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Professor Maarit Karppinen is a distinguished researcher in inorganic materials chemistry. She is celebrated for her groundbreaking work on atomic and molecular layer deposition of inorganic-organic thin films, which have critical applications for example in optoelectronics and energy conversion and storage.

On 25 September, the European Commission appointed her to the governing body of . Karppinen will take office on 1 January 2025, for an initial term of four years.

“I have always deeply valued the vital mission of the ERC to promote the very top-level research in Europe. The investigator-driven ERC approach, in which the only criterion is scientific excellence, has the true capacity to put forward the bravest research ideas and open entirely new horizons for the science and technology frontier in Europe,” says Karppinen.

Karppinen knows what a pivotal role an ERC grant can have for an individual researcher in their academic career. “Now, after enjoying the benefits of this prestigious funding scheme personally, I have a strong ambition to promote the ERC concept of excellence for the benefits of the new generation of researchers in Europe. The Scientific Council as the ERC's governing body is the most influential forum as it defines the ERC’s future funding strategies”, she says.

Professor Karppinen's career in a nutshell

• Karppinen has significantly contributed to functional materials research since earning her Ph.D. from Helsinki University of Technology in 1993. After initial academic roles in Finland, she became a visiting professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1995, securing a regular professorship in 2001. In Japan, she founded a multidisciplinary research group focused on advancing new material research, which laid the groundwork for her future endeavors.
• In 2006, Karppinen returned to her alma mater, now named Aalto University, where she took the helm of the inorganic chemistry laboratory, renowned for its expertise in atomic layer deposition thin-film research. In addition to serving as head of department, she held the prestigious title of Academy Professor from 2009 to 2013.
• Karppinen’s innovative research has garnered her two ERC Advanced Grants, and she continues to share her expertise through various visiting professorships across Asia, the USA, and Europe, including her role as a Visiting International Professor at Ruhr-University Bochum. Since 2017, she has been recognized as an Aalto Distinguished Professor, a title that is granted to a professor whose merits are exceptionally significant.