Kristiina Jokelainen

Kristiina Jokelainen, founder of SmartNorth, lives in Lapland, Finland. She is an expert in strategic regional development, innovation ecosystems, and EU-level collaboration, with more than twenty years of experience in economic development, research, and innovation. Her work focuses on enabling regions and ecosystems to move from fragmented cooperation to structured, strategic, and system-level collaboration that delivers long-term impact. Kristiina has made significant contributions as an expert in developing Smart Specialisation Strategies (S3), regional governance models, and policy-driven innovation frameworks, helping regions align strategic priorities with industrial and societal transformation across Finland and, more broadly, Europe. She possesses a comprehensive cross-sectoral understanding, spanning fields from sports, health, and well-being to heavy industry and mining. This multidisciplinary insight enables her to systematically connect regional ecosystems with interregional and European industrial value chains, ensuring that local strengths are integrated into wider economic and innovation systems. Her specific interest is in designing roadmaps to navigate complex financial landscapes, particularly in the context of industrial transition. She has guided regions in aligning governance frameworks, investment logic, and funding instruments, translating strategic plans into actionable, finance-ready initiatives. At SmartNorth, Kristiina leverages her extensive EU-wide networks to drive ecosystem development, support precise international collaboration, and access EU financing programs. Her efforts support the green and digital transitions by developing blended, synergistic investment strategies, coordinating collaborative initiatives, and building resilient innovation consortia that replace short-term projects with sustainable, long-term collaboration structures focused on growth and transformation.