Juho Röytiö studied Industrial Engineering and Management at the University of Oulu and came to Patria to write his master’s thesis on product sustainability. After graduating with a Master of Science in Technology, he was asked to stay on and continue working on the topic.

As a Product Sustainability Specialist, Juho’s role is to think about ways in which Patria’s products, services and business generally can be developed in a more sustainable direction over the long term.

– The key development potential in product sustainability is created through a dual benefit thinking. When a product’s sustainability is improved, its performance and competitiveness can also be strengthened at the same time. The most essential thing is to create added value for customers and other stakeholders.

Patria’s group-level sustainability team works with all business areas. Currently, development work in product sustainability focuses on physical products, with armoured vehicles currently being a key area of attention.

According to Juho, for example, developing of new powertrain solutions in vehicles could improve fuel efficiency, reduce fossil fuel consumption and therefore carbon dioxide emissions. For example, bringing electricity alongside the combustion engine as a power source would also offer operational benefits.

– Improved fuel efficiency could, on a mass scale, ease the field logistics of vehicles. On the other hand, driving with an electric motor would also produce, for example, a smaller thermal and acoustic signature, making the vehicle more difficult to detect in the terrain. 

My role is to think about ways in which Patria’s products and services can be developed in a more sustainable direction over the long term.

Sustainability is beginning to influence defence procurement

One concrete area of work in product sustainability is determining the carbon footprint of products. This information is becoming increasingly important as defence equipment is procured in different countries. Behind this are the sustainability targets of the EU and NATO, which are reflected in member states’ defence procurement.

Juho emphasises that in the defence sector, performance remains the most important selection criterion. Sustainability alone is not enough to create a competitive advantage, but it can be integrated as part of the product features.

– The tightening geopolitical situation is currently pushing product performance to the forefront, but sustainability issues will become more prominent in the future. Patria is already preparing for this now.

Another significant question in product sustainability relates to materials. For example, in armoured vehicles, a key structural material is steel, the production of which currently generates high levels of global carbon dioxide emissions.

– In future, product manufacturing may shift towards lower-carbon steel. Increasing its use, as in many other companies, is also under careful investigation and analysis at Patria. The time horizon is long, but preparation must begin in good time.

Introducing a hybrid powertrain into vehicles could reduce fossil fuel consumption and therefore carbon dioxide emissions.

A workplace that encourages development

Juho is pleased that he was able to do his thesis at Patria and, through that, gain access to interesting work tasks.

– My master’s thesis did not end up gathering dust on a shelf; through it, I was able to develop and explore a topic that had not previously been approached from the same perspective within the company.

Juho considers Patria a workplace that encourages development, where he has been given a great deal of responsibility from the very beginning. Sustainability work has been received very positively, with support extending all the way to top management.

– What I particularly value is that, at an early stage of my career, I have already had the opportunity to take on a unique role and think about major issues as far as ten years ahead.

Patria’s sustainability work receives recognition

Juho works in Patria’s five-person sustainability team, which covers not only environmental responsibility but also issues related to social and governance responsibility.

Patria’s sustainability work has also received praise from independent evaluators. Last year, the global sustainability rating system EcoVadis awarded Patria a bronze-level recognition for responsible business practices.

In the EcoVadis assessment, Patria’s overall score rose to 67/100. An equivalent advanced level has been achieved by 35 per cent of the companies assessed.

In his free time, Juho Röytiö enjoys running, but he also practises water polo, a sport that is less well known in Finland.

– I originally found my way into the sport in Oulu. A fellow student knew that I had been involved in competitive swimming and invited me to join a training session.

Text: Matti Remes

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