Resilient Futures – Energy, Innovation & the Arctic Nexus

Marko Huttula:

Physics Professor Marko Huttula drives research advances and systemic pathways for a just, climate‑neutral energy transition. He leads JustH2Transit consortium, a national, transdisciplinary initiative that maps Finland’s hydrogen transition, identifies system‑level bottlenecks, and examines environmental, techno‑economic and societal impacts to support evidence‑based policy and industrial renewal. Huttula leads H2FUTURE profiling area of the University of Oulu with research innovations from solar‑driven water splitting and catalytic methane pyrolysis with nanocarbon co‑products to fossil‑free iron ore reduction and the development of hydrogen‑resistant steels designed for durable, low‑carbon industrial processes. By linking fundamental physics, chemistry and materials engineering to real‑world industrial applications, the programme anchors Oulu as a research hub for next‑generation hydrogen technologies. Building on this research environment, Zun‑H, a recent spin‑off emerging from Huttula’s hydrogen‑related research activities, focuses on translating academic advances into practical, scalable low‑carbon technology solutions – direct photocatalytic water splitting for hydrogen production. Zun‑H contributes to the broader mission of enabling a resilient, equitable and climate‑neutral energy and industrial system.

Päivö Kinnunen:

Prof. Kinnunen is a graduate of University of Michigan with a PhD in Applied Physics from 2011. Currently he is a professor of inorganics materials in circular economy at the University of Oulu leading a research group concentrating on magnesium which is a critical material for twin transition being irreplaceable in steel, cement, aerospace and defense applications. Their recent innovation enables the recovery of MgO with fraction of current energy and CO2 emissions, and in their earlier work they have shown how MgO can be used for carbon mineralization and the basis for durable low-CO2 cements. He has a strong track record of combining basic research with industrial relevance.  

Ulla Lassi:

D.Sc. (Tech.) Ulla Lassi is a professor and the head of the Research unit of Sustainable Chemistry. Currently, research unit of Sustainable chemistry has over 60 researchers of which 20 are senior or post-doctoral researchers. ​

Her research areas involve material chemistry in industrial applications. Material chemistry research is focused on novel battery chemicals, adsorbents and catalytic materials. ​

Lassi has been researching new means to further hydrogen technology and developing catalytic methods to extract hydrogen from methane without producing greenhouse gases such as carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide while capturing carbon as a solid, high-value product. ​

Her work has significance also in improving new battery technologies as she is trying to reduce our dependence on critical natural resources in energy storage and develop zero-emission processing alternatives.​

Zhengmao, Li

Dr. Li earned his Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, in 2020. He was a Research Fellow at Stevens Institute of Technology,

USA, and Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he worked with esteemed IEEE Fellows. In 2023, he became an Assistant Professor at Aalto University. Dr. Li has published 74 journal papers, 14 conference papers, co-authored two books, and holds two patents. He has received 4,026 citations, has an h-index of 34, and boasts 16 highly cited papers and 5 hot papers. In 2023 and 2024, he was among the World's Top 2% Scientists in "Energy" and later the Top 0.5% in ScholarGPS. His work won a best paper award at IEEE Transactions on Smart Grid. Dr. Li is also an associate editor for several prestigious journals and manages a research-led company. Recognized as a leading innovator, he won Forbes TOP 100 award in 2024.

Kristiina Mäkelä

Professor Mäkelä serves as Aalto University’s provost. She was awarded a doctorate from the Helsinki School of Economics in 2006. She is Professor of International Business, and has worked as Vice Dean responsible for education at Aalto University School of Business. Her research focuses on the future of work, human resource management, and people-related issues in multinational corporations. She has also acted as deputy head of the Department of Management Studies and as head of the International Business Unit at the School of Business. Before joining Aalto, Mäkelä worked at Hanken School of Economics, as a researcher in several universities abroad and in various positions in the corporate world.

Arttu Polojärvi

Dr. Polojärvi is a tenured Associate Professor of Ice Mechanics at Aalto University, School of Engineering, Department of Mechanical Engineering. His research focuses on numerical ice mechanics and failure processes of sea ice, with applications in estimating ice loads on modern offshore structures such as offshore wind turbines, as well as assessing the impacts of wind energy production in ice-covered sea areas. A central aim of his work is to link measurable, engineering-scale mechanical behavior of sea ice to large-scale sea ice dynamics, which is essential for understanding the effects of climate change on sea ice.

An important component of his research is the active development of discrete element method–based numerical tools for ice mechanics. In addition to numerical modeling, he conducts experimental studies to gain detailed insight into ice failure processes and to validate numerical models. His research is strongly grounded in solid and applied mechanics. He has extensive teaching experience and has taught numerous courses in engineering mechanics and ice engineering.