Mikko Nieminen

I am responsible for the operations of the City Development Services. I lead the preparation and implementation of the city’s strategic urban development policies as well in the execution of future actions that strengthen the city’s vitality and competitiveness. The service area includes business development services, land use and planning, infrastructure services, building control, and environmental protection. In addition, the service area carries out city marketing and coordinates public transport services. In my work, I participate in several regional and sub-regional cooperation groups and work closely with the business community, public-sector actors, and other key partners. I am a member of the city’s executive leadership team and serve as the first deputy to the City Manager.

I led a regional business and development company whose core mission was to provide public business services for the Southwest Pirkanmaa area. I was responsible for services that included advisory support for starting new companies, growth and development services for existing businesses, succession support, and the coordination of land plot and premises services. The company was also responsible for the marketing and tourism services of the City of Sastamala, as well as their development. A key part of the operations involved planning and managing development and training projects carried out in cooperation with the business community and the education sector. These projects supported the vitality of local enterprises and the development of regional competencies. As CEO, I was a member of the City of Sastamala’s management team, which enabled close strategic cooperation with the municipal organization and strengthened the impact of our development work.

Responsible for the city’s business services and development, tourism, marketing, and other business development projects. This was a joint office with my position as the CEO of SASYP Ltd.

Elastopoli Ltd. is a private company established in 2002. Company is working with new polymer materials and have been developing for example new natural fibre based biopolymers. Company also work in close cooperation with domestic and foreign companies and research centers. A goal is to use competence to speed up the utilization of latest research in commercial applications. It is also working with compounding and laboratory testing.

Satafood is a co-operation network. The main goal of Satafood is to develop food entrepreneurship, provide environmental services and improve co-operation between companies, education and research. The association promotes regional and national competitiveness by offering businesses diverse development services, especially on bio and environmental technology.

I was responsible for development services related to startup and new business activities based on research, expertise, and the utilization of new knowledge, as well as for promoting entrepreneurship at Tampere University of Technology (TUT). My work included supporting research-based business ventures and strengthening entrepreneurship among students and researchers. A central part of my role was also fostering and strengthening collaboration between the university and industry. I worked closely with various public and private development organizations, service providers, business and industry associations, as well as educational institutions. I developed network cooperation that supported the creation of new businesses, the growth of companies, and the utilization of TUT’s research knowledge in society. In addition, I was responsible for other tasks related to innovation activities and technology transfer, as well as the development of these operations. I promoted the commercialization of research results and coordinated processes from initial ideas to market-ready products. I regularly served as a subject-matter speaker and as TUT’s representative at various events, seminars, and working groups outside the university. In these roles, I highlighted the university’s expertise and services, built new cooperation opportunities, and strengthened TUT’s position as a partner for innovation and industry.

I served as the responsible leader of the Research to Business -project and project consortium funded by Tekes (now Business Finland). The project developed and embedded a new model for commercializing research-driven innovation activities into the innovation processes of universities and universities of applied sciences in the Pirkanmaa region. In addition, collaboration within the regional higher education sector was strengthened, and a regional network was established to support the evaluation, utilization, and commercialization of research results. The project was carried out in collaboration with Tampere University of Technology, the University of Tampere, Tampere University of Applied Sciences, and Pirkanmaa University of Applied Sciences. My key responsibilities included harmonizing innovation activities and commercialization practices between universities and universities of applied sciences, developing and implementing evaluation methods for research-based ideas, modeling and piloting commercialization pathways, and building and leading the operations of the regional cooperation network. As a result of the project, a clearer and more unified model for commercializing research projects was established, and collaboration between higher education institutions and stakeholders was further strengthened.

I worked as the Project Manager and Lead Coordinator (resposible director) in a large international training and development project (the 4T Project) targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Pirkanmaa region. I led the TYT subproject and was responsible for the overall coordination of the entire project consortium, which consisted of six separate projects. My duties included project implementation, administration, and reporting, as well as close collaboration with stakeholders, coordination of the partner network, project marketing and communications, and the planning and execution of international activities. In addition to TYT, project partners included Finn-Medi Research Ltd, Hermia Ltd, the Association of Social and Health Entrepreneurs, Tampere University of Technology / Foundry Research Institute, and the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health. This multidisciplinary collaboration provided a strong foundation for developing new operational models and services to support the competitiveness and internationalisation of SMEs. The project involved close cooperation with European partners, exchanging knowledge and best practices with organisations in Spain, Italy, and Germany. At the time, the project was the largest development initiative in Finland funded through the European Union's Community Initiative Programme, with a total budget of approximately EUR 4.3 million.

I was responsible for the delivery of customer market survey projects, including project planning, practical implementation, and the analysis of project results, as well as presenting and reviewing the outcomes together with the clients. My duties also included the active marketing and sales of services, along with maintaining customer relationships.

I was responsible, as a project manager, for implementing development projects aimed at companies and the business sector. A significant part of the role involved overseeing the execution of the regional “From Satakunta” marketing campaign, which was carried out in cooperation with the university of applied sciences, the food industry in the Satakunta region, and the retail sector. The campaign brought together a wide range of local food producers and retail operators. I also took part in launching and rolling out the Satafood marketing brand. In addition to my duties as a project manager, I lectured and taught courses in corporate finance, marketing, and project management at the university of applied sciences.

I conducted my Master’s Thesis as a nationwide business study for the Federation of Finnish Enterprises. The research examined the societal influence and advocacy activities (Lobbying) of Finnish SME entrepreneurs and business leaders. The target group consisted of members of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises, which is Finland’s national advocacy and service organization for small and medium-sized enterprises.