New professors strengthen the University of Vaasa’s expertise in technology and marketing
Image
Professors Petri Välisuo and Catharina von Koskull, who began their full professor positions at the University of Vaasa last year, presented themselves at the university’s anniversary ceremony in January. During the event, they outlined their research areas and ongoing projects. With these experienced professors, the University of Vaasa strengthens its expertise in both technology and marketing research.
Professor Petri Välisuo
Petri Välisuo MSc (Tech), DSc (Tech) is a professor of Automation Technology at School of Technology and Innovations. Välisuo researches sustainable, energy‑efficient automation and applies machine learning that builds on statistics, computer science and mathematics. Among other topics, he investigates how automation can boost societal resilience from safeguarding transport against satellite signal disruptions to assessing climate impacts with satellite data and AI how the computing required for this in data centres could be made more energy‑efficient.
Välisuo considers collaboration between regional higher education institutions and the energy cluster essential, and he is personally committed to further strengthening this cooperation. His research has been published in significant journals, including Applied Energy, IEEE Access and IEEE Transactions on Aerospace and Electronic Systems.
– I am particularly motivated by the fact that science can flourish within the university environment, where he can promote learning and the sharing of knowledge. I think science is something that cannot be owned but can be learned, used, borrowed and shared.
Professor Catharina von Koskull
Catharina von Koskull, D.Sc. (Econ.), is a Professor at the School of Marketing and Communication. Her research background is rooted in service research with a special emphasis on service innovation and the role of the customer in innovation work. From this area her work has moved to Transformative Consumer Research (TCR) where she focuses on consumer wellbeing and voice related to ageing, digital technology and care. She draws on traditional ethnographic fieldwork and is committed to outreach and inclusive research practices, including arts‑based research methods and ethnodrama. Her research has been published in leading journals, including the Journal of Marketing, Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, and European Journal of Marketing
– A unifying thread across my research areas is my motivation to increase understanding of how services and products shape people’s everyday lives, how different voices are included or excluded in shaping these offerings. In addition, I am motivated by how we — as researchers — can support and amplify voices that lie at the margins but need to be heard in order to foster a more responsible and socially sustainable future.