Panel:
From Light to Insight: Photonics in Digital Border Security

What does it take to build the systems that safeguard tomorrow’s skies?

Jarkko Surakka works at the intersection of defence technology, international cooperation and strategic innovation. As a Defence Architect at NATO Headquarters in Brussels, he contributes to the development of the enhanced Air Command & Control (eAirC2) programme, helping shape how Allied nations will coordinate and command the skies in the decades ahead.

Alongside his work with NATO, Jarkko is CEO of Epinova Oy and a driving force behind the Borderland Europe and Savo Defence initiatives. These initiatives are building a world-class dual-use defence testing environment on NATO’s eastern flank, bringing together research, technology and operational insight to support both security and innovation.

Before moving into the international defence arena, Jarkko spent more than 25 years at Savonia University of Applied Sciences as a Senior Lecturer in Physics and Mathematics. He also played a key role in education export and international collaboration, leading projects and workshops with partners such as Georgia Institute of Technology (USA), NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands), Shanghai Polytechnic University (China) and ECAM LaSalle (France).

A 1st Lieutenant (res.) in the Finnish Air Force with over 30 years of reserve service, Jarkko brings together defence systems engineering, international business development and engineering education. He is equally at home in a NATO planning room, a university auditorium or an industry boardroom.

Outside his professional roles, Jarkko is an active sailor and a former American football player and coach — experiences that reflect the same qualities he brings to his work: teamwork, resilience and a practical mindset when navigating complex challenges.