Liisa Heikinheimo appointed as head of the Nuclear Energy and Fuels Unit

On 8 December 2016, the Government appointed Doctor of Technology Liisa Heikinheimo as temporary Deputy Director General at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment from 9 January 2017 to 31 December 2021, yet only for as long as the permanent Deputy Director General, Herkko Plit, is on leave of absence.

Liisa Heikinheimo is transferring to the Ministry from Teollisuuden Voima Oyj, where she has worked as R&D Manager since 2009. Her areas of responsibility have included nuclear safety, research of nuclear waste management, development and coordination of technology, supervising research programmes, and reporting nuclear waste management.

From 1985 to 2009, Heikinheimo worked at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in different assignments – most recently as Technology Manager of R&D (2006–2009) and as Group Leader of the Products and Production Unit (2002–2005). Her assignments included power plant material research and nuclear safety.

Before VTT, Heikinheimo worked in research and teaching positions in the Helsinki University of Technology in 1981–1985. She graduated as Master of Science in Technology in 1980 and as Doctor of Science (Technology) in 1995.

Deputy Director General Heikinheimo will be the temporary head of the Nuclear Energy and Fuels Unit of the Ministry. The central tasks of the Unit consist of managing and monitoring the use of nuclear energy. The Unit is also tasked with matters related to the preparedness of the energy sector, the security of supply of gas and oil, and coordinating the energy cooperation between the Nordic countries, the Baltic Sea region and Russia.

Further information:
Senior Government Secretary Kari Mäkinen, tel. +358 (0)29 506 3523