Innokas values the diverse work backgrounds and areas of expertise of its employees. This diversity brings competitive versatility to our service offering, which has always been a cornerstone of our company. Emi Iizuka, a new Clinical Affairs Specialist, found her way to Innokas from the field of medical equipment research and World Championship level sports. Emi has been at Innokas for just over four weeks at the time of writing this article and is now sharing her story about how shared values and goal-orientation made her want to start a career at Innokas after a chance meeting.

From athletics to medical research

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"In upper secondary school it was time to decide whether to continue my studies in medicine or bioinformation technology. Partly due to an injury during my sports career, I ended up choosing medical development at Aalto University, even though technology was not originally my main interest," Emi says about the beginning of her career. "However, I have always been interested in brain function and the related research, so I ended up studying Human Neuroscience and Technology at Aalto University and doing my master's thesis on magnetic resonance imaging."

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After working briefly as a teacher, Emi returned to Aalto University and joined several research groups. She helped design a new coil set for a MEG-MRI machine under development and explored more individualized possibilities for TMS treatments, which are used to treat depression, among other conditions. At the same time, she has had a long, 28-year career in synchronized skating, with her highest achievement being the silver medal won at the World Championships in 2022.

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A chance encounter and the road to Innokas

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Emi had wanted to work for a company with a strong connection to health technology for a while. In an interview that was originally completely unrelated to quality services, she was able to meet with few Innokas' experts. "Quality matters came up in that interview, and it was concluded that I had the potential for that kind of work. In general, that interview left a really good impression about the people at Innokas, and the corporate culture was clearly conveyed. That first experience with Innokas stayed with me," Emi shares with a smile.

Company values as key motivators

In the end, it was Innokas’ values that fueled her final decision to apply. "I wanted to do meaningful work where the results of the efforts become immediately apparent. The work of a researcher is meaningful of course, but there is a certain distance between the labor and the results. In this process of ensuring the safety of new innovations, you can immediately see how your work affects new health technology," Emi says. Quality is also an important value, and its roots go back to Emi’s career as an athlete. "Every day, you strive to perform with even higher quality, paying close attention to the smallest details."

Expectations and goals

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Emi's first impression of working in Innokas' quality team has been excellent. "It's been easy to become part of the group. Research work was always a bit lonely, but now I get to discuss with other experts every day," Emi mentions. She adds with a laugh, 'The office dogs have also brightened up the workdays significantly."

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The biggest source of anticipation has been getting to work on customer projects in earnest. So far, Emi’s schedule has included introductions and familiarization with materials and operating methods, but project work is already on the horizon. "I'm excited to work with customers, learn new things, and internalize quality matters even more concretely," Emi says with a smile. "In this field of work, you get to face a good number of challenges. My time as an athlete left me with a goal-oriented mindset. It's important for me to have something new to focus my efforts on and continuously improve," she concludes.

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