MEET THE SPEAKERS AND EXPERTS
They inspire, innovate, and drive change in maritime sustainability.
Ph.D. Ulla Tapaninen is Tenured Full Professor (maritime transport) at Tallinn University of Technology, Estonia, and Adjunct Professor (maritime economics and logistics) at the University of Turku, Finland. Since March 2025 she serves as a board member of the Port of Helsinki. Tapaninen has over 30 years of experience in logistics and maritime transport in academia, public and private sectors. She has worked in key positions in two Finnish shipping companies (bulk and RoRo sector) and as a senior expert at in city administration. In addition to journal articles, she has also published text-books, reports and is a keen writer of a maritime blog ullatapaninen.net.
Dr. Teemu Manderbacka is the Maritime Research Team Leader at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. With a Ph.D. in Marine Technology from Aalto University and an extensive background in Naval Architecture, Teemu has spearheaded numerous maritime research initiatives. He specializes in fluid dynamics, hydrodynamics numerical methods, and advanced maritime technologies. His career includes leading roles at NAPA Ltd., where he focused on improving ship operational efficiency and safety. Currently, he directs a team of researchers at VTT, driving innovations in maritime decarbonization, digitalization, and navigational safety. Teemu also serves as a Professor of Practice at Aalto University, educating future industry experts.
Dr. Mikael Lind is the world’s first (adjunct) Professor of Maritime Informatics engaged at Chalmers and Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) and a well-known expert in the field of digital collaboration and innovation frequently surfaced in international trade press. He is an expert contributor at the World Economic Forum, Europe’s Digital Transport Logistic Forum (DTLF), and UN/CEFACT. He is co-editor of the first two books on Maritime Informatics, co-author of the Practical Playbook for Maritime Decarbonisation, co-editor of the book Maritime Decarbonization, co-initiator and sponsor of the Virtual Watch Tower (VWT) network initiative, and co-founder of the Sustainable Port Concept. He has also been instrumental in setting up international ecosystem collaborations and co-founding collaborative decision-making (CDM) initiatives for different transport and logistics settings.
Anna Zmiievska is an expert in attracting EU grant funding for research and innovation (R&I) projects. Since 2011, she has worked across universities, RTOs, and private consultancies, as a proposal writer, EU project manager, and innovation strategist. Anna has supported the preparation and submission of over 100 proposals under Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe, and has been actively involved in the implementation of more than 20 collaborative projects. Her expertise spans a wide range of topics, including transport, aerospace, materials science, advanced manufacturing, robotics, ICT, nanomaterials, coatings.In these projects, Anna has often taken roles such as project administrator (managing EU financial and technical reporting) and dissemination & communication manager (ensuring visibility, stakeholder engagement, and impact delivery).
Ph.D. Sanja Bauk is Research Professor at the Estonian Maritime Academy, Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech), Estonia. She has over two decades of academic experience and previously served as Professor at the Maritime Faculty in Kotor, University of Montenegro, and at the Durban University of Technology (DUT), South Africa. Dr. Bauk earned her Ph.D. in Maritime and Port Transportation from the University of Belgrade, Serbia, and completed postdoctoral research at Karl Franzens University in Graz, Austria, and RWTH Aachen University, Germany. With a multidisciplinary background in maritime informatics, operations research, and digital transformation, Dr. Bauk has authored over 200 scientific publications, including monographs and textbooks. She is an active contributor to international research projects and serves on the editorial and scientific boards of several journals and conferences. Her international experience includes visiting lectureships and research at universities across Europe, the USA, and South Africa. She currently lectures in digital transformation and computer systems for maritime professionals at TalTech and has supervised multiple Ph.D. and Master’s students in Estonia, Montenegro, and South Africa.
Yrsa Cronhjort, Lead for EU Programmes, facilitates VTT pre and post award support for EU proposals and projects in and across business areas at VTT, and serves as the primary contact for EU affairs in the Carbon Neutral Solutions sector. Ms. Cronhjort brings extensive knowledge and skills in European RDI frameworks and funding programmes, along with project management expertise as a Certified Project Manager. Her experience includes managing international, multi-disciplinary projects throughout their life cycles, and she has a strong record of project awards. VTT is among the most active European research institutes participating in the European Union research programmes and is Finland’s largest single recipient of EU R&D funding. Currently VTT ranks 15th among all 21,800 Horizon Europe beneficiaries.
PhD Maurice Jansen is an engaged scholar, education innovator and business ecosystems developer. He is driven by exploring and sharing port and transport knowledge. As a scholar, Maurice engage with business professionals in action research, design and delivery of education solutions. As a business developer, he has a keen interest in blue innovation ecosystems, decarbonization pathways in shipping and serious game development. Maurice has a PhD in Business-Society Management. His PhD dissertation focused on ‘Ports as a force of positive change? An ecosystems approach to inclusive port development’, from Erasmus University Rotterdam.
Dr. Jarkko Rahikainen is a Senior Scientist at the Maritime Research Team at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd. He has a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from LUT University and has extensive background in computational mechanics. His main interests are in the field of real-time simulation of mechanical systems, where he has also industrial experience from his career at Mevea Ltd, where he worked on mobile working machine simulators for operator training and R&D purposes. At VTT his main research topics include development and maintenance of a ship simulator environment and topics related to multibody dynamics.
Olli-Pekka Hilmola (PhD) currently serves as an Adjunct Professor in Taltech/EMERA, Estonia, and as a Visiting Professor at the University of Gävle, Sweden. Previously, he worked as a Professor for nearly two decades in Finland. He is affiliated with a number of int. journals through editorial boards. The total number of published scientific journal manuscripts is above 200, and the total count of all scientific publications is approximately 350. He has also authored several books. Research interests lie in transportation logistics, supply chains, industrial management, and quantitative methods.
Seçil Gülmez is a postdoctoral researcher specializing in maritime supply chain and logistics with a focus of marketing. She currently works in Estonian Maritime Academy as a member of Maritime Transport Research group. In addition to her research, she co-lectures the Maritime Economics in master level education and contributes to Central Baltic Interreg Sustainable Flow project.
Senior Project Manager Johan Östling at Research Institutes of Sweden (RISE) has lead several years several innovation project in the Digital and Collaborated landscape regarding ICT for sustainable transports of mainly goods. The transport modals in the supply chain are from first to last mile including train, ship, trucks and other.
Kaisa Vehmas works as a Senior EU project specialist at VTT. In this role she supports VTT-coordinated projects in the implementation phase and develop organisation-wide tools and processes for post-award. Her background is in research, recently focused on consumer and end-user engagement and understanding.
Dr. Ellen J. Eftestøl is Professor of Law at BI Norwegian Business School and Adjunct Professor at the University of Gothenburg. She specializes in trade, transport, and shipping law, with a focus on sustainable and efficient transport systems. At BI’s Center for Applied Mathematics and Operations Research, she leads the AMOR Transport research pillar, exploring legal frameworks for greener logistics and digital transformation. Dr. Eftestøl holds a doctorate from the University of Oslo and has previously served as professor at the University of Helsinki and the University of Oslo. Her research addresses EU and international regulation, including emissions trading, multimodal liability, and Nordic maritime law. She is co-founder of the Helsinki-based INTERTRAN research group, subject editor for Karnov’s Digital Law Commentary, and contributing editor to European Transport Law. Her work supports legal innovation and policy development in sustainable transport.
Deniece M. Aiken is a postdoctoral researcher at the Estonian Maritime Academy of Tallinn University of Technology, where her work explores the intersections of maritime law, sustainability, and governance within the global shipping industry. She formerly held leadership roles at the Caribbean Maritime University in Jamaica, serving as Vice President of Legal and International Affairs and Executive Director of the Maritime Training Centre. An ardent advocate for gender equity in the maritime sector, Deniece is the founding president of both the WMU Women’s Association and WISTA Jamaica. Since 2013, she has lectured in various areas including maritime law, commercial and business law, intellectual property law, carriage of goods by sea, public policy, public administration, governance in maritime education and training, and environmentally sustainable shipping. In addition to her academic and advocacy work, Deniece contributes regularly as a maritime law and policy columnist for Portside Caribbean and serves as an International Ambassador for the University of London.
Olivier Faury is Associate Professor of Logistics and International Transport at EM Normandie. He earned his Ph.D. in 2016 with a thesis on the economic attractiveness of the Northern Sea Route compared to the Suez Canal. Since 2013, he has authored numerous articles in academic journals such as Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, and has guest-edited Special Issues across several journals. In May 2023, he organized an international conference on data and sustainable navigation, and since October 2020, he has been an associate member of the Conseil Québécois d’Études Géopolitiques. In January 2025, he was a guest speaker at the “2025 Polar Seminar” organized by the IMO and the Arctic Council, where he presented research on maritime risk assessment. His research focuses on three main areas: the economic viability of Arctic shipping routes for bulk and container vessels; maritime risk management and related legal frameworks in polar regions; and the development of port infrastructure and icebreaking capabilities in the context of increased Northern navigation. He is co-editor of a Routledge volume on maritime issues and author of numerous academic publications on Arctic transport and logistics.
Ellen Kaasik has been working for Port of Tallinn, the biggest port authority in Estonia, since 1995. She has worked in the port development, marketing and maintenance departments. Since 2005, Ellen has been employed as the Head of the Quality and Environmental Management Department, and since 2024 – as the Head of Environmental Management Department, responsible for environmental sustainability in port operations and development. Ellen represents Estonian ports in the Baltic Ports Organization Environmental working group (since 2010). During 2014-2016 she was the Chairman of ESPO’s Sustainable Development Committee and since 2018 she is the Chairman of BPO’s Environmental Working Group. Ellen is also a member of the Board of the Estonian Association for Environmental Management.
Dr. Pentti Jouko Sakari Kujala is a Tenured Full Professor at Estonian Maritime Academy of Tallinn University of Technology. He has led numerous international research projects on ship design, ice-going vessels, and sustainable maritime operations. His expertise spans risk assessment, structural integrity, and environmental impacts in shipping, with a strong focus on decarbonization and alternative fuels. Dr. Kujala’s research plays a crucial role in advancing safe and energy-efficient icebreaking operations, particularly in evaluating alternative fuel options for the Northern Baltic Sea.
Dr. Kristine Carjova is a Senior Researcher at Tallinn University of Technology, Estonian Maritime Academy, specializing in ship structures, maritime systems, and decarbonization. With a maritime background as a navigation officer, she brings practical industry experience to her research. Dr. Carjova holds a Master’s degree (2009) from the Latvian Maritime Academy and earned her PhD (2016) in aviation structures, providing a multidisciplinary approach to ship design and sustainability.
