Professor Olli IKKALA

Prof. Olli Ikkala (Department of Applied Physics of Aalto University, formerly Helsinki University of Technology, in Espoo near Helsinki) heads Molecular Materials laboratory and Centre of Excellence in Molecular Engineering of Biosynthetic Hybrid Materials Research of Academy of Finland. His research interest is to develop functional materials based on hierarchical self-assemblies, biomimetics, and materials originating from nature. Originally educated in physics, he was first affiliated 10 years in chemical industry mostly related to development of polymer blends and electrically conducting polymers. 1994 he returned in academia and established the Molecular Materials Laboratory at Helsinki University of Technology. The laboratory is multidisciplinary, combining physics, chemistry, and materials science. Professor Olli Ikkala has ca. 280 articles, several articles in Science and Nature family, as well as ca. 20 patents, and has been cited nearly 15,000 times (H-index 66). He has been awarded twice the Advanced Grant of ERC, twice the Academy Professorship of Academy of Finland, and is elected in Finnish Academy of Science and Letters and Technology Academy of Finland. He works in several advisory and evaluation duties nationally and internationally and has collaborated over the years with polymer, paint, and forest product industry.