Pauliina Rajala joined InstituteQ in June as the new Development Manager. Rajala will serve as the head of operations and the main contact point at InstituteQ as part of this role.
Rajala fills this newly created position as InstituteQ is expanding its membership base to bring together all Finnish universities, research institutions and companies active in the quantum technology field.
“I’m delighted to step into this new role and build upon InstituteQ’s mission in developing and expanding Finland’s quantum ecosystem. I warmly welcome all members of the community to get in touch. Let’s explore how we can collaborate and grow together,” Rajala says.
One of Rajala’s primary objectives at the start of her appointment is facilitating the kick-off of a new, larger InstituteQ after the expansion process, which is expected to be finalized by the end of Summer 2025.
“The expansion of InstituteQ is perfectly timed. Finland’s first National Quantum Technology Strategy sets ambitious goals for the next decade and places InstituteQ at the heart of building a world-class quantum ecosystem through research, education, innovation and international collaboration” says Rajala.
InstituteQ Director Jukka Pekola warmly welcomes Rajala to the team.
“We are very pleased to have Pauliina join us. Her role is to serve as a key resource for all current and future InstituteQ members and for the entire Finnish quantum community. With her on board, we’re well-positioned to take the next steps in national collaboration,” Pekola says.
Rajala previously served as the Science, Technology and Innovation Officer for the UK Foreign Office based at the British Embassy in Helsinki, where she influenced science and innovation policies and approaches of governments, industry and academia. Rajala holds a PhD in Microbiology from the University of Helsinki, and she has also served as a Senior Scientist and Project Manager at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland for over a decade.
See more about the Finland’s Quantum Technology Strategy and InstituteQ’s role therein:
InstituteQ plays central role in Finland’s national quantum strategy
New roadmap sets vision for Finland’s role as a global leader in quantum research and technology.
