It's worth focusing on what's good and what works and doing it seriously.
Tuomo Rönkkö, long-time chairman of the board of LUT University, says: "Lappeenranta has a lot of potential.
- Sometimes people think too much about the things that should be, he explains.Rönkkö has practical examples to give.
- We recently heard that Neoen is already building another large electricity storage facility in Yllikkälää, and at the same time there are large solar power projects underway in the Lappeenranta region, including one of Finland's largest solar parks in Lappeenranta's Konnunsuo.In addition to the electricity generation and storage news, Rönkkö also highlights the fact that LUT University has world-class electrical and control engineering expertise and research, which has provided many successful companies with a lot of valuable knowledge capital and top employees for their business.
- For example, Professor Juha Pyrhönen, who has, among other things, been awarded a local "Our Stars" -plaque in Lappeenranta's Maria Square, is a world-renowned researcher," says Rönkkö.LUT University has been close to Rönkön's heart for decades. He studied there and was already interested in making a difference and combining academia and business during his studies.
- I was already a member of the student union's board during my studies, which gave me access to many things that would not have been possible through student status alone, says Rönkkö.Rönkkö says that his strong ties to the region have been maintained partly because of his birthplace, Parikkala, but above all the good education he received at the university has kept him closely involved in the activities of LUT. He feels that he is paying back the good he once received.
- I was chairman of the LUT board for 12 years, says Rönkkö.Rönkkö says frankly that the LUT universities, i.e. LUT University and LAB University of Applied Sciences, are the prime engine of the Lappeenranta region. They are a source of vitality in themselves, and the added value of the research done for the benefit of industry and the diamond-bright graduates cannot be overemphasised. Rönkkö is particularly pleased that the university is doing research close to businesses.
- I am still closely involved in the university's activities and we are working on how to make public-private cooperation work better in the Advisory Board, among other things, he says.The excellence in electrical and control engineering mentioned earlier is also an asset that cannot be easily matched. Other regional paths to success can also be found in energy solutions and fibre expertise, and Rönkkö expects a lot from the textile fibre pilot plant that Nordic Bioproducts Group is preparing to build in Harapais, Lappeenranta .
- I have also noticed that the city has become more entrepreneur-friendly, Rönkkö points out.