What research are you conducting, and why is it important for your field?
I’m interested in how health and welfare technology can be applied in health and care services, professional practices, and people’s everyday lives. I look at this especially from the perspective of how technology, users, and organisations together shape the development of services.
Expectations for implementing technology are high. Even so, technology alone can't solve the challenges of health and care services. Successful implementation requires that solutions meet users’ needs and fit with work processes and everyday practices. The real value of technology emerges only in use.
How did you end up in your current role and why did you choose LUT University?
At LUT, I can combine my social sciences background with research on industrial engineering and management, technology, and innovation.
I earned my master's degree in social sciences at the University of Jyväskylä and then worked as a researcher at the Lahti Centre of the former Helsinki University of Technology (now part of Aalto University). I started at LUT University in 2004 and completed my doctoral dissertation a few years later. I worked as a senior researcher for many years before moving onto the tenure track. I started as a full professor in the summer of 2026.
I've been able to build my academic career in my hometown, in a multidisciplinary research environment where different perspectives meet.
What inspires you in your work?
I’m inspired by the chance to generate new knowledge about how technology can genuinely support people and improve services. It’s rewarding to see research results change practices.
Working with researchers, professionals, and service users constantly brings new perspectives to my work. Supervising students and working in an international community also motivate me
What does the future look like for your field?
I believe technology will become even more important in health and care services. Still, its benefits can only be realised if we better understand the relationship between people and technology, the effects of technology on users, and the changes that implementation requires in how organisations operate.
The effects of digitalisation need to be assessed continuously. We need more user-centred solutions that are developed in real-world settings together with professionals and users. The best solutions aren't necessarily the most technically complex ones, but ones that meet real needs.
Tell us something about yourself that others may not know.
I’m not much of a techie even though I study technology implementation for a living. I've sometimes surprised myself and the people close to me by managing to fix various devices and solve technical problems. Maybe that's the same curiosity and persistence that also guide my research.
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