Interview with Mikko Juntunen, CEO of ElFys
Ever since he was a kid, Mikko Juntunen, CEO of ElFys, wanted to be a physicist. After an engineering career in places like CERN, Nokia, Aalto University, and Detection Technology, Juntunen put all his knowledge of electron physics and detectors in play as he co-founded ElFys in 2017.
ElFys provides photodetectors and related services for various light detection applications. ElFys's light detectors offer market-leading sensitivity to space and defence, health monitoring, and analytical instruments customers.
In this interview, Juntunen talks about the benefits of working in Espoo's innovation community and being part of Defence Tech Hub, a rapidly growing network of Finnish dual-use and defence companies.
How does working in Espoo's innovation community benefit your business?
"For us, it's simple, it's Micronova. Micronova is very well equipped, and we've been able to use and are using the CMOS machinery for development and for manufacturing. Having Mironova's cleanroom-based research infrastructure available for ElFys's employees, at a walking distance no less, is something few places can offer. It provides tools and expertise for piloting and development."
How has the semiconductor infrastructure, including Micronova's multi-user semiconductor R&D cleanroom, impacted Espoo's innovation community?
"Considering the overall photonics and semiconductor cluster of Finland, especially Espoo and the Helsinki area, it has been essential that such a place as Micronova exists. Also, having VTT and Aalto University collaborating in the same building at Micronova has benefitted the whole ecosystem. In turn, the photonics and semiconductor cluster has been critical for the existence of this company.
"We've been able to do the research and demonstrations at Aalto University. Having the equipment available for Aalto students to experiment with something and then actually do manufacturing is pretty special.
"I'm an Otaniemi guy. I studied here. I've been living here, and many of my employers have been located here and still are. So, sometimes I don't even realise just how amazing this community actually is. Having all these thousands of experts here."
What do you think about the Kvanttinova hub, which will offer new cleanroom facilities next to Micronova?
"It is of very much interest to us. And it also interests our customers that we have this present set up with Micronova and that we'll have a major, new setup here in the Otaniemi area soon."
How has Enter Espoo and Defence Tech Hub supported your company?
"We've worked with Enter Espoo for a long time, so we know our collaboration is good. For example, a few years back, Enter Espoo organised a visit from a Japanese conglomerate. It triggered interesting negotiations and discussions and deepened our relationships with them regarding possible other cooperations, both as a potential customer and supplier of something and a potential manufacturing partner. That's very concrete.
"The Defence Tech Hub events have been good. There's a commercial approach, and the network is collecting people together to talk. We've met new people and learned new things that may prove useful down the line. You don't always know what's useful, you only know that afterwards. Sometimes, some very small things, like a side sentence in a presentation, may become very concrete later.
But of course, our primary interest is to gain customers, and we may find customers within the hub."
Discover Defence Tech Hub
Defence Tech Hub is Finland's leading defence and dual-use ecosystem with over 50 defence tech and dual-use companies and organisations as members.
