Pirjo Kääriäinen

Pirjo Kääriäinen

Senior Advisor
Senior Advisor
A803 Dept. Design

Pirjo Kääriäinen serves as a Senior Advisor at Aalto University, focusing on fostering collaboration across disciplines, particularly in exploring new material innovations. Her academic journey has spanned several key roles: she worked as a Professor of Design and Materialities,  Professor of Practice, Designer in Residence and as a Professor in Textile Art and Design (TaiK). Having joined Aalto University in 2008, Kääriäinen played a significant role in the CHEMARTS collaboration, a joint effort between the School of Arts, Design and Architecture and the School of Chemical Engineering. The initiative, which she co-facilitated from 2011 to 2025, aims to inspire both students and researchers to innovate with bio-based materials and develop sustainable concepts.

Before her academic career, Pirjo Kääriäinen gained experience in the textile industry and business and worked as an entrepreneur and consultant in the creative industries.

Full researcher profile
https://research.aalto.fi/...

Kompetensområde

World of Cellulose, PatternLab, Textile design, Chemarts, New materials, Interdisciplinary collaboration

Utmärkelser

CHEM Impact Act of 2025

Authors of the Mainiot Materiaalit / Marvelous Materials book: Greta Isola, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, and Tapani Vuorinen<br/><br/>Workshops and events related to the book have reached more than 1700 children, teachers, and other professionals during 2024-2025. Helsingin Sanomien Lasten uutiset have reached around 100 000 views per episode.<br/><br/>The books have been showcased in several national and international exhibitions with a total of 25000 visitors (e.g. Designs for a Cooler Planet at Aalto, Graphic Days Turin, Italy and Dutch Design Week, Holland).<br/><br/>Seven teacher trainings have been organized to spread the message. Teachers have told that they have used the book in their teaching. Three summer camps were organized for children in collaboration with Aalto Junior, leading to comprehensive learning about bio-based materials.<br/><br/>The book has been featured in 12 national or international media including, e.g. a news item in Wallpaper magazine, a major voice in the forefront of global design and creativity.
Palkinto tai huomionosoitus tuotoksesta Biotuotteiden ja biotekniikan laitos Jan 2025

Student prize: Ornamo Award 2024

Awarded in the category of master's thesis. Iines Jakovlev: Kuitukasveja tienpientareelta - Materiaalitutkimus tienvarsien kasveista ja niiden soveltuvuudesta muotoilun materiaaliksi
Palkinto tai huomionosoitus tuotoksesta Muotoilun laitos Sep 2024

Aalto Awards 2022: Education Impact award

Professor Jani Romanoff and Vice Dean Rasmus Vuori together with their teams, were awarded for their excellent contribution for the reform of the programme portfolios and structures of the education offered by their schools.<br/><br/>In the School of Arts, Design and Architecture, the team led by Rasmus Vuori coordinated the comprehensive reform of the bachelor's and master's programme structure and management model. The reform enables the increase of multidisciplinary cooperation and the balancing of the workload of students and staff.
Palkinto tai huomionosoitus tuotoksesta Muotoilun laitos Jan 2022

Aalto Awards 2022: Aalto Research Impact Award

Aalto University Bioinnovation Center was granted the Research Impact award.<br/><br/>The Bioinnovation Centre, opened this summer and established with the grant received from the Jane and Aatos Erkko Foundation, will accelerate the transition towards bio and circular economy. Building pilot equipment based on the Ioncell® technology has been the centre's first significant investment, enabling a giant leap in the development of the Ioncell® technology. A multidisciplinary doctoral school forms a pivotal part of the centre's operations, with research projects focusing on, for example, eco-sustainable textiles, as well as packaging combining high-quality design and technology.
Palkinto tai huomionosoitus tuotoksesta Biotuotteiden ja biotekniikan laitos Jan 2022

Student Prize: New European Bauhaus Rising Stars 2022

Category: Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking > 2022 ‘The Rising Stars’ prize went to Aalto MA student Irene Purasachit’s FLAUX- flower waste project.
Palkinto tai huomionosoitus tuotoksesta Muotoilun laitos Jan 2022

Suomi-palkinto

Palkinto tai huomionosoitus urasta Muotoilun laitos Dec 2019

Dean's Award (Aalto ARTS)

Community building across the University
Palkinto tai huomionosoitus tuotoksesta Muotoilun laitos Dec 2017

Vuoden tekstiilitaiteilija 2016

Vuoden tekstiilitaiteilija on Tekstiilitaiteilijat Texo ry:n vuodesta 1981 alkaen jakama tunnustuspalkinto ansioituneelle tekstiilitaiteilijalle
Palkinto tai huomionosoitus tuotoksesta Muotoilun laitos Jan 2016

H&M Global Change Award

Pirjo Kääriäinen & team. Ioncell-F™ waste-cotton into new textile was awarded as one of five winners among 2,700 proposals.
Palkinto tai huomionosoitus tuotoksesta Muotoilun laitos Jan 2016

Forskningsgrupp

  • Fashion/Textile Futures

Publikationer

Marvelous materials / Designs for a Cooler Planet

Greta Isola, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Tapani Vuorinen, Heidi Simppala, Cyrienne Buffet, Jack Kirk 2025

Marvelous materials : Instructions for bio-based experiments

Greta Isola, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Tapani Vuorinen 2025

Everyday Materials / Designs for a Cooler Planet (curator)

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Enni Äijälä, Susanna Ahola 2025

Fostering Bioinnovations : From material ideas towards real-life applications

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Anna van der Lei , Susanna Ahola 2024

Mainiot materiaalit : Ohjeita biopohjaisiin kokeiluihin

Greta Salonen, Susanna Ahola, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Tapani Vuorinen 2024

Behind bioinnovations / Dutch Design Week (curator)

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Anna van der Lei 2023

Applying DATEMATS Methods and Tools to Experimental Wood-Based Materials: Materiality in an Ideation Process

Tarja-Kaarina Laamanen, Pirjo Kääriäinen 2023 Materialising the Future: A Learning Path to Understand, Develop and Apply Emerging Materials and Technologies

CHEMARTS at Dutch Design Week 2022 (curator)

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Anna van der Lei 2022

Designers – the agents of change

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Kirsi Niinimäki 2022 Designing Change : New Opportunities for Organisations

Facilitating the future of sustainable textiles and packaging: Aalto University Bioinnovation Center

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Michael Hummel, Susanna Ahola, Greta Salonen 2022

Second Nature by CHEMARTS

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Janika Lehtonen, Tapani Vuorinen 2022

Exploring bio-based materials in an interdisciplinary learning environment: Outlining the design inquiry cycle

Tarja-Kaarina Laamanen, Pirjo Kääriäinen 2022 The Design Research Society Conference (DRS2022)

Materialising the Future – CHEMARTS 10 years

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Saara Kantele, Irene Purasachit, Liisa Tervinen, Tatja Jakovlev, Nina Riutta, Aarni Tujula, Tapani Vuorinen 2021

Muotoilu ja tiede kohtaavat materiaalikehityksessä

Pirjo Kääriäinen 2021 Muotoilun avaimet älykkääseen teollisuuteen ja liiketoiminnan ketterään kehittämiseen

What Biodesign Means to Me

Pirjo Kääriäinen 2021 Biodesigned

Conditions for experiential knowledge exchange in collaborative research across the sciences and creative practice

Camilla Groth, Margherita Pevere, Kirsi Niinimäki, Pirjo Kääriäinen 2020 CoDesign: International Journal of CoCreation in Design and the Arts

The CHEMARTS Cookbook

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Liisa Tervinen, Tapani Vuorinen, Nina Riutta 2020

Towards sustainable textile materials: Potential Pathways and Dialogues between Disciplines.

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Kirsi Niinimäki 2019 NORDES 2019: WHO CARES?

Designing Cellulose for the Future

Kirsi Kataja, Pirjo Kääriäinen 2018

Materials Matter exhibition at Slush 2018

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Heidi Henrickson, Liisa Poskiparta, Ariane Relander, Kati Miettunen 2018

Surface tailoring and design-driven prototyping of fabrics with 3D-printing

Tiia Maria Tenhunen, Oldouz Moslemian, Kari Kammiovirta, Ali Harlin, Pirjo Kääriäinen, Monika Österberg, Tekla Tammelin, Hannes Orelma 2018 Materials & Design

Lost in the Wood(s)

Pirjo Kääriäinen, Liisa Tervinen 2017