Patria's Vice President Mika Hakanen holds passion for aviation

Mika Hakanen began his Patria career in 2009, working on his engineering thesis and the F/A-18 Hornets’ MLU2 lifecycle upgrade in Halli, Finland. Later, he was among the first to complete Patria’s LEAP development program and advanced to leadership roles in the NH90 helicopter retrofit program.

‒ I never would have guessed, when I joined Patria 16 years ago with no background in aviation, how much I would grow to love this field, Hakanen recalls.

In 2019, Hakanen relocated to Norway to oversee helicopter programs at Kongsberg Aviation Maintenance Services, a company in which Patria holds a fifty percent ownership stake. In addition to helicopter projects, his responsibilities at KAMS increasingly included business development, industrial cooperation, and long-term planning, such as tying the vision for a new ERP system to new airborne assets acquired in Norway, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and Seahawk helicopters.

After holding key leadership roles in aviation and helicopter programs in Finland and Norway since 2009, I’m now returning to Finland as Patria’s Vice President, Sustainment International.

During his six years in Norway, Hakanen became acquainted with most Norwegian Air Force bases and several specific locations, including Andøya island, which is used for space missions and will host Norway’s unmanned aircraft.

Now, 16 years later, Hakanen has returned to Patria’s Sustainment Solutions business area as Vice President, Sustainment International, based in Tampere, Finland.

Moving towards the future Patria’s mission in mind

Over the past six years, the defence industry has grown rapidly, and Patria’s development has been on an upward trajectory. In a constantly evolving global situation, Hakanen wants to remind fellow Patrians of the company’s core mission.
‒ It’s important to recognise why we do what we do, and why things are done in the defence industry. It is essential that we remain up to date and understand the purpose of Patria, Hakanen observes.

Driven by innovation and purpose, Patria is shaping the future of defense through international cooperation and forward-thinking leadership.

Hakanen emphasises the importance of Nordic and international cooperation for Patria’s future. The aim is to elevate the units he oversees in Sweden, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the next level. Business development and future-oriented thinking are strongly on Hakanen’s mind after his years at KAMS.
‒ There is an opportunity to change existing processes, consider alternative approaches, and increase efficiency. New ideas, practices, and technologies may be implemented, and less effective methods can be discontinued, he states.

Passion for aviation

Compared to Patria 16 years ago, the now more international company offers far more opportunities than before. Mika encourages everyone to bravely seize the opportunities that come their way.

‒ It is driven by a genuine passion for the industry. When individuals take pleasure in their work, they tend to perform at a high level of excellence, Hakanen concludes.