LUT was the perfect fit for me
I always knew that I was interested in product development and discovered LUT through a study portal, while looking for courses specific to my interests.
The LUT course material met my interests and needs and compared to other universities I would only be responsible for food and housing so LUT was a perfect fit academically and financially.
In 2016, I started the master’s programme for Global Management of Innovation and Technology.
Studying was very flexible and the relationships genuine
While at LUT, I enjoyed most, the flexibility of the university. I didn’t feel like I was pressured to go down a specific path, I was supported and allowed to take my own path in my field of interest.
I also felt that the relationships between professors and students was very genuine. LUT creates an academic environment that forces you to interact with students from so many different cultures and backgrounds, which only helped to prepare me for a real-life working environment and create lifelong partnerships/friendships.
And whenever things got too stressful and you needed to clear your head, there was always easy access to nature where you can enjoy the jogging/biking trails and beauty of lake Saimaa.
LUT played a vital role in the design and development of my idea
Today, I am the founder and CEO of Henkaus. Henkaus provides medical grade vital signs measuring solutions for remote patient care. Henkaus recently won the Tahko Ski Lift Pitch competition held in Kuopio, Finland and was later congratulated by Nasdaq and featured on their tower video screen in Times Square, New York.
I participated in a LUT competition where students could use a university patent or come up with an idea of their own. It was during this time that I met my cofounder, as we were classmates and had a very similar thought process and mindset. Through this competition, we came up with the idea of a contactless, wireless, monitoring device.
LUT played a vital role in the design and development of my idea. It started when I suggested my idea of a company and wanted to do my thesis on it. LUT was more than open to my thesis topic and very flexible in allowing me to choose my own path. At LUT, everything was within arm’s reach, so I had close access to all of the university resources, and this is what helped me complete my thesis and ultimately bring my idea to fruition.
Still in cooperation with the university
The companies and supervisors that I was able to connect with through LUT played a significant role in creating the framework for my company because they provided support even after my studies were complete. I was attending a LUT seminar where I was put in contact with someone from a local company, Business Mill. They knew of investors and provided me with someone from the EU to help get Henkaus up and running and to where it is today.
Today, I continue to have ties to LUT through Henkaus. We recently took part in a course tied around International Marketing that conducted a national entrepreneurship challenge where local companies were called in and presented their problems/needs to current LUT students. This challenge put me in contact with nine talented LUT students from around the world and will continue to be a useful resource for Henkaus and our future growth.
LUT encourages you to think outside the box and supports you in every way possible
I would highly recommend LUT. I enjoyed the great studies and easy access to beautiful nature. I appreciate how LUT encourages you think outside the box and supports you in every way possible. I enjoy Lappeenranta because unlike big cities, it has a very close nit community. Once you have a thesis or project with one of the local companies, they will most likely hire you. It has only been two years since Henkaus originated, but I already know all of the local resources to help us stay up and running with continued success.
