Riikka Virkkunen

Meet Dr. Riikka Virkkunen

Dr. Riikka Virkkunen leads VTT’s Industrial Renewal Lighthouse - innovations empowering industry. Virkkunen has worked in various manager positions at VTT and has plenty of experience working in international research networks. She is board member of EFFRA (European Factories of the Future Research Association) and co-chair of the Factories of the Future’s board. Currently, she is coordinator of a European project ConnectedFactories that creates visions and pathways for digitalizing manufacturing industries. She has evaluated diverse international funding initiatives, such as the Swedish competence centre proposals on Connected Industry and Materials, Swedish national program Production2030 and diverse European research applications.  In her home country, Virkkunen has coordinated FIIF, the Finnish Industrial Internet Forum, with circa 200 company members. Virkkunen holds a PhD in computational materials science.