Among the many futurists from around the world we introduce to our students, there are three uplifting Finnish futurists who share their research and ideas on many forums. They are all involved in different fields, but they all share the insatiable quest for learning!

Elina Hiltunen: Futures thinking

Elina Hiltunen, named one of the top 50 female futurists globally by Forbes, provides profound and practical insights into megatrends, weak signals, and future scenarios. Her energetic presentations inspire and help companies stay ahead of future challenges. Recognised internationally and domestically, her expertise spans various fields including business, chemical engineering, and science fiction forecasting.

On our Futures thinking, trends and transformations course, students have used Elina Hiltunen’s two-step method for creating scenarios for an industry of their choice. First, they select two megatrends, such as technological development and climate change, and plot them on an XY coordinate system, with each axis representing one trend. They visualise strong trends on the upper and right sides and weak trends on the lower and left sides, creating four distinct scenarios.

For each scenario, students are then asked to imagine how their chosen industry would be affected, considering strong and weak combinations of the two trends. Finally, they describe the potential future of the industry in each scenario, detailing how the trends would shape its development and impact. These are complex topics, but we are often amazed at the variety of views our students come up with.

Teemu Arina: Biohacking and digital health

Teemu Arina, a prominent speaker on the future of food and health, advocates using genetic and lab tests to determine optimal diet, sleep, lifestyle, and longevity, as detailed in his book, Biohacker’s Handbook. Biohacking focuses on optimising mind and body for better health and performance by tracking biomarkers like blood, urine, and genes for personalised recommendations. Digital health appeals to tech-savvy consumers using wearable devices and apps.

In class, we have discussed how biohacking influences consumer behaviour and decision-making. Students have pondered on how companies could create targeted marketing campaigns using insights from wearables and how to use biological data in product development. Biohacking with its endless potential seems to fascinate our students.

Ethical considerations around using personal health data in marketing have also been debated, as privacy and psychological impact is a big concern. The way biohacking affects how people trust brands and view their reputation highlights the need for honesty, transparency and clear benefits.

Perttu Pölönen: Speaking to Gen Z

Perttu Pölönen is an innovator who, at 15, created a music teaching tool called MusiClock, earning international recognition and an invitation to the Nobel Prize Festivities. His book, Future Skills, outlines essential skills for succeeding in an uncertain future and has been translated into seven languages. Perttu has delivered over 1,000 keynotes across 16 countries, offering fresh perspectives on disruption and the future of work and education. He has studied future technologies in Silicon Valley and has been selected as one of the top young innovators. As a composer, Perttu’s music has been performed internationally, and he integrates his passion for music into his interdisciplinary work and presentations.

Perttu has been to Haaga-Helia UAS functions on several occasions to inspire our students. Perttu’s work motivates young minds to think about the future in several ways. He is a dynamic speaker, who often emphasises the importance of creativity and innovative thinking. He also highlights the importance of skills that are increasingly valuable in a rapidly changing world, such as critical thinking, problem-solving, and adaptability.

Critical, creative thinking is something we encourage in our Haaga-Helia courses, too. Engaging students in projects and activities that combine trends and emerging technologies with innovative thinking and interdisciplinary approaches helps them see connections between different areas and consider how they can contribute to or influence these changes.

Futurists share an appetite for exploring and learning. Their thinking takes our students all the way from megatrends to concrete digital solutions for health and wellness, and further to skills and competencies future leaders need to excel in their careers. Elina highlights thinking big with trends and scenarios, Teemu makes aspiring futurists tick with his innovative biohacking concepts, and Perttu showcases unconventional ideas and novel approaches by motivating students to think outside the box and consider new possibilities for their own futures.

We highly recommend these futurists for your radar, too, for inspiration on the internet!