Professionals spring2015

Professionals is a commercial supplement produced by Editor Helsinki /// February–March 2015

Finland`s star-studded educational system – blending what with how page 3

Finnish know-how at Mobile World Congress pages 5–10

Before 2020 there will be around 50 billion interconnected things – Teppo Hemiä, CEO, Wirepas page 7

Philips has again taken a big leap

“Houston, everything`s cool”

page 13

page 16

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Professionals | www.editori.fi |

Professionals is a publication produced by Editor Helsinki Oy. Editor Helsinki is an independent expert in business communications. We work in close co-operation with the leading media houses and reach the business decision makers in Finland.

For additional information, please contact Valtteri Rantalainen, +358 40 561 7703.

Production team: Managing producer: Valtteri Rantalainen. Art Director: Pirja Suotamo. Editors: MaijaLiisa Saksa (MLS), Eila Aalto (EA), Mia Heiskanen (MH).

English translation: Käännöstoimisto Helsincom Oy. Printed by Hansaprint.

Feedback to Editor Helsinki Oy: tuotanto@editorhelsinki.fi | +358 40 561 7703 www.editorhelsinki.fi | www.editori.fi

Contents Smartti speeds up online sales ..................................................................... 2 Exploring the secrets of finnish education.................................................... 3 Kolster – your intellectual property gateway to China and Europe ............. 4 Finnish know-how at Mobile World Congress....................................... 5 – 10 Comptel plays a significant role in perfecting digital moments................... 5 Aiming for a world where nothing goes missing .......................................... 6 Wirepas Pino™ network platform solves the connection challenge in Internet of Things...............................................7 Are you happy with the performance of you seat-back entertainment system?..................................................... 8 Better innovations.......................................................................................... 9 JOT changes the way how smart products are manufactured.................... 10 Emission-free mileage .................................................................................. 11 Tight knot took abroad ................................................................................. 12 Labkotec’s cornerstone – Own product research and development ........ 13 Better cancer treatment .............................................................................. 13 Research in medicine created business ....................................................... 14 Biopharmaceutical manufacturing excellence from top of the world ........ 15 “Houston, everything’s cool” ....................................................................... 16

Smartti speeds up online sales Traditional customer service is expensive and time-consuming for an online retailer.

The intelligent customer service tool Smartti frees up resources from customer service and speeds up sales.

The tool is developed by the founders of Smartifik Oy and based on smart language technologies. It analyzes written text and performs actions based on the analysis.

“Customer service is increasingly towards an online environment, and many companies have adopted a live chat service that aims for more cost-effective customer care. However, live chat has not proven to be a functional solution because it requires its own personnel or the service has to be bought separately,” says the CEO, Henri Huttunen.

Automated, intelligent customer service Smartti, developed by Smartifik Oy, is based on language technology and artificial intelligence, which means that it will work like live chat, but instead of a real person, there is an artificial intelligence program answering the customer’s questions. “Customer service receives a lot of similar questions. With the help of Smartti, the customers’ most common questions can be automated. The customers can ask their questions in colloquial language, as whole sentences, and Smartti can answer the questions as it is taught. Smartti knows the products of the web store and is able to recommend them intelligently. In addition, the customer can execute diverse product searches using whole sentences.”

Customer service 24/7

Smartifik Oy is a start-up company from Oulu, Finland, founded in 2012, providing solutions for managing artificial intelligence and natural language. The company’s solutions are based on language technology that Smartifik has been developing since 2011.

According to Huttunen, the experiences of Finnish online retailers have shown that Smartti has lightened the customer service workload and sped up sales.”Smartti serves customer around the clock – even during peak moments in visitor numbers. We have designed the program to cater to the needs of all sizes of web store but the technology can be utilized in all kinds of customer service situations where automation is needed. Soon it will also work in English,” Huttunen hints. | www.smartifik.com | Text: MH

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Kolster – your intellectual property

gateway to China and Europe

Picking up the threads of IPR? IP Lawyer Jani Kaulo and Patent Attorney Toni Korelin untangle the knots of intellectual property rights in the Chinese and European markets.

Companies’ assets all over the world include their own technology, a brand and intellectual property rights. Currently the significance of China as the source and target country for innovations and intellectual property rights is growing rapidly. Kolster China Desk is your IP gateway to the markets of China and Europe.

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aving worked for 140 years with patents, trademarks and legal services, Kolster Oy Ab untangles the knots related to intellectual property rights and language in China.

The company’s Chinese co-operation started already in the 1980s, and last year they launched Kolster China Desk which provides IP services also in Chinese.

“We work as an IP supervisor for Finnish companies in the global markets, but also as a European IP partner for Chinese companies,” Patent Attorney Toni Korelin and IP Lawyer Jani Kaulo describe Kolster’s China Desk service.

Have you protected your intellectual property rights in China?

China is the world leader in the amount of patent and trademark applications, and it is strongly being profiled as the “Invented in China” country. Since the Chinese themselves patent a lot, European companies

have to make sure that their own IPRs are in order before entering the Chinese markets.

Additionally, they need to ensure that Chinese patents or utility models will not hinder their business.

“Novelty searches should emphasize China more than before. Kolster provides help in analyzing the Chinese-language patents and finding the relevant patent applications, Korelin suggests.

In China, brandjacking is unfortunately common. European companies should also take care of pre-emptively protecting their trademarks, domain names, as well as design rights and copyrights.

“It is advisable to create and register a Chinese-language version of the original trademark, for use together with the trademark written in Latin alphabet. You should seek expert help in this,” Kaulo advises.

“In China, you can also register copyrights, which is an inexpensive way of preventing brandjacking.”

Entering the European markets?

Kolster China Desk helps in all patent, trademark, design and domain-related matters in the European markets – resolving conflicts, assisting with contracts and providing strategic counseling.

“Chinese trademark owners should for instance consider localizing their trademarks into suitable forms for Europe which requires a skilled and experienced local partner,” Kaulo says.

Kolster submits hundreds of new patent, trademark and design applications annually to the EPO, European Patent Office, and OHIM, which is an office that registers community trademarks and designs. Online filing means the offices are just one click away, and oral hearings are handled on the spot when needed.

“Kolster China Desk is a gateway for IP rights to both directions between Europe and China,” says Korelin. | www.kolster.fi |

Professionals | Finnish know-how at Mobile World Congress | www.editori.fi |

Comptel plays a significant role in perfecting digital moments Comptel has undergone a change process that has sharpened the company’s ability to orchestrate and manage end-to-end services by perfecting customers digital moments.

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omptel is an international software and services company specializing in telecommunications and serving any company that needs to process staggering amount of data and act upon it.

Comptel’s recently renewed organization reflects the company’s focus on two core business areas: Comptel Intelligent Data and Comptel Service Orchestration. In addition, Comptel established a new business unit concentrating on new ideas and products in the early stage and their further development.

“This will allow us to develop more holistic services with which we can help our customers to boost revenues, cut costs and provide a better customer experience,” Comptel President & CEO Juhani Hintikka says.

Market is at a turning point According to Hintikka, the business environment and industry of telecommunications operators are at a turning point. “Operators have a pressing need to develop and launch new services and improve the quality of the customer experience. Fierce competition requires operators to improve their business processes continuously and pay special attention to their cost structure. ’Generation Cloud’ is developing new habits when

it comes to data usage, which means that operators require services and new project deliveries that create a strong basis for business growth. In addition, network technologies will be moving to software-based cloud environments at an increasing pace.”

Tighter integration and context-aware personalization increase complexity in policy and charging control. Dynamic changes in user behavior and the competitive landscape will only add to this complexity, as will the Internet of Things and Voice over LTE. “We see this as a way to help our customers by perfecting their digital moments.”

Interesting value proposition Comptel has an interesting value proposition for the market. “We have the ability to collect and refine large amounts of data.

From our perspective this means putting data into use. Often in Big Data projects data is only stored without thinking about what to do with it. We want to understand the business process that Data Refinery aims to impact. Another competence area is Data Fastermind, which means predictive analytics. It can be used, for example, to predict demand and network errors. Furthermore, with our Monetizer service operators can build data services and monetize them in less time than ever before.” | www.comptel.com | TEXT: MH

Comptel will be attending Mobile World Congress, 2-5 March 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. Interested in perfecting and monetizing your digital moments? Email comptel.marketing@comptel.com to set up a meeting, or visit us in Hall 5, Stand #5G40.

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Professionals | Finnish know-how at Mobile World Congress | www.editori.fi |

Every parent knows the horror of when their child disappears in the bustle of a supermarket or an amusement park in the blink of an eye. Or when a demented father or mother wanders off and disappears on a cold winter night. The Finnish company Yepzon Oy has developed a locating application that helps you find your loved ones quickly and easily using your own mobile phone.

Aiming for a world where nothing goes missing

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n December 2014, Yepzon, which develops smart clothing and wearable smart device applications, launched for consumers a locating device not much bigger than a matchbox. The device slips easily into the pocket of a child or a demented senior. The device, which functions everywhere in the GSM network, can be followed with several phones, so the family’s phones can easily be used to locate 3-to-9year old children and grandparents suffering from memory disorders.

Locating will be available everywhere The aim of Yepzon’s founder, CEO Otto Linna, is to make the world a place where important things never go missing. According to him, in ten years’ time locating features will already exist in items such as smart clothing, when the price for the necessary technologies drops.

“Locating features will also exist in nearly

all important items such as cars, keys, computers, and even outboard motors, which are favored by thieves,” he predicts.

According to Linna, there is a tremendous global need for the Yepzon application.

“Statistics show that in the United States and the EU alone, over a million children go missing every year, and ten per cent are never found. There is also an enormous need for Yepzon devices for monitoring patients with dementia and memory disorders.”

The tabloids have already criticized Yepzon for being a part of the “Big Brother” culture and allowing lazy parents to transfer their monitoring responsibilities to a device.

Otto Linna is amused by the accusations.

“An easy-to-use device provides additional safety and can be used to find a missing child or senior before it is too late. Elementary school children sometimes forget to turn on their phones, so Yepzon can also track children who have gotten lost on their way home from school.”

Yepzon’s trajectory has been exceptional, record class even according to the innovation investor Tekes. The company was founded in October 2013 and launched its product already for Christmas 2014.

“Consumer sales started in December in Finland and in Italy. This spring, the device will hit the stores also in France, the United Kingdom and the United States. The device can also be ordered from the Yepzon web store in the EU area,” Otto Linna says.

Product development continues on the basis of consumer feedback. The rapidly growing company interests investors and retailers globally, in addition to consumers.

“There has been huge interest among telecommunications operators and home electronics distributors. In March, we will attend the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which will be our next big meeting with partners and clients. You find us in Hall 5, at Stand 5C31,” Otto Linna says. | www.yepzon.com | TEXT: EA

”In the near future, there will be locating features in nearly all important items such as cars, keys, means of payment, and even outboard motors.”

Otto Linna (on the left) is an international sales professional who has managed several media companies during his career. He is also one of the owners of the children’s clothing company Blaa!.

Professionals | Finnish know-how at Mobile World Congress | www.editori.fi |

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Wirepas Pino™ network platform solves the connection challenge in Internet of Things The Internet of Things (IoT) as well as the industrial internet offer new possibilities by connecting smart devices together. Wirepas Oy, a business spin-off of Tampere University of Technology, has brought a scalable platform to the market, enabling costefficient, safe connectivity for an unlimited amount of smart devices.

“Sensor applications measuring how machine components are functioning can be used to anticipate a production unit breakdown and thus prevent expensive downtime in production.”

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he IoT is predicted to have a greater effect on us than the coming of the Internet back in the day. “When at the moment there are around 0.5 billion stationary locations in the Internet, before 2020 there will be around 50 billion interconnected things,” Wirepas CEO Teppo Hemiä illustrates. That means a greater demand for low power, short range radio technology.

The transition into IoT also means an increasing demand for dependable network solutions between devices and cloud services. Up until now, the problem with software made of existing components has been weak performance and questionable reliability in large scale installations.

Research program turning into a hit product Pino™ software platform, productized and launched by Wirepas, is a result of a long research and development work done in Tampere University of Technology. The platform enables an infinitely scalable, safe and efficient way to interconnect devices.

In the complete, dependable and tested platform every device is an autonomous element in the network.

“Distributed intelligence in our system means that every device establishes a connection with its neighbors independently.

Our network is indefinitely scalable, reliable, and able to use optional routes in case of any disturbance in the radio environment or other problems. In addition, it’s able to reconnect in any situation,” Hemiä explains.

Wirepas has a business model based on protocol stack licensing. The technology is circuit independent, which means it can be used with any radio hardware. Clients include, among others, various companies in the field of measuring. Their smart metering devices can be read wirelessly by using the network platform by Wirepas. The technology is suitable for health care, lighting as well as home and building automation — wherever reliable sensors are needed.

“A more common application is home automation, where the room temperature, air conditioning and lighting can be monitored and controlled remotely. The latest application are sensors, which are put in trash cans to measure how full they are. The collection route can then be optimized by monitoring the trash volumes. Sensor applications measuring how machine components are functioning can be used to anticipate a production unit breakdown and thus prevent expensive downtime in production,” Hemiä describes. | www.wirepas.com | TEXT: EA

“Technology for radio based remote electricity meter reading is one of Wirepas specialties,” says Wirepas CEO Teppo Hemiä.

Come and meet us at Barcelona Mobile World Congress, Hall 5 at Stand 5C31.

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Professionals | Finnish know-how at Mobile World Congress | www.editori.fi |

OptoFidelity Human Simulator™ software platform

Pertti Aimonen, CEO, OptoFidelity.

OptoFidelity integrates Human Simulator™ software with high-end robots. OptoFidelity sell test systems, benchmark information and customer specific services.

Are you happy with the performance of you seat-back entertainment system?

When you compare a typical in-seat entertainment system to your smart phone or tablet, you may feel it is a bit slow and inaccurate.

The screen in front of the passenger is certified to meet safety and regulatory requirements, but not necessarily thoroughly tested from the enduser experience perspective. Due to long product life cycles the touch screen technology in in-flight entertainment systems is often outdated. Our digital lifestyle expect user-friendly and responsive interfaces not only in tablets and smart phones, but also in cars, home appliances and even in airplanes. OptoFidelity life-like user interface test systems ensure that these expectations are met and exceeded,” says OptoFidelity CEO Pertti Aimonen.

Increasing need for testing According to Aimonen, the development of user-friendly devices is getting more complicated, while the product lifecycle is shortening. “In mobile devices the multi-

touch input method is not a differentiator anymore. We are seeing new technologies coming out with an increasing pace. At the upcoming Barcelona Mobile World Congress we will see products with stylus control, 3D imaging, curved displays and other new interaction methods.”

The number of consumers who actively use multiple digital devices is growing. This diversification offers many strategic possibilities for manufacturers to succeed, and also to fail in creation of new products. Topnotch product quality, end-user satisfaction and faster time to market can be achieved only with automated end-to-end testing.

Life-like testing automation at the core of OptoFidelity OptoFidelity test systems simulate human behavior on devices to provide the most authentic and accurate results for manufacturers. “We integrate our Human Simulator™ software platform with high-end, industrial robots. We can test any new device: large or small, curved of flat – even smart glasses, pen-like input methods or hand gesture control. Our test automation is based on high-end technology combined with cross-

functional expertise,” Aimonen says.

OptoFidelity has exceptional talent focusing on robot assisted testing automation and special performance measurement instruments. “We operate globally with top-tier customers in the handset, automotive, telecom and entertainment industry.

Our passion is in new technologies, cognitive software, measurement technology and solving customer’s problems,” Aimonen states. | www.optofidelity.com | TEXT: MH

Come and meet OptoFidelity at Barcelona Mobile World Congress at booth 5C31 Team Finland department!

For further inquiries or to schedule a meeting, please contact sales@optofidelity.com or call +358 44 430 0100 +358 40 7749259.

Professionals | Finnish know-how at Mobile World Congress | www.editori.fi |

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| www.haltian.com | www.cresense.com | www.symbio.com |

Better innovations The world can be improved in many ways. One of these is to develop the digital services we all need in our work and in our free time to be appealing and effective – into services we do not want to give up, even though the alternative might be behind the push of a button.

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he development of functional, userfriendly and effective products and services requires versatile expertise of the industry, user experience, software and hardware across different technologies, all the way to productization.

Even large companies do not always have the necessary resources for all of these requirements, which is why the implementation of new technologies is often delayed.

This usually backfires through a decrease in productivity and competitiveness.

A better result together In order to improve the development and productization of digital products and services, three Finnish high-tech companies, Cresense Oy, Haltian Oy, and Symbio Oy, have combined their own special fields of expertise. The result is a unique service model that a company can use in order to boost its own capacity for innovation.

“Co-creation, working together with the

client, is one of Symbio’s strengths. Product development cycles are often fast, and it is difficult for the client to manage everything effectively. Our client benefits the most when we help with product development from the beginning, determining what the plan is, which technologies we are using and what the end result is going to be,” Mia Ryynänen, Head of Marketing and Communications at Symbio Oy, explains the principles of co-operation. Symbio brings its strong product development and quality assurance know-how into the service package.

“Haltian’s special know-how involves productization of cutting-edge wireless devices.

We provide intelligence in product design and very strong compact sensor know-how for example for the development of new solutions for the industrial internet,” explains Marketing Director Heini Tuorila at Haltian Oy. “It’s the end-user’s experience that defines the success of a product or service. We at Cresense always combine research with

”Functional innovation requires research-based service design, the right device choices, and technology that makes the user experience desirable.”

design and therefore bring a user-centered, fact based approach to digital service design. We strive for an easy-to-use, engaging and purpose built end result. When end-user needs and expectations are met, it adds value both to the user and our client,” stresses CEO Marko Rapeli. | TEXT: MLS Cresense, Haltian and Symbio will demostrate the benefits of the co-operation for clients in Barcelona from March 2nd to 5th at the Mobile World Congress at stand 5C43.

Professionals | Finnish know-how at Mobile World Congress | www.editori.fi |

Petri Halonen CEO, JOT Automation

JOT changes the way how smart products are manufactured Every day over a million smart devices are tested with JOT equipment. This means dozens of tests every second. With automated solutions for testing and production, JOT enables global consumer brands to aim for 100 % quality, to design finer products, and to shorten the time-to-market.

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ccording to JOT Automation CEO Petri Halonen, JOT is a global partner for the leading mobile device manufacturers. “We focus on automated test solutions in production from board level tests all the way to final products’ functional tests. Another important core area for us is automated precision assembly of small, performance-critical parts.”

Automation works as an enabler Halonen emphasizes that billions of performance and design driven devices cannot be shipped to markets on time with satisfactory precision, quality and cost without flexible automation. “This makes automation an enabler since it guarantees flawless products and a better end-user experience.”

“Our tailored solutions test each interaction and every aspect of smart devices, and assemble incredibly small parts with ever tightening tolerances. Our assistance allows global consumer brands to design finer

products and inspect the quality of every single product manufactured, before they leave the factory and end up in the hands of tens of millions of consumers.”

“Another important point is that since product life-cycles are getting faster, manufacturers must be able to ramp up production volumes with superior quality anywhere in the world. Automation helps to shorten the time-to-market.”

Despite ever more stringent product requirements, the consumer electronics industry has remained labor intensive until now.

The automation boom is just taking off.

“Smart devices are getting smarter, more complex and smaller. This means that people are no longer able to do the minute tasks needed in the manufacturing of next-generation mobile devices. This opens up great opportunities for us. JOT does the things that are impossible for humans,” Halonen stresses. | www.jotautomation.com | TEXT: MH

Photos: Juha Sarkkinen

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JOT G3 all-in-one final tester A good example of JOT’s testing solutions is JOT G3, known as an allin-one final tester for smartphones and wearables that enables fully automatic tests in a repeatable and reliable environment. JOT G3 executes multiple tests in a single platform.

The solution has a compact footprint and is capable of running all the required interface tests on, for example, RF, electrics, mechanics, touch screens, buttons, audio, and plug-in connections.

A further key feature is that JOT G3 helps to maximize capacity and quality with lower costs.

Come and meet us at the Barcelona Mobile World Congress. You find us in Hall 5, at Stand 5D36.

| www.editori.fi | Professionals

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Design: Hannu Havusto/RD Velho Oy

New design of Hydrogen refuelling station.

Emission-free mileage When we combine over hundred years of experience Woikoski Oy has in gases and the nowadays requirements for reducing car emissions, as end result we get a refuelling station for hydrogen cars. It takes only couple minutes to fill the tank, and you’ll drive around 600km (approx. 370 miles) totally free of carbon dioxide emissions with it.

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ydrogen as a fuel in car, or any engine, causes no carbon dioxide emissions at all. “When we fill the fuel cell with clean hydrogen, we get electricity to power the engine and water vapor,” CEO of Woikoski Oy, Kalevi Korjala explains.

Use of hydrogen as a green energy source has encouraged Woikoski to invest in hydrogen. Europe’s biggest hydrogen plant electrolyzing water was commissioned in Kokkola last year. The method is known to Woikoski that produced hydrogen by electrolysis already over hundred years ago with it.

Hydrogen is also a by-product of chemical industry and it can be produced of natural gas, propane, bio gases and other substances with the methane compound CH4. When hydrogen is taken apart this compound, we also get carbon dioxide or carbon monoxide.

But if we electrolyze the water molecules, we get only separated hydrogen and oxygen.

“Thus, water electrolysis is fully emission-free and the electricity needed to it can be produced by wind, solar or hydro power plants.

Like this, both hydrogen production and use as energy source can be carbon-dioxide-free,” Korjala stresses. He also reminds, that nowadays solutions make hydrogen also totally safe to use.

The EU invests much in using carbon-dioxide-free energies and there are plans to expand the network of a couple of dozen hydrogen refuelling stations. Alone in Germany, the goal is to build 400 new stations in the next ten years.

In Finland, Woikoski has already built two hydrogen refuelling stations. The company plans to build two new stations, one of

which in Göteborg, Sweden.

“We want to be strongly involved in developing hydrogen technology. We have already over a decade of experience in hydrogen and other industrial gases, as well as high pressure gases for medical use and food production.“ “In the past years, we have expanded our know-how in on-site solutions, in which the gas is made in factory premises and lead by pipes straight into the process,” Korjala says.

He sees this trend also as a solution to future refuelling stations.

Instead of transporting hydrogen to stations in containers, it is produced at the location.

“The greenest solution is then obviously the method using energy from solar panels or wind power plants to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen,” Korjala says. | www.woikoski.fi | TEXT: MLS

It takes few minutes to fill a car’s hydrogen tank, and with one full tank you can drive up to 600 kilometers (370 miles) without CO2 emissions.

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Professionals | www.editori.fi |

Tight knot took abroad Tight knot can conquer the world. Finnish company Piippo Oyj supplies baling twine and nets that are widely used in farming around Australia, USA and Europe.

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o make a knot, you need twine. That was the starting point for the patented paper string Piippo started with over 70 years ago. At the beginning, the company produced various ropes and strings for the domestic needs, and in the 70s also to be exported to the Soviet Union.

Exporting to the East collapsed but new markets were found in the 80s from the West, and a new baling twine that was developed especially for agricultural use got immediately a strong foothold in the market.

In the 90s, depression took its toll in almost all Finnish companies, but not in Piippo, where work was done busily in three shifts.

“We had started exporting at the right time and it was boosted by a big devaluation. Without exporting, we’d have been in trouble, since we’d just bought a domestic competitor trusting its sure clients, which filed in for bankruptcy one after another,” CEO Kari Hirvonen recollects.

“A 70-year-old company like this has gone through many recessions, fires and other difficulties, but managed to overcome it all with great staff and committed owners taking the company determinedly forward,” Hirvonen continues.

At the turn of the millennium the company decided to invest in a new business – the baling nets.

Piippo launched their manufacturing in Outokumpu and has after that expanded production several times. The latest factory expansion increased production by 20% in 2014.

“When almost the whole Europe and especially Finland suffered from recession last year, we were able to increase our turnover by 30%,” Hirvonen gladly says. The success he attributes to the product quality.

“Baling products are obviously made around the world, but we have patented expertise the end users value. The twines’ knot strength and the net strength are of big importance, because the feeds are global market products and transported long routes. The end user thinks whose products enable them to reliably pack the most feed into a small storage. Our baling nets are the toughest, longest and lightest in the market, and these qualities make them also more environment friendly,” Hirvonen explains. | www.piippo.fi | TEXT:MLS

1. The assortment includes over 200 various ropes, wires and twines for different consumer needs.

2. Piippo has increased its production continuously. Last year’s expansion increased production capacity by 20%.

3. Strength and lightness of baling twines and nets are qualities that have enabled exporting to over 30 countries even as far as Australia, says CEO Kari Hirvonen.

4. Especially strong knots in the baling nets, their non-breaking structure and the length and lightness of the net wraps are qualities cherished by customers, when feed needs to be transported long distances reliably and compactly.

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Piippo Oyj produces, supplies and markets ropes, twines, wires and nets. The company’s major client segments are: • Agriculture: baling twines and nets • Consumer products: over 200 different wires and ropes • BtoB: cable fillers and armoring yarn • Over 75% of production is exported to over 30 countries, and the company’s turnover increased a stunning 30% in 2014.

| www.editori.fi | Professionals

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Labkotec’s cornerstone – Own product research and development Company producing measuring devices has gained success despite general economic downturn.

Focusing on the core know-how and own product development has paid off.

First we research the demand in the market and then we develop new solutions.

“Our business are the measuring devices for protecting people and the environment, such as motion and person detectors, various surface and current measuring devices and numerous automation solutions,” CEO Ari Tolonen summarizes. The product range also includes ice detectors, as well as oil and grease alarms.

LabkoNet enables the reading of data on different devices and receiving them, for example, in a mobile phone.

“We use a lot of resources in product development, around 7 to 8% of our turnover. To our founder the own research and product development was the cornerstone of it all. Investing in it continues to pay off.”

The Labkonet platform is one of the Labkotec’s success stories.

The platform is a cloud service that’s been around long before the word itself was invented. “It’s a service platform developed 16 years ago, capable of reading data from connected measuring devices,” Tolonen explains.

Global business in a small scale “Labkotec employs 50 people, most of which work in Pirkkala, Finland. In addition, the company has sales offices in Vantaa, Pori and Oulu. International subsidiaries have been founded in Sweden, England and Germany, and sales agents can be found even in Shanghai.

“Our 20% annual growth has been a fast rate if compared to the general situation in the market. We’ve carefully chosen the product ranges which we continue and abandoned the ones not profiting,” Tolonen says.

“Now we secure our market position and plan the future carefully – before pushing the pedal again”. | www.labkotec.com |

We use plenty of resources in product development.

– Ari Tolonen, CEO, Labkotec.

With the help of Philips’ new MR CAT*, the treatment of cancer is more effective and effortless than before.

Better cancer treatment The new magnetic imaging method developed by Philips Healthcare in Finland significantly improves the quality and effectiveness of cancer treatments.

With the help of these innovations, which have been developed according to the “health continuum” model by Philips, people can maintain their health and prevent health issues. The group also produces hospital technology and provides tools for recovering from operations and home care.

“The oncology research and product development by Philips Healthcare operates largely in Finland. The innovations emerge as a result of the internal competence of our department of 120 people, and the generally high-level knowhow on this field in Finland,” says Jarno Eskelinen, the CEO of Philips Oy. Philips has again taken a big leap in developing magnetic imaging technology, as the new MR-CAT* technology’s usage possibilities in treating cancer tumors are becoming more versatile and effective.

“With the help of our new technology, we are able to reach the same result as we did before with CT scans and MRI together. Our current equipment can be updated with the new feature of this globally remarkable innovation, explains Project Manager Annemaria Halkola.

According to Timo Kiljunen, Hospital Physicist at the private Docrates Cancer Center, radiation therapy has seen significant developments. As the treated area can be defined more accurately than before, the effectiveness of the treatment can be increased.

“Earlier, the problems had to do with the accuracy of imaging and the movements of the tumor. Now we are able to give a bigger dose of radiation to the target, with the accuracy of one millimeter, and also protect the healthy tissue from radiation. We are also able to see metastases,” Kiljunen informs.

“Several instances are benefiting enormously from this, because treatment is more effective and effortless than before. The patient benefits first of all, but the benefits also extend to the hospital, which brings along notable savings,” Kiljunen continues.

A healthier life as a mission Since the founding of Philips, its aim has been to affect the wellbeing of humankind.“Our innovations really do matter. Our aim is to develop something new in order to cater for the needs of not only Finland but the whole world, Eskelinen concludes.| www.philips.fi | *This is Works in Progress for prostate applications

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Professionals | www.editori.fi |

Research in medicine created business On the Meilahti Campus in Helsinki one can find Biomedicum Helsinki, which can assist companies in the pre-clinical and clinical studies of pharmaceuticals as well as in the development of medical technology.

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here are a couple of thousand researchers working in the Meilahti area, at Helsinki University and in the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM, among others. In addition, in the Helsinki University Central Hospital, HUCH, which is a large hospital by European standards, there is a similar number of doctors catering for the special health care of the 1.6 million people living in the Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District.

“There is a tremendous amount of knowhow on our campus, and we co-operate with companies especially in clinical research of medicinal products. In order to facilitate the practices of business co-operation, all assignments are done centrally at Clinical Research Institute HUCH Ltd,” explains the Managing Director Seppo Pakkala.

Around a hundred new assignments on clinical research come from all over the world annually. A significant portion of the projects has to do with cancer medicine, as the HUCH Cancer Center is the only institute in the Nordic Countries to have the three C status – Comprehensive Cancer Center.

“In addition to clinical study, we can participate in pharmaceutical development in any pre-clinical phase. We have access to top experts from various fields as well as the necessary technology from molecular and cellular research all the way to animal testing or mathematical modelling,” Pakkala says.

In addition to pharmaceutical research, the campus hosts an extensive amount of private research, some of which can be commercialized. An interesting example of this is webmicroscopy, which, combined with an-

other Finnish innovation, a giant multi-touch screen, enables the viewing of tissue samples online on an enormous screen, for instance in teaching situations. The service has been sold to European universities and international pharmaceutical companies.

“Although we focus on science on the campus, we have highly functional structures in place for business co-operation.

Pharmaceutical development is always slow, but applying technical innovations can happen quickly in co-operation between the industry and the users. We have the possibility to carry out applied research, for instance related to equipment,” Pakkala highlights.

The Finnish invention legislature provides researchers working in different institutions with different IP rights, so legal expertise is also needed in business co-operation. Helsinki Innovation Services Ltd, which acts as an expert partner between the researchers and the business world, helps commercialize the innovations made on campus.

An example of the versatile international co-operation of Biomedicum Helsinki is the Pharma Meets Academy, which is a Nordic seminar for researchers and decision-makers in the field, held on April 22 and 23. The seminar showcases e.g. the possibilities offered by the campus in order to improve the competence of the health technology industry as a whole. TEXT: MLS | http://www.hyksinstituutti.fi |

Research Director Johan Lundin from the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland FIMM demonstrates the webmicroscopy-based method that allows the viewing of tissue samples on a giant screen.

| www.editori.fi | Professionals

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• Biovian is your one-stop-shop providing a full range of services in cGMP contract manufacturing of biopharmaceuticals • Process development, scale-up and cGMP contract manufacturing • 2,300 m2 cGMP certified facilities located in Turku, Finland • EMA cGMP manufacturing authorization for investigational and commercial use (including biopharmaceuticals, gene therapy and sterile products) • FDA inspected and listed on Drug Firm Registration • Privately-owned, independent, 2003 established company entirely focused on customer projects

Biovian’s facilities are certified for biopharmaceutical manufacture, and include e.g. up-to-date production equipment for the most delicate protein-based pharmaceuticals, as well as cleanrooms which meet the requirements for new modern biopharmaceutical production.

Biopharmaceutical manufacturing excellence from top of the world Finnish Biovian Oy provides top-level, reliable and high-quality contract development and contract manufacturing of new biopharmaceuticals.

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iovian, founded in 2003, is a financially stable contract partner which employs top professionals from various fields including Ph.D. level biochemists, engineers, pharmacists and regulatory experts. Around 70 to 80 percent of Biovian´s turnover comes from export projects to Europe, Asia and the United States.

“The majority of Biovian´s clients are companies that develop biopharmaceuticals. Biovian mainly performs comprehensive development work on the production processes of new biopharmaceuticals, aiming at clinical trials. This may include everything from the necessary biomolecule research and analysis services all the way to the contract manufacturing of GMP batches. We have also provided cell banking manufacture and process development of biosimilars. This is enabled by our broad

license for manufacturing medicinal products and our state-of-the art 2,300 m2 GMP certified facilities, explains CEO Knut Ringbom. He emphasizes that the company wants to fully focus on executing customer projects on a “fee-for-service” basis and does therefore not own shares of the products or customer companies.

A safe partner Director of Business Development and Projects, Antti Nieminen, emphasizes the significance of high-level confidentiality and transparent communication with the client.

“It is extremely important that our client can feel completely safe and trust Biovian, when it comes to keeping business secrets and providing agreed deliverables. We operate according to mutually set targets and provide our clients with the agreed products on time and within budget,” Nieminen says.

He points out that a development project is always a large entity, with many complex items to be addressed over the span of the entire project.

“Science and documentation are important, but the most crucial factor is how the GMP production projects are executed on person to person level. We are languageproficient, and co-operation with us is open and effortless. Our company can be reached by good international air connections and is located close to the unique nature of the Finnish archipelago.” TEXT: MLS | www.biovian.com |

The increase of biopharmaceuticals When human cell-level events have been understood even better, this has helped the development of bio­ pharmaceuticals. Biovian has concentrated ondeveloping the manufacture processes and GMP-manufacturing of biopharmaceutical products. Biovian has already manufactured all modern biopharmaceuticals such as recombinant proteins, vaccines, adenoviruses etc. which are currently going through clinical research.

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Professionals | www.editori.fi |

“Houston, everything’s cool” As the iron-willed Houston team once solved the problems of Apollo 13 and brought the crew home, Houston Analytics Ltd solves the problems of decision-making with the help of predictive analytics.

Instead of reports on the past, we offer onwards visibility in order to optimize decision-making.

We utilize the data existing in the company as well as external data, and provide focusing analyses, with which the future can be predicted,” explains Antti Syväniemi, the CEO of Houston Analytics.

For instance, a wholesale or a retail store may build an offer package for a certain target group on a certain basis.

The results of the campaign, who bought what, for how much and where, are monitored and this data is utilized in future campaigns, even automatically.

“The same self-learning and continuously focusing method can be used anywhere with large amounts of data: in the industries in predictive maintenance and in public administration, e.g. in evaluating the effects of tax changes,” explains Director Juha Raunama. He adds that commerce, heavy industry, financing and media are Houston’s biggest clients in Finland and in the Nordic Countries. In the near future, the company is going to expand to the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

Quick and easy ramp-up Big data and especially analytics are often considered elusive. Antti Syväniemi assures that the decision-maker does not have to take big, long-term risks or understand analytics or databanks at all. Decision-making utilizes easy user interfaces, and the whole ramp-up process can be done in a few weeks either in the customer’s own environment or as a cloud service.

In the first stage of the service, the Houston Analytics Launch Pad maps the possibilities of the customer’s existing data and identifies the parts of operation that the customer wants to improve. “We dissect this information into decision-making points in order to find out what can be done with the existing information,” Syväniemi says.

In the next stage, which is the Rocket Launch, the process in question is improved in a quick and agile manner, and the first testable version is produced.

In the third stage, Mission Control, the process is built and the easy-to-use decision-making windows are accessible for decision-makers. TEXT: MLS | www.houston-analytics.com |

“The experts at Houston Analytics have been developing predictive, optimization analytics for over a decade. The company is a partner of IBM and uses the predictive analytics technology of SPSS,” Antti Syväniemi and Juha Raunama say.

From routines to seeking benefits “Fact-based decision-making is a requirement for running a successful business. Data production processes traditionally consist of several manual stages. With the help of Houston Analytics, we are able to free our professionals’ time for seeking business benefits.

We are able to make observations quicker and focus on predicting the future. With the predictions, the top management receives recommendations based on data, on the basis of which we can build our present and future actions.”

Paula Virtanen Atria Finland Ltd, Director, consumer and market Insight