"My intention was to spend the whole summer writing my master's thesis, but I ended up working as a summer intern at UPM Biomedicals' office in Meilahti," laughs the Master of Biotechnology graduate. Kim Kutvonen.
Of course, the master's thesis has also progressed during the summer, the aim is to have the M.Sc. papers out of Aalto University by next spring.
“I studied biomedicine at Brunel University in London from 2016 to 2020. However, I realized that the research path was not my thing. I was more interested in business and especially entrepreneurship. That's why I came to Aalto University to study a master's degree in biotechnology, which would open more doors towards industry. In addition, I have had an entrepreneurship-themed minor study program.”
Kutvonen, who will soon graduate with a Master of Science in Engineering, says that his studies at Aalto were exactly what he wanted.
"The natural science side has always interested me a lot, but at the same time I want to be more involved in business development and operations. The studies at Aalto are very wood industry-focused, with a lot of studies on pulp and the proteins related to its digestion. There, I started to develop an interest in bioeconomy and sustainable development, and this job is a perfect combination of that and my previous background in biomedicine."
The tasks in the inspiring team at UPM Biomedicals have been diverse and interesting. Kutvonen says that he has performed sales-related tasks and market analyses, among other things. One of the most important tasks was to familiarize himself with a specific market area and its operators. He has also written content for the group's website and mapped out potential customers.
“UPM Biomedicals has several solutions for laboratory use, bioprinting and wound care, and in addition, the future vision is also to utilize birch in regenerative medicine. Utilizing birch pulp in medical products is interesting, and working on product development in this field constantly offers new challenges. The processes here are long and require perseverance. Regulation and documentation are demanding – with clinical medical products, things cannot be advanced as quickly as in many other fields.”
Kim Kutvosten is also interested in developing businesses in her free time. In addition to music and sports, entrepreneurship has recently taken Kutvosten and her friends towards building a nest.
“This summer I was part of a five-person startup team where we developed a biodiversity-enhancing mobile game for families with children. The purpose of the game is to inspire people to collect points by building birdhouses and installing them in trees. You can add friends to the game and see what others have built and follow who lives in the nests.”
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Kim Kutvonen
Business Development Summer Trainee, UPM Biomedicals
Education: Brunel University London, Aalto University
Free time: Piano playing, gym, badminton, entrepreneurship startups
Text by Tuija Holttinen
Photo UPM
