Jukka Salminiitty

Jukka Salminiitty currently serves as the Innovation Counselor for Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation) at the Embassy of Finland. He was the Director of FinNode USA (Finnish Innovation Centre) between 2008 and 2013.The Global FinNode Network was the national foresight platform for Finnish innovation agencies supported by the Ministry of Employment and the Economy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These foresight activities were merged with S&T collaboration under the larger Team Finland umbrella and Mr. Salminiitty took the combined responsibilities as Innovation Counselor August 1^st , 2013.

Mr. Salminiitty has 25 years of international experience and specializes in global innovation co-operation, future market opportunity recognition and foresight. Previously he has worked more than a decade as Head of Unit for Tekes in Silicon Valley, Washington DC and Tokyo. During those periods he also served as Counselor for Science and Technology at the Embassy of Finland.

Earlier in his career he worked as a R&D manager and Secretary General for industrial federations in Finland. He was member of several European industrial associations and participated as industrial advisor for EU’s Biotech program. Under that program he was involved in development and the first secretary general of Healthy Aging Europe 2000 (HAE 2000) Industrial Platform. His global work experience also includes a Program Manager position at the United Nations (FAO) in Tanzania.

Mr. Salminiitty has a MSc. degree from the University of Helsinki.