Speakers for the Fulbright Finland-U.S. Icebreaker Capacity Building Program

Andersson is MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management and a secretary general of Finnish Marine Industries, a co-operation forum for high-technology maritime solution providers, leading marine equipment manufacturers, turn-key suppliers, designers, software and system providers as well as shipbuilding, ship repair and offshore yards. The association is a branch association of Technology Industries of Finland and a member of SEA Europe.

Jari Haapala is a Research Professor at the Finnish Meteorological Institute and an internationally recognized expert in sea ice and physical oceanography. With over three decades of experience, his work focuses on Arctic sea ice variability and change, sea ice dynamics, and the development of numerical models. His research combines field observations, data analysis, and advanced modeling to better understand polar marine systems. He has taken part in numerous research expeditions in the Baltic Sea and the Arctic Ocean, including major international campaigns such as Tara Arctic (2007), NICE (2015), and MOSAiC (2019–2020).

Counselor Janne Jokinen is currently serving as Expert at the Unit for North America of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland. He has worked in the Finnish Foreign Service since 2001. 

Among Mr. Jokinen’s previous assignments are his posting as Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Finland to the Kingdom of Sweden (2022-2025), as Head of the Political Section at the Embassy of Finland in Washington D.C. (2013-2017), and as Desk Officer for Human Rights, Social Development, the Status of Women and Indigenous Issues at the Permanent Mission of Finland to the United Nations in New York (2005-2008). 

At the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Jokinen has worked, inter alia, as Deputy Chief of Strategic Planning, Deputy Head of the Unit for the Middle East and North Africa, Desk Officer for Human Rights Policy at the United Nations and at the European Union, and Expert at the Unit for Northern Europe and Regional Cooperation. 

From 2020 to July 2022, Mr. Jokinen was seconded by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs to the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats. At the Centre, his work focused on the role of Non-State Actors.

In 2006, Mr. Jokinen received the degree of Licentiate of Political Science from the University of Turku, Finland.

I am plant ecologist interested in understanding how Arctic ecosystems change and how socio-ecological systems can adapt to these changes. Functional diversity, plant-herbivore interactions and plant-soil interactions are close to my hearth. In my current position as an associate professor in Arctic ecosystem ecology at Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, I strive to foster connections between researchers from different disciplines as well as between researchers and indigenous and other inhabitants of the Arctic.

Maija Lönnqvist is Deputy Director General of Innovations and Enterprise Financing at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. She is responsible for planning, development and implementation of innovation policy, including development of innovation system and RDI funding, European RDI policy and international RDI collaboration.

Prior to her current position, Ms. Lonnqvist worked as the Head of the Finnish Space Office, at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. She was the Chief Secretary of the National Space Committee, heading the work of the Committee Secretariat.

Dr. Harri Mikkola is the Acting Deputy Director of the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. He is also the Programme Director of the Finland and Northern European Security research programme. His fields of expertise include the Arctic region, societal resilience, security of supply, hybrid threats, Finnish defence and security policy, as well as defence market issues. Prior to joining the FIIA in 2011, Mikkola worked at the Finnish Defence Command, at the University of Tampere, Finland, and as a Visiting Researcher at the University of Minnesota, USA. He received his PhD in Political Science from the University of Tampere, Finland, in 2013.

Dr. Mashrura Musharraf is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Energy and Mechanical Engineering at Aalto University. Her research advances human-centered maritime digitalization and automation by combining computer engineering, marine technology, and human factors. She pursues two complementary aims: developing technologies that better support human needs and capabilities, and preparing people to work effectively with emerging technologies. Her work emphasizes interpretable AI, calibrated trust, and human–automation interaction, supporting safer and more informed decision-making in maritime operations.

Ms. Satu Paasilehto serves as the Senior Ministerial Adviser in the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. Her expertise covers versatile tasks related to the legal international activities of the Ministry of Education and Culture, such as international research infrastructures, negotiating and ratifying of international treaties, European law issues, etc.

Ms Paasilehto has a long experience in administration at the governmental level. Before the Ministry of Education and Culture, she served as the Senior Ministerial Adviser in Legislative Affairs and as the Project Manager in the Ministry of Justice.

Before her tenure in government, Ms. Paasilehto gained valuable experience in academia. She has held several positions in the University of Helsinki and the Academy of Finland. In addition to her doctoral thesis in legal theory, she has published several scientific articles in the field of legal theory and EC law.

She holds a master's degree and a doctoral degree in law from the University of Helsinki and a master's degree in legal philosophy from the Catholic University of Brussels.

Arttu Polojärvi is a tenured Associate Professor of Ice Mechanics at Aalto University. His research spans fundamental and applied ice mechanics: from sea ice failure processes, studied using discrete element modelling and ice basin experiments, to engineering applications such as ships in ice and ice loads on offshore structures, particularly wind turbines. He also studies the impacts of wind farms and engineering structures on sea ice dynamics and links engineering-scale ice mechanics to large-scale sea ice behavior. He leads development of A3D-DEM code, has authored about 100 peer-reviewed publications, and has secured over €3 million in public and industrial funding.

Heikki Remes is Professor and Head of Marine and Arctic Technology at Aalto University. He advances lightweight, high‑performance steel and marine structures by coupling experimental and theoretical research. His multiscale research from crystal behaviour to continuum modelling deepens understanding of fatigue and fracture while addressing real‑world design and production challenges. He authored over 150 peer‑reviewed papers. Remes serves as chair for the International Institute of Welding and the International Ship and Offshore Structures Congress, sits on the International Journal of Fatigue editorial board, and is Associate Editor for Ships and Offshore Structures and Welding in the World.

Peter Rybski is the Director of Polar Intelligence at Inocea/Davie, where he tracks polar operations and capabilities.  Pete is a retired U.S. Navy Nuclear-trained Surface Warfare Officer with experience on six different ships across more than two decades.  He holds degrees from the United States Naval Academy, Old Dominion University, and the U.S. Naval War College. Pete is based at Helsinki Shipyard in Finland, where he lives with his family.  As a hobby, he pens a Substack newsletter about Arctic maritime affairs called “[sixtydegreesnorth.substack.com]Sixty Degrees North,” covering topics including icebreaker construction programs, shipbuilding, and Nordic security. His work highlights the strategic importance of Arctic and Antarctic maritime capabilities and the role of western shipyards in supporting international polar operations.

Reko-Antti Suojanen serves as Senior Ministerial Advisor at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland. He oversees and leads the trilateral Icebreaker Collaboration Effort, ICE Pact, on the behalf of the Finnish government as a designated National Coordinator for Finland. ICE Pact aims to enhance collaboration between Finland, Canada and the US, as well as with allies and partners. The initiative focuses on collective ca pacity to design, produce, and maintain arctic and polar icebreakers, as well as other capabilities, by increasing information exchange, industrial collaboration, and operational know-how. 

Mr. Suojanen’s extensive previous experience provides him with a deep un derstanding of Arctic needs, technological development, and industrial ca pabilities within the global shipbuilding market. 

Prior to his work at the Ministry, he was the CEO of Aker Arctic Technology Inc. for ten years. Earlier in his career, he was involved in arctic issues, shipbuilding, and the development and design of icebreakers. He held vari ous roles, including R&D Manager, Project Director/Manager, and De signer. His work experience spans Kvaerner Masa-Yards in Turku and Helsinki, as well as Aker Yards, before joining Aker Arctic Technology in 2005. 

In addition to his industry positions, he has been actively involved in the national association Finnish Marine Industries, serving as a Board Member and steering research and development activities related to Arctic issues. He currently holds board memberships in several companies and marine related associations. 

For the past 25 years, Mr. Suojanen has been at the forefront of Arctic technology and capability development, both for industrial applications and governmental purposes. His contributions span from research and development to practical applications in the marine industry, including shipbuilding, offshore applications, and vessel operations. 

Mr. Suojanen holds a Master’s Degree in Naval Architecture from Helsinki University of Technology, which he obtained in 1997.

Mikko Suominen was appointed as an Assistant Professor in Arctic Ocean Engineering at in 2024. His research and teaching have focused on ship performance in ice and ice-induced loads on ship hull measurements in full-scale and model-scale since 2008. This has included national and international multidisciplinary research collaboration with academic and private entities during and around expeditions in the Baltic Sea, Arctic, and Antarctic, and measurement campaigns in model-scale testing in ice facilities in Finland and Germany. He has been a committee member in the International Towing Tank Conference and International Ships and Offshore Structures Congress.

David N. Thomas is the Professor of Arctic Ecosystems Research at the University of Helsinki. He is a marine biologist and most of his work for the past 30 years has been studying the biogeochemistry of sea ice and ice-associated waters. He has also done considerable research on Catchment to Ocean transfer of organic matter. Further bio info can be found here.

Jukka Tuhkuri is a professor at Aalto University and an honorary professor at University College London. His research focuses on ice mechanics, ice fracture, and ship ice loads, with 30 years’ experience and 200 publications. Dr Tuhkuri has been a visiting scientist in Canada, the US, and the UK, and is Editor-in-chief of Cold Regions Science and Technology. His research involves experiments in laboratories in Finland and the UK, as well as fieldwork in the Arctic and Antarctic, attracting international attention. He has been interviewed by media outlets including The New York Times, The Times, Der Spiegel, and New Scientist.

Anna Törnroos-Remes is Professor of Marine Ecology at the Department of Environmental and Marine Biology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland. She leads the ÅAU Centre of Excellence in Sustainable Ocean Science (SOS), an interdisciplinary research centre focused on addressing marine biodiversity-related wicked problems and advancing pathways toward sustainable solutions. Her research background is in benthic functional ecology, with a particular focus understanding seafloor ecosystem functioning under human-induced environmental change. Beyond her primary model system, the Baltic Sea, this work has also led her to investigate the structure and functioning of Arctic marine ecosystems, particularly in Greenland. Through her leadership of the SOS Centre, she combines ecological and functional perspectives with interdisciplinary approaches to explore how ecological, social, and economic dimensions can be integrated to address complex sustainability challenges in marine environments, with relevance to the Baltic Sea and Arctic regions.

Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen is a Professor in Russian Environmental Studies at the Finnish Centre for Russian, Eurasian and Eastern European Studies (Aleksanteri Institute), University of Helsinki and holds the title of a Docent in Russian energy and natural resource policies at the Finnish Defence University. He leads a research group focusing on energy and environmental policies, and political power in Russia and has led 14 research projects, five with an Arctic focus. Professor Tynkkynen has taught at Finnish and European universities, has delivered tens of public talks, is frequently giving expert statements for authorities and is an oft-asked commentator at media.

Petteri is a polar oceanographer focused on ocean-ice-air interactions. Before returning to Finland in 2014, he conducted research in the USA and Australia for over a decade. He has been involved in IPCC assessment reports since 2007. He chairs the CLIVAR/CliC Northern Oceans Region Panel and the national committee on oceanic research. Petteri frequently consults with various interest groups and the media on ocean and climate topics.

Osiris Valdez Banda is an Associate Professor of Marine and Arctic Technology and leads the Research Team on Safe and Efficient Marine and Ship Systems. His research focuses on marine risk analysis and safety systems engineering, with particular applications in smart shipping and winter navigation. He develops advanced methods, processes, and decision-support tools to assess and manage the safety, reliability, and resilience of ships, marine technologies, and maritime transport systems. His work supports their safe design and operation, addressing the challenges of digitalization, autonomy, and extreme ice and weather conditions.

Sannamaaria Vanamo joined the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland in 1999. Currently she works as Deputy Director General at the Department for Euro-Atlantic Affairs. The Department is responsible for political and economic relations with 50 countries in Europe and in North America. Prior to this assignment, she was Ambassador for Education at the Department for International Trade and before that Consul General of Finland in St. Petersburg (2021-23). She has also served at the Embassies of Finland in Moscow and in Washington D.C. and at the Permanent Representation of Finland to the EU in Brussels.  

In Helsinki she has mainly worked with foreign and security policy issues, at the Department for Political Affairs and at the Department for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. She has served e.g. as Director for Arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation and as an Adviser for the Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs. Earlier in her career she worked for the Finnish Chairmanships of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council and the Arctic Council. 

Sannamaaria Vanamo is a member in various national steering committees on international cooperation in the field of education and economic cooperation. Her duties include representing Finland in one of the ICE Pact (Icebreaker Collaboration Effort) working groups. She holds a master's degree in political science.