Image: “It was really difficult to find a recent picture of me without my kids or other people in it! In any case, this is how you’ll usually find me these days: sitting at a virtual meeting.”<\/i><\/p>\n
This series introduces the members of University of Vaasa\u2019s InnoLab research platform. Today we\u2019re meeting Teppo Heimo.<\/strong><\/p>\n What are you?<\/strong><\/p>\n I am a graduate from University of Vaasa master\u2019s degree programme of Industrial Management. I did my master\u2019s thesis on open innovation in biotech industry, as I have a prior master\u2019s degree from the University of Turku Molecular biotechnology and diagnostics programme.<\/p>\n I live in Turku with my wife and two kids.<\/p>\n What is your title at InnoLab? Moreover, what do you even do?<\/strong><\/p>\n I don\u2019t know if I have a title, but I am working in InnoDigi project led by Khuram, where the SME-HEI collaboration, digital competence and co-competition is studied. As I live in Turku and because of the pandemic, the social life in the office has been non-existent. However, I am participating remotely as much as possible.<\/p>\n Yeah, it\u2019s been a strange year or so. What keeps you going, professionally speaking?<\/strong><\/p>\n I am fascinated by innovation and innovation management. I love being at the crossroads of academia and industry, and the academic work along with industry job offers a lot of new insight into both.<\/p>\n I bet! How did you end up where you are now?<\/strong><\/p>\n Actually, I decided to have a second master\u2019s degree already before finishing the first one, and University of Vaasa offered a great opportunity to pursue that while working. After finishing the second degree, I got an opportunity to participate in writing a book chapter called \u201cHow to Support Real-time Quantitative Big Data by More Future Orientated Qualitative Data for Understanding Everyday Innovative Businesses?\u201d to a book Management in the Era of Big Data: Issues and Challenges<\/em> along with Josu Takala and Sara Tilabi based on the results obtained in my thesis. As I mentioned earlier, I feel the most comfortable at the crossroads of academia and industry, and the InnoDigi project offers the best way to achieve this at the moment.<\/p>\n Imagine your phone rings. It\u2019s the call you\u2019ve been anticipating \u2013 what is it about?<\/strong><\/p>\n Most probably I would assume that the call is a cold call from print media or electric company telemarketing, and they are trying to sell me a subscription or a contract. Not that I would hope that for any specific reason, but that\u2019s probably the reality. Nevertheless, I would still answer the call and be either intrigued or disappointed depending on how the caller would present his or her agenda.<\/p>\n Just kidding, it\u2019s actually a journalist. They\u2019re finally doing a story on that one topic you\u2019ve always wanted to give an interview on! What do you say?<\/strong><\/p>\n I would have wished the call was from telemarketing! However, I would like to talk with them about innovation management and how it is leading us to a next era after the industrial revolution.<\/p>\n Good job. Too bad you can\u2019t be the resident expert on every topic. What would you like to learn more about?<\/strong><\/p>\n I am keen to learn more about open innovation and disruptive innovation and how to manage those in real-life settings. I think the world needs more hands-on tools for coping with and utilizing them in everyday business.<\/p>\n Sounds interesting. Is that something I, too, should be concerned about?<\/strong><\/p>\n That really depends on which side of the disruption you are. They are changing the way we work and collaborate, and which companies can benefit financially from them. Still, \u2018concerned\u2019 can be too strong a word for that, so let\u2019s put it as \u201cscientifically interested\u201d. And yes, you should!<\/p>\n Okay. Now recommend me something \u2013 anything!<\/strong><\/p>\n Lately I have been reading a book called Corporate Innovation in the Fifth Era<\/em> by Matthew C. Le Merle and Alison Davis. It goes through the human existence from the hunter-gatherer era, explaining how new technologies have created a paradigm shift, and how companies today can tap innovations and be ready for the next era.<\/p>\n Any last advice for being both an effective researcher and a happy office worker?<\/strong><\/p>\n The office worker is a pretty abstract concept nowadays, but I think in order to be effective in these exceptional times one really must be able to separate professional life and personal life from each other more effectively, as the boundaries of the two are now closer to each other than ever.<\/p>\n From the perspective of Teppo’s colleagues: What makes you appreciate him as a coworker?<\/strong><\/p>\n “Teppo is a really innovative, hardworking and trusty team member. Besides that, he has become a promising scientist, too.” “I can always rely on Teppo to do his part – and do it thoroughly.”<\/em><\/p>\n “Teppo is a true team member and a great professional who means business. His opinions and suggestions echo logic.” Image: “It was really difficult to find a recent picture of me without my kids or other people in it! In any case, this is how you’ll usually find me these days: sitting at a virtual meeting.” This series introduces the members of University of Vaasa\u2019s InnoLab research platform. Today we\u2019re meeting Teppo Heimo. What […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":83,"featured_media":275,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-274","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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