From Words to Action

At Telko, we want to help industries to become more sustainable and thus, through partnerships, we uncover solutions that can help to secure the future of business ­— and our planet. One good example is that Telko's employee Oona Hanska, in her master's thesis, is finding a sustainable solution to Telko's customer.

Oona is currently studying Fibre and Polymer Engineering at the Aalto University in Espoo, Finland. “I initially began my master’s studies in a different major in 2021, but soon realized that the courses on polymer engineering were the most engaging to me. After some reflection, I decided to switch my major to Fibre and Polymer Engineering at the beginning of 2023 and I haven’t regretted it”, Oona says.

Career at Telko

At the beginning of 2022 Oona’s studies were mostly remote due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so she decided to look for job opportunities. It didn’t take her long to find a new job. “In February 2022, I was fortunate to get a chance to work with the HSEQ team at Telko”, she says. Oona had various assignments within the HSEQ team, such as creating and updating Safety Data Sheets (SDS), overseeing their transmission data, and handling chemical notifications. Oona tells that working with the HSEQ team has been invaluable for her. “When I first started, I had limited knowledge about sustainability issues, so this role was a fantastic opportunity to expand my expertise also in that area. In addition, I gained an understanding of chemical legislation, which I highly value. The time I’ve spent at Telko has greatly increased my professional confidence, proving that I can succeed in this field,” she adds.

Towards the thesis

The idea for the master’s thesis project in collaboration with Telko began casually at the coffee machine in Telko’s office. At first Oona thought that the idea was just a passing thought, but as time went on, it became more serious. “As interest grew from all sides, we started actively to search for a suitable topic. We found a customer who was interested in participating in the master’s thesis, and eventually, we agreed on a topic involving the development of bio-based materials for filament applications”, Oona tells.

Kimmo Liinamaa, Product Director for Telko’s Masterbatches, Additives and Green products, became thesis advisor from Telko’s side. This is a good example of product development process, where we have not just Oona and Kimmo involved, but also Telko’s supplier to produce the raw material and customer to develop the actual sustainable product together with Oona.

Oona started her thesis in the beginning of June 2024 and is currently focusing on the literature review. She explains that this part is essential for understanding the key issues related to her topic and requires careful and thorough research. The plan is to complete the thesis project by the end of 2024.

Oona is very grateful for the opportunity to do her master’s thesis at Telko. “I have really enjoyed working here, and I genuinely feel integrated into this professional community. I'm especially excited about my topic because it directly relates to the courses, which I've found most interesting. That keeps me highly motivated.”