Jari Aaltonen is an international cleantech and sustainable development expert with extensive professional experience in the field of international environmental management and sustainable industrial development program management, cleantech clusters, resource efficiency, and sustainable production and SME development. In the last 20 years he has worked on numerous public and private sector projects, various ministries in Finland and developing countries, bilateral and multilateral organizations, such as the European Commission and UNEP.

Prior joining the UNIDO (UN Industrial Development Organization) he was the CEO of Quantum Electric Ltd, a private climate technology start-up company in Finland in 2015-2018. As a result of his efforts, Quantum Electric was selected as one of the top 30 energy start-ups among 500 energy start-ups in Europe in 2018.

From 2007 to 2012 he was a senior adviser for the Finnish Cleantech Cluster where he provided technical and management support to four regional cleantech clusters in Finland. In his role he organized several national strategy workshops and field missions in the EU and North America. In 2009-2011 he was working as a program director in the cleantech industry growth program in the greater Helsinki region. In 1999-2001 he was working as international Clinical Trial Assistant in Nepal and international Cleaner Production expert in Namibia in 2005-2006.Jari Aaltonen has a Master’s degree in Environmental Management and a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Technology from the University of Wolverhampton, and another Master’s degree in Physical Sciences from the University of Oulu, Finland.