Top Engineer magazine
We encourage our experts to share their invaluable insights. In Top Engineer magazine, they delve into contemporary phenomena and pioneering innovations spanning various industries. Our purpose is to inspire you with novel solutions and ensure you stay up to date with the prospects of the green transition.
Top Engineer 1/2026
Innovation thrives in uncertainty
Engineering and technology companies are navigating a period of deep change. Geopolitical uncertainty, fast-moving technologies, and growing sustainability demands are reshaping global markets. To grow internationally and withstand disruption, companies must build new capabilities and innovations through networks fueled by strong cultures.
Global supply chains are shifting, regional cooperation is evolving, and the geopolitical landscape grows more complex. AI is transforming engineering processes, from design and simulation to predictive maintenance and data-driven decision-making. The green transition is accelerating demand for sustainable infrastructure, clean energy systems, and resource-efficient industrial solutions.
Complex challenges rarely get solved in isolation. Working with customers, research institutions, startups, and technology partners helps organizations combine expertise, speed up development, and scale innovations across borders. Strong ecosystems keep organizations adaptable, spread risk, and deliver innovations that address both market needs and sustainability goals.
A culture built on curiosity, openness, and continuous learning helps engineers explore new technologies and solutions to adapt to change. International teams and diverse perspectives strengthen problem-solving and help companies navigate both technological and geopolitical complexity.
Therefore, leaders must focus not only on technology investments but also on creating environments where inventiveness can thrive. Trusted partnerships and a culture that values experimentation and shared knowledge help engineering companies turn uncertainty into opportunity. Companies that succeed in the coming decade will combine strong engineering with global collaboration, using partnerships, culture, and technology to drive growth that is both sustainable and resilient – and above all, innovative.
That same drive to keep learning and experimenting shapes how we make this magazine, too. This issue, we’re launching a podcast. We hope it gives you an enjoyable way to keep up with current topics in the engineering world, whether you’re commuting, on a break, or simply taking a moment to listen.
Tom Lind
CEO
tom.lind@elomatic.com
Built by customers:The co-creation story behind Aura APM
Text: Ilari Lemmetty
Reading time: 5 min
Shipowners managing large fleets face a familiar problem: data exists, but it is fragmented across systems. Aura APM is Elomatic’s answer to that problem: a data platform built to give shipowners better visibility into fleet operations. What makes it different is how it was designed: in close collaboration with the shipowners who would use it.
Podcast
Trust, failures and coffee breaks –How work communities enable innovation
Reading time: 5 min
Technology organizations invest in R&D, yet many struggle to translate that expertise into tangible innovations. We sat down with Antti Arasto, Vice President at VTT, to discuss the conditions that make innovation possible. Three things stand out: it cannot be commanded from above, failure must be tolerated, and human interaction is essential.
Visionary
Visionary: Tero-Seppo Tuomela
Reading time: 5 min
Tero-Seppo Tuomela, Senior Vice President at Elomatic, has spent over two decades at the company. Today, his primary focus is making innovation happen systematically, not by chance. In a time of compounding disruptions, he sees systematic innovation management more urgent than ever.
From biomass to industrial raw material – CH-Bioforce scales its technology to industrial scale
Reading time: 6 min
Oat hulls and other biomass materials become pure biopolymers through CH-Bioforce’s fiber fragmentation technology. These biopolymers serve as ingredients in products like microplastic-free cosmetics, adhesives, and dietary fibers.
Hydrogen innovation: A living lab for the future of heating
Text: Eero Rauvola
Reading time: 5 min
What if a university campus could show the world how to replace natural gas for good? UBC, Elomatic, and FortisBC are working to convert UBC’s district heating system – one of the campus’s biggest sources of emissions – to run on 100% green hydrogen. The project uses the campus itself as a test bed. If it works, it could become a template for district heating far beyond Vancouver.
Visualization: the innovation tool most teams underuse
Text: Jukka Timonen
Reading time: 5 min
Visualization is more than a way to present finished ideas. Used early and consistently, it helps innovation teams think through problems together, spot weak points before they become costly, and move from concept to solution with less friction.
Insight: What does it take today to transform a great idea into a thriving business?
Reading time: 5 min
A good idea is just the start. Our experts share what it takes to bring one to market. Teemu Turunen argues that speed, the right partners, and knowing when to shift from flexibility to structure are what separate ideas that scale from ones that stall. Devikumar Patil shows how the pharmaceutical industry’s strict regulatory demands – far from slowing innovation – push companies toward smarter automation, monitoring technologies, and faster paths to market. Maija Autio makes the case for simulation as an early-stage tool that reveals hidden dependencies, reduces physical testing, and helps teams focus effort where it matters most.
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