Board Member in Spotlight pt. 5: Ann-Marie Määttä

“It is important that we keep our goal clearly in mind: how to generate added value to our members.”

Concrete benefits to companies are important

I think the most important thing of the Kuopio Health open innovation ecosystem activities is that they enable us to better introduce innovations to companies. The innovations can originate from university studies, education in a university of applied sciences or hospital practices.

We should improve and accelerate this comprehensive path from innovations to companies. 

The animal diagnostics laboratory Movet Oy, whose CEO I am, became involved in Kuopio Health activities, because we want to promote our common cause and create concrete collaboration between the member companies.

In fact, I believe that highlighting and maintaining concrete aspects is something I bring to the Kuopio Health Board as a company representative.

Joint platform compiles information

At best, Kuopio Health will bring together competence and experts and foster their cooperation. This can be realised as creating a platform that brings together the experts, resources, knowledge and education in our member organisations. This is something we have been wishing for and previously missing. 

Know-how is something that has traditionally been fragmented and hidden. You will not find partners just by surfing companies’ websites – or at least this is a very laborious task. By contrast, a joint infrastructure-like system would make finding partners more effective, as it would enable members to present their potential and needs confidentially in a closed community.

This is the sort of partnership I wish to promote. It allows us to create effectiveness in the region as various competent operators engage in strong collaboration. 

We have created a strategy for Kuopio Health and determined our value. Now, it is time to start creating things that will clearly benefit the companies involved in the innovation ecosystem currently and in the future. This is absolutely vital and must be based on the needs found in the companies.

However, we must remember that Kuopio Health’s role is to, above all, be a facilitator rather than an active agent.

Once the coronavirus outbreak is contained, I think it would also be important for us to organise events. We have already participated as exhibitors at some virtual fairs and I do not think they work as well as their traditional counterparts. Different joint training on topics such as quality standards could also produce added value.

Working towards a clear goal

I became involved in the Kuopio Health Board right at the start when I was asked to become a company representative. I wanted to make a difference and promote health competence both in the Savo region as well as outside the area. We also aim to enter the international market and I believe that all the surrounding knowledge and experience creates added value in this process – making progress is easier when we do it together. 

I believe I bring a youthful and fresh viewpoint of a female leader to the Board: agility and vision of entrepreneurial thinking, approaching issues from a different angle than public agents, while respecting all perspectives.  It is important that we keep our goal clearly in mind: how to generate added value to our members.

Read more board member presentations HERE.

Read more about the membership HERE.