About –
Mikko Ahonen

Researcher (PhD), Educator, Father, Outdoor Sports Enthusiast


Education:

PhD in Computer Science (Information Systems), 2011, University of Tampere, Finland.

Studies of Public Health,  Magister i Folkhälsovetenskap -program, towards Master of Public Health (MPH) Program), Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, on-going, 2017-

M.Sc. in Educational Sciences (Administration), 1998, University of Tampere.

B.Sc. in Programming (Datanomi), 1989, Tampere Commercial College.

Matriculation Examination (Abitur), 1987.


(Next will follow a longer mini-history: what is my background and how I got involved in information systems, e-learning, EMC, EMF & risk-management areas.)

I was raised with my architect-brother Timo in a middle-class family in Tampere, Finland. My father Antti was a serial-entrepreneur and inventor with several patents. From this background comes my curiosity and researcher-inventor mindset. My mother Ritva was a bookkeeper, who set high expectations for boys’ education. I tried to keep up with these (B.Sc. -> M.Sc. -> PhD). She died rather early, after being years heavily exposed to chemicals and EMFs. To me this was of course sad, but also educative.

During my childhood we lived in a self-made house close to the city of Tampere, but still not far away from large forests, big lakes and world’s biggest gravel ridge. I (still) love hiking, skiing, mountain biking, climbing, football, tennis, golf and … music (singing), just like when I was a child. My special hobby is winter swimming, since the Great Tampere Area is world’s biggest (and densiest) winter swimming hot-spot with fabulous saunas next to magnificent lakes. From 2016 onwards I found similar scenery (but without saunas) , suprisingly, from Västernorrland, Sweden! I have also been a football trainer to my 2 children and still try to support their hobbies.

My relatives and my ‘blood’ comes from Wild Kainuu-area, Finland. That is why I have always liked honesty and disliked bullying and oppressing weaker people. That might explain my nature: I am a nice & co-operative guy, but simultaneously I really hate corruption and unethical behaviour. When I see unethical behavior, I must raise my voice, like with those environment polluters, paid-off officials and pseudo-sceptics.

I worked at the University of Tampere (UTA) 23 years, first with educational technology and then with information systems, open innovation and bioelectromagnetics research. During that time I participated big R&D projects, like the EU IST MOBIlearn, world’s biggest mobile learning research project (so far). Professors Pertti Jarvinen, Eleni Berki and Mikko Ruohonen were my supporters in the University of Tampere, but eventually I was forced to leave it. Hard economic times did not give me or UTA much choices, either. Even after this drawback our risk-management research has continued with PhD candidate, researcher Tarmo Koppel and MD, professor Lennart Hardell. In this context I have had the great opportunity to work for/with the Institute of Environmental Health and Safety in Tallinn, Estonia.

Since my father Antti had worked with workers’ safety for 40 years, we founded with him and my wife Sari Sustainable Mobile Ltd (Suomen Säteilykontrolli) in 2009. Because Finland has been in the forefront of promoting risky RF-technologies, our business and it’s risk management view was first welcomed with deep silence and rejection. However, we did not give up and did expand our operations with our international partners. After we moved to Sweden, we stopped the measurement activity and eventually closed also the webshop & company in 2016.

We have done with my colleagues RF&ELF-measurements in workplaces, homes and schools, with 10 years experience.  Additionally,  EMI (Electro-Magnetic Interference) interference measurements and filtering of voltage transients is becoming more and more actual with ‘smart’ grids and ‘smart’ meters and e-car charging stations. I have taken several measurements courses in Germany and speaking German is my second nature. This interest on EMI & EMC has inspired several research papers.

My workshops, webinars and e-learning courses of Risk-management are becoming more popular. Addiction control and related digital detox -courses are being asked more and more. Interruptions management and time management has been regular topics in my workshops since 2002. Sustainable ICT means also healthier workstations and workplaces (which can be measured&certified).

My latest interest has been global risk-management courses & webinars with my English, US and Canadian colleagues within Wireless Education, a non-profit. This is more like a hobby to me and I occasionally put some time for this chidren’s wellbeing-focused activity. With Wireless Education we have the whole Globe as our target: courses for children, parents, schools, organisations and companies (ask!).

During 2016-2018 I worked as a post-doc researcher in the Mid Sweden University, in Sundsvall. I also worked in Sweden as a freelancer and educator.

Since July 2020 I have worked as a teacher and mentor in Päivölä Institute close to Tampere, Finland . That work was first focused on mentoring a Cyber Business Education Program (together with University of Jyväskylä). I have also been responsible for a coding laboratory (PSIL,  Päivölä Student Innovation Lab).

In 2021 (July-November) I worked a short period as an Executive Director of Finnish Radiation Safety Association (Suomen Säteilyturva ry) . Nowadays, I am just a member.

During 2022-2023 I worked in Tampere university with a project called “Smart Agriculture and Entrepreneurship”. With strong focus on IT, while hosting several agricultural university groups from India!

In 2024 again in Päivölä institute as a teacher.

My life so far has been interesting, tough and … self-actualising 🙂 Happy to collaborate in future projects.

Researcher, Educator