. He is affiliated with the Department of Business Studies and has been actively contributing to academic research in strategic management and organizational behavior. University: LUT University School: LUT Business School Department: Business Studies Position: Professor, Strategy Research Email: Ari.Jantunen@lut.fi He earned his D.Sc. (Econ.) from Lappeenranta University of Technology in 2005, establishing a long-standing academic career focused on strategic change and innovation. Ari Jantunen’s research centers on strategic change and renewal, organizational cognition, dynamic capabilities, dominant logic, and industry dynamics . His work explores how managerial cognition influences strategic decisions and organizational performance, particularly in industries undergoing transformation such as media, energy, and forest sectors. He also investigates sustainability strategies, the circular bioeconomy, and corporate social performance. His recent publications reflect a strong trend in using cognitive mapping, qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), and simulation modeling to understand strategic phenomena. Articles on dominant logic, strategic renewal, and cognitive diversity highlight his focus on the cognitive underpinnings of strategic management. Among his notable works are studies on the bioeconomy transition in the pulp and paper industry, innovation races in high-tech sectors, and the interplay between corporate social and financial performance. Jantunen has collaborated extensively with researchers such as Anni Tuppura, Satu Pätäri, Kalevi Kyläheiko, and Anssi Tarkiainen, often co-authoring studies in journals like European Management Journal , Journal of Business Research , and Futures . Ari Jantunen is actively engaged in research and supervision, though no specific students are listed in the provided sources. He does not appear to have received any explicitly mentioned scientific awards, but his consistent publication record in high-impact journals underscores his academic contributions. He has been involved in interdisciplinary research projects, particularly those examining the interface between the energy and forest sectors, the diffusion of energy services, and innovation in cleantech firms. His work often combines theoretical rigor with practical insights, contributing to both academic discourse and industry applications.
Janne Heikkilä is a Professor at the Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Oulu, Finland. With over 30 years of experience in computer vision and machine learning, he leads the Center for Machine Vision and Signal Analysis (CMVS) and has contributed extensively to both theoretical and applied research. Research Interests: 3D computer vision, biomedical image analysis, computational photography, and deep learning. Scientific Leadership: IAPR Fellow, Senior IEEE Member, and former President of the Pattern Recognition Society of Finland. His work spans computer vision, radiotherapy planning, and biomedical imaging, with over 200 publications and 14,000 citations. He has secured funding from prestigious organizations like the Academy of Finland and Business Finland. His recent research focuses on debiasing AI models, 6D object pose estimation, and radiotherapy dose prediction. Scientific Awards: IAPR Fellow Senior Member of IEEE
Simon Puglisi is a Professor at the University of Helsinki's Department of Computer Science, within the Faculty of Science. His research focuses on algorithms, bioinformatics, data compression, and string processing, with notable contributions to genomic data analysis and efficient indexing techniques. He holds the Alberto Apostolico Best Paper Award (2021) and leads the WILL # CHAIR # BOSSA project (2025–2029). His work includes scalable k-mer indexing tools like Themisto and advancements in Lempel-Ziv compression and suffix tree algorithms. He frequently collaborates internationally, participates in editorial roles for journals like the ACM Journal of Experimental Algorithmics , and contributes to conferences such as the International Symposium on Combinatorial Pattern Matching. Research Interests: Algorithm design for string processing and bioinformatics Efficient data structures for genomic data Compression techniques (e.g., Lempel-Ziv, Burrows-Wheeler) Dynamic and space-efficient algorithms Grants & Projects: WILL # CHAIR # BOSSA (2025–2029) Ongoing collaborations with institutions like the University of Melbourne and King's College London
Yuzhuo Cai is a Senior Lecturer and Adjunct Professor in higher education administration at the Higher Education Group (HEG) within the Faculty of Management and Business at Tampere University, Finland. He holds additional roles as Deputy Director at the Research Centre on Transnationalism and Transformation (TRANSIT) and Co-Director of the Sino-Finnish Education Research Centre. Internationally, he serves as Visiting Associate Professor at the University of Hong Kong and holds guest professorships at Beijing Normal University, Tongji University, and Yunnan Normal University. His research focuses on higher education innovation ecosystems, the Triple Helix model, and comparative education between China and Finland. With over 150 publications and an h-index of 32, he has been recognized in Stanford/Elsevier’s Top 2% Scientists rankings. He leads large-scale projects, including a Horizon Europe-funded initiative on post-pandemic youth employment transitions (€2.9M grant). His interdisciplinary background includes a PhD in Administrative Science from Tampere University and prior education in Computer Science and Psychology. Research Interests Institutional theory analysis of higher education Triple Helix and neo-Triple Helix models of innovation University-industry-government engagement Graduate employability and capital theory China-Finland educational collaboration Key Achievements Principal Investigator of €2.9M Horizon Europe project (2023–2027) Co-editor of Triple Helix journal and advisor to multiple academic programs Recipient of Tampere University’s Most Cited Paper Award (2022) His work bridges academic research with policy impact, emphasizing innovation ecosystems and sustainable development goals.
Mikael Rinne is an Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at Aalto University's School of Engineering. His research focuses on rock fracture mechanics and its applications in various engineering contexts including nuclear waste repositories, geothermal energy systems, and underground construction. His expertise spans time-dependent rock failure mechanisms, fracture propagation models, and rock mechanics applications in energy storage and disposal systems. His work has direct applications in projects with Posiva Oy (nuclear waste repository), St1 Deepheat (geothermal energy), and mining operations with companies like First Quantum Minerals. Rinne's research integrates advanced numerical modeling with field applications, particularly in Finnish crystalline bedrock conditions. He has contributed significantly to understanding fracture initiation and propagation in rock masses under various stress conditions, with particular emphasis on long-term stability considerations for deep underground structures. His scholarly work demonstrates strong connections between theoretical fracture mechanics and practical engineering applications, with a focus on ensuring safety and reliability in rock engineering projects. His research has evolved from fundamental fracture mechanics studies to application-focused investigations addressing contemporary challenges in energy and waste management. Rinne has supervised doctoral research in rock mechanics and collaborates with researchers specializing in photogrammetry, virtual reality applications, and energy storage systems, creating a multidisciplinary approach to complex rock engineering problems.
