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Contemporary Design

Pirjo Kääriäinen

Senior Advisor, CHEMARTS & Bioinnovation Center.
Person wearing a white shirt with abstract patterns and black trousers, standing against a grey background.
Photo by Katri Heinämäki

Pirjo Kääriäinen serves as a Senior Advisor at Aalto University, focusing on fostering collaboration across disciplines, particularly in exploring new material innovations. Her academic journey has spanned several key roles: she worked as a professor of Design and Materialities, as a Professor of Practice, and as a Professor in Textile Art and Design (TaiK). Having joined Aalto University in 2008, Kääriäinen played a significant role in the CHEMARTS collaboration, a joint effort between the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and the School of Chemical Engineering. The initiative, which she co-facilitated from 2011 to 2025, aims to inspire both students and researchers to innovate with bio-based materials and develop sustainable concepts. Before her academic career, Pirjo Kääriäinen gained experience in the textile industry and business, and worked as an entrepreneur and consultant in the creative industries. Her professional interests are: bio-based materials, interdisciplinary collaboration, design for sustainable materials, experimental design, future textiles.

Webpages related to her work:

/en/aalto-university-bioinnovation-center

/en/department-of-design-/fashiontextile-futures

Previous courses

bio materiality

Bio Materiality

As biomaterial is a broad and currently widely used term, the students learn to explore and discover new perspectives to biomaterials and understand how to create their own creative approach towards these materials.
MUO-E5021

Contemporary Design

News

Iines Jakovlevin teos. Kuva: Anne Kinnunen

Revolutionary bio-based materials took center stage at Dutch Design Week

Aalto University Bioinnovation Center participated in the prestigious Dutch Design Week (DDW) for the very first time, joined by several experimental initiatives from the Aalto ChemArts program.

News
A group of people standing in a lecture hall holding bouquets of flowers and certificates.

Chem Awards 2025 recipients announced

The School of Chemical Engineering recognises outstanding individuals and teams for their exceptional contributions over the year

News
Student in a white lab coat and blue plastic gloves photographed from the back while experimenting in the CHEMARTS lab smashing green pine needles into a white mortar while looking at recipes from the CHEMARTS cookbook.

Nordic Biomaterials with CHEMARTS – a crucial course for future-changers

The Aalto University Summer School course Nordic Biomaterials in collaboration with CHEMARTS gathered students from Sweden, the USA, Germany, Norway and Belgium for a summer course on campus for the first time since the pandemic.

News
Ioncell

Bacterial bandages and recycled fibres: Aalto brings a materials revolution to Slush

New materials play an important role in sustainable development and combatting climate change. New uses for old materials can also be a major industrial opportunity: for example, the value of biomass from forests in Finland can be doubled if used for manufacturing products of higher added value.

News
Emma Saarnio ja Helmi Liikanen

Jenni Haukio’s Independence Day gown sets the stage for Finland’s next 100 years

Designed by Aalto students Emma Saarnio and Helmi Liikanen, the dress evokes nature with exquisite materiality and minimalist lines

News
Tekla Tammelin, Orlando Rojas, Kristiina Kruus, Indistry meets FinnCERES event 5.11./ Kuva: Paula Bergqvist, VTT

Companies want to develop innovations from biomaterials together with FinnCERES

A large group of representatives of industry took part in the Industry Meets FinnCERES event on 5 November 2018 at Paasitorni in Helsinki.

News
Aalto-Helsinki iGEM team

Aalto-Helsinki awarded gold medal in iGEM 2018

Multidisciplinary student team from Aalto University and the University of Helsinki made it to the top category out of three in iGEM Giant Jamboree 24–28 October in Boston.

News

Latest publications

Greta Isola, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Tapani Vuorinen, Heidi Simppala, Cyrienne Buffet, Jack Kirk 2025

Greta Isola, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Tapani Vuorinen 2025

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Enni Äijälä, Susanna Ahola 2025

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Anna van der Lei , Susanna Ahola 2024

Greta Salonen, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Tapani Vuorinen 2024

Enni Äijälä, Pirjo Kääriäinen 2024

Venere Ferraro, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Paz Morer-Camo, Anke Pasold 2023

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Anna van der Lei 2023

Tarja-Kaarina Laamanen, Pirjo Kääriäinen 2023 Materialising the Future: A Learning Path to Understand, Develop and Apply Emerging Materials and Technologies

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Anna van der Lei 2022

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Kirsi Niinimäki 2022 Designing Change : New Opportunities for Organisations

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Michael Hummel, Susanna Ahola, Greta Salonen 2022

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Janika Lehtonen, Tapani Vuorinen 2022

Tarja-Kaarina Laamanen, Pirjo Kääriäinen 2022 The Design Research Society Conference (DRS2022)

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Saara Kantele, Irene Purasachit, Liisa Tervinen, Tatja Jakovlev, Nina Riutta, Aarni Tujula, Tapani Vuorinen 2021

Pirjo Kääriäinen 2021 Muotoilun avaimet älykkääseen teollisuuteen ja liiketoiminnan ketterään kehittämiseen

Pirjo Kääriäinen 2021 Biodesigned

Camilla Groth, Margherita Pevere, Kirsi Niinimäki, Pirjo Kääriäinen 2020 CoDesign: International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Liisa Tervinen, Tapani Vuorinen, Nina Riutta 2020

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Kirsi Niinimäki 2019 NORDES 2019: WHO CARES?

Kirsi Kataja, Pirjo Kääriäinen 2018

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Heidi Henrickson, Liisa Poskiparta, Ariane Relander, Kati Miettunen 2018

Tiia Maria Tenhunen, Oldouz Moslemian, Kari Kammiovirta, Ali Harlin, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Monika Österberg, Tekla Tammelin, Hannes Orelma 2018 Materials & Design

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Kirsi Niinimäki, Andreas Lindberg 2017 REDO

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Liisa Tervinen 2017
More information on our research in the Aalto research portal.
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