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Erkki Rautiainen, who built a successful career in management positions in the engineering industry, began studying industrial engineering and management at the Helsinki University of Technology in 1967. 

‘The student guild Prodeko also started around that time, and I served as an excursions officer. Among other things, we went on a study trip to Hungary,’ says Erkki Rautiainen. 

Kaija Rautiainen, in turn, was studying to become a crafts teacher. She and Erkki met in 1973, just before May Day, in the queue of a party venue, where Erkki was standing behind Kaija, waiting to get in. There were so many people trying to get into the event that the doors were closed right in front of them.

‘We realized that we had the same problem. It also turned out that neither of us had a date for May Day. That's how it all started, and we got married in 1976,’ the Rautiainens say.

This marked the beginning of a long international career for the industrial engineer and artist, at the end of which they decided to give their support to the future of industrial engineering and management and textile design.

From Brazil to Canada via Finland

Erkki completed his master's thesis at Wärtsilä's research center, after which he was transferred to Wärtsilä's Järvenpää factory to lead a product development team. This led to a nomination for a product manager of paper machine slitter-winders. This position opened up an opportunity to go to Brazil to set up a factory for the manufacture of paper machines. Erkki worked as a representative for post-processing machines in the TVW (Tampella-Valmet-Wärtsilä) organization. 

‘The factory never materialized, but we had grown so fond of Brazil that we wanted to stay on,’ the Rautiainens say.

Erkki worked for a while in the São Paulo area for Voith, a German paper machine company, but then he was invited back to Finland to become the marketing director of Raute, a manufacturer of plywood industry machinery based in Lahti.

In line with Erkki's work objectives, Raute acquired a company in Canada, and after a couple of years in Finland, the Rautiainens moved to Vancouver. There, Erkki spent the next ten years in management positions at Durand-Raute.

Becoming an entrepreneur in Canada

After working for large companies for a couple of decades, Erkki Rautiainen had the opportunity to become an entrepreneur. Together with his Canadian business partner, he acquired Allied Blower, a company specializing in the handling of industrial process residues and dust extraction. The company designed, manufactured, installed, and maintained mill wide air cleaning systems including blowers, conveyors, and dust separators. The company employed 100–150 people at its four manufacturing locations and was the market leader in Western Canada.

‘We ran Allied for over 15 years until 2013, when we sold the company to its management and retired from active working life. Being an entrepreneur was the best time of my career,’ says Erkki. 

Erkki Rautiainen has some practical advice for current industrial engineering students:

‘Not every company has to be a startup. There are many established, well-run companies whose owners want to sell. They offer plenty of opportunities.’

Tapestries inspired by bears

Kaija Rautiainen is known as a textile artist who makes nature inspired tapestries. Loom and other weaving equipment have followed her in their relocations abroad. During the years in Brazil, Kaija made her own textile art as well as gave tapestry workshops in Portuguese. She also continued her own art and teaching in Canada.

In 2005, Kaija changed her interest in digital weaving, where she designs the image on a computer and weaves it on the computer assisted loom. Her photos of bears from the trips in northern British Columbia and images of Canadian nature, captured while boating, were endless inspiration for new works.  

Sailing on the waters of the Pacific Ocean was exciting and a passion for both.

A few years ago, the couple returned home and settled in Hanko on the southern coast of Finland. 

New fund supports entrepreneurship and textile design

According to Erkki Rautiainen, his studies in industrial engineering and management gave him expertise in economics, product development, marketing, and management.

‘I have always acted as a kind of a team leader and needed the ability to communicate with engineers. My studies gave me these important collaboration skills.’

Erkki Rautiainen says that he feels a strong affinity both to Aalto and industrial engineering and management. This was also the inspiration behind the new fund named after Erkki and Kaija Rautiainen at Aalto.

The fund supports research and teaching in entrepreneurship and leadership at the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management. The fund also supports textile design education and research, as well as related innovation and development at Aalto University's School of Arts, Design and Architecture.

‘Our international careers have been rewarding, and we want to help young people move forward in theirs,’ the Rautiainens emphasize.