Keynote:
From Joensuu to NATO Skies – The Story of Kelluu
What does it take to rise from a small Nordic city to the global stage of NATO innovation?
At SOHJO 2026, we welcome Jiri Jormakka, co-founder of Kelluu — a Joensuu-born deep tech company that is redefining what happens below the satellites and above the drones. Kelluu’s hydrogen-powered autonomous airships represent a new, sustainable layer of intelligence in the sky — and the world has noticed. Out of more than 2,600 applicants, Kelluu was selected into NATO’s DIANA innovation programme, placing this local innovation among the most promising dual-use technologies globally.
But this is not just a technology story.
It’s a story of belief, resilience and bold vision.
Under Jiri’s commercial leadership, Kelluu has transformed a seemingly old concept — airships — into a luminous future solution for security, environmental monitoring and critical infrastructure intelligence. Quiet, persistent and efficient, their autonomous platforms operate where others cannot — proving that innovation does not always mean louder or faster.
In his keynote, Jiri shares how a Joensuu-based company navigated international defence ecosystems, built trust in complex markets, and scaled a high-ambition vision from regional roots to global skies. Expect insights into dual-use innovation, long-term thinking and what it really takes to turn bold Nordic engineering into international impact.
From Joensuu to NATO skies — this is a story about daring to think bigger than your geography.
And at SOHJO, we celebrate exactly that.