Marja Makarow Appointed Chairperson of the Board of Technology Academy Finland#

The Board of Directors of Technology Academy Finland (TAF) has at the foundation's annual meeting on 16 April 2015 appointed Professor Marja Makarow as Chairperson of the Board of Directors of the Technology Academy Finland for the next three-year term 2015–2017. Makarow is Vice President for Research of the Academy of Finland since 2012. She is also a member of the TAF Executive Committee since 2014. She served as Chairperson of the International Selection Committee of the Millennium Technology Prize in 2008.

In the annual meeting, the composition of the TAF Board was also complemented with new members. New Board members are Matti Alahuhta, Chairman of the Board of the Confederation of Finnish Industries EK, Mikko Hupa, Rector of Åbo Akademi University, Päivi Leiwo, member of the Board of Directors of the Federation of Finnish Technology Industries, Jouko Niinimäki, Rector of the University of Oulu, and Anneli Pauli, Rector of the Lappeenranta University of Technology.

Marja Makarow has extensive international experience in research and research funding, science and innovation policy and university administration. She was Chief Executive of the European Science Foundation in France 2008–2011 and Vice-Rector for Research, Doctoral Training, Innovation and Technology Transfer at the University of Helsinki 2003–2007. She was Vice-Chair of the Board of Aalto University 2009–2012. As advisor to the EU Commissioner for Research and Innovation, Makarow served on the European Research Area Board (ERAB) 2008–2012. Marja Makarow is also a member of the Governing Board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and Chair of the Finnish Research Infrastructure Committee.

“I wish to thank Technology Academy Finland for the trust they place in me and am eager to take up the duties of the Chair. Technology Academy Finland has an important task as the flag bearer of sustainable technology and innovation. It is best known for the international Millennium Technology Prize. In recent years, the foundation has extended its operations to support Finnish technology expertise and innovation, which are the pillars of Finnish competitiveness and growth. An interest in science and technology either develops in early childhood and youth, or remains undeveloped, and one of the goals of Technology Academy Finland is to encourage young people to engage with technology – first to study and later to work in a technology-related field,” says Marja Makarow.

Dr. Stig Gustavson, who has chaired the TAF Board since 2007, is content as he leaves the foundation under the management of the new Chair and Board.

“I am happy and proud that Technology Academy Finland has a heavy-weight Board with top professionals from the Finnish trade and industry, government, universities of technology and founder organisations. The new Chair, Marja Makarow, brings to the Board her broad international expertise in science policy. In nine years, Technology Academy Finland has developed into a significant neutral platform of cooperation between different actors in the technology sector, and the foundation’s Millennium Technology Prize has during this time achieved the status of a well-known and prestigious accolade in the international science community. The visibility of the prize has facilitated international researcher exchange between Finnish centres of excellence and similar bodies abroad. I am convinced that under the competent and committed Board, the societal impact of Technology Academy Finland will continue to grow,” Gustavson says.

Board of Technology Academy Finland 2015–2017

Trade and industry:

Matti Alahuhta, Chairman of the Board, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK
Kari Jordan, Member of the Board, Confederation of Finnish Industries EK
Päivi Leiwo, Federation of Finnish Technology Industries
Jari Paasikivi, Chairman of the Board, Federation of Finnish Technology Industries

Government:

Permanent Under-Secretary of State Martti Hetemäki, Ministry of Finance
Executive Vice President Mikko Kosonen, The Finnish Innovation Fund SITRA
Director General Pekka Soini, Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation Tekes
Permanent Secretary Erkki Virtanen, Ministry of Employment and the Economy

Universities:

Rector Mikko Hupa, Åbo Akademi University
Rector Anneli Pauli, Lappeenranta University of Technology
Rector Jouko Niinimäki, University of Oulu
President Tuula Teeri, Aalto University

Founder organisations:

Professor Jarl-Thure Eriksson, The Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences in Finland STV (Vice-Chair)
Professor Marja Makarow, Finnish Academy of Technical Sciences TTA (Chair)
Member of Parliament Marjo Matikainen-Kallström, Academic Engineers and Architects TEK
Professor Yrjö Neuvo, Finnish Foundation for Technology Promotion TES

Enquiries:

Technology Academy Finland TAF
Marja Makarow, Chair of the Board, tel. +358 295 33 5002
Niina Suhonen, Head of Communications and Marketing, tel. +358 40 8439 438