Minna Hendolin, PhD, has been appointed as the new Director of Impact of the University of Eastern Finland, starting in her role at the beginning of September. As Director of Impact, Hendolin will be responsible for promoting and advocating the university’s interests in the RDI sector on a national and international level. She will also play a key role in the university’s new partnerships and university-business cooperation.
Her duties will include coordination and development of the university’s national and international ecosystem collaboration.
“It is great that we can make increasing investments in the impact and societal interaction of our university. Minna Hendolin will provide us with access to her extensive networks and expertise. She is a welcome addition to our community,” says Director of Administration Tuomo Meriläinen from the University of Eastern Finland.
Currently, Hendolin is on leave of absence from Business Finland and works as Leading Specialist in the Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra’s Health Data 2030 project. At Business Finland, she has been responsible for Health and Wellbeing Ecosystems since 2010, when she started as Director of Life Science Industries at the then Tekes.
Hendolin has two decades of experience in working in health ecosystems in various roles, as well as broad expertise in research, innovation and financing activities. During her career, Hendolin has held several expert and executive positions in the academic world, business life and the public sector. In addition to national research and innovation policy, she has been involved in international strategy work and influencing in, for example, the World Economic Forum Expert Group and, especially in the past year, in the EU’s health data policy.
“I’ve had diverse opportunities to be involved in national and international strategy and innovation forums, promoting the competitiveness of Finnish research and Finnish businesses. I’ve also done my fair share of hands-on research,” Hendolin says, describing her career.
Hendolin defended her doctoral dissertation in biochemistry and biotechnology at the A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences of the University of Kuopio in 1998. Before starting her career at Tekes in 2010, Hendolin has worked, e.g., as Researcher and Research Manager at the University of Kuopio, in executive roles at Pharming Ltd. and Technology Centre Teknia, and as CEO of Technopolis Ventures Kuopio.
“For me, this is a return to my beloved home region, and to my home university. I want to be involved in developing the University of Eastern Finland and to make my expertise and networks available to the university, and to the region’s business and industry. The University of Eastern Finland has a great deal of potential. The university’s new education in the field of technology will also further boost its international appeal,” Hendolin says.
For further information, please contact:
Tuomo Meriläinen, Director of Administration, University of Eastern Finland, tuomo.merilainen@uef.fi, tel. +358 40 355 2299
Minna Hendolin, Leading Specialist, Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, tel. + 358 50 55 77 665
