Jussi Impiö
Research LeaderNRC Nairobi
Jussi Impiö is a research leader for Nokia Research Center Nairobi (NRC Nairobi). NRC Nairobi is Nokia Research Center Beijing Lab´s Africa team in Nairobi. The main focus of the team is to study low in-come communities in Sub-Saharan Africa. NRC Nairobi aims to develop services, applications and devices which can spark and accelerate the socio economical developement in Africa and create economically and socially sustainable business for Nokia and it´s partners. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HaDM2-_r3I Jussi has worked on projects in Africa since 2006.
Jussi has worked in NRC since 2003. Before this he worked as a Concept Manger in Clothig+ OY 2000 - 2003. Jussi worked as Researcher on wearable UI in the University of Lapland 1998-2000. He has MA in Industrial Design from the University of Lapland and he has studied cultural anthropoly and history of film in NCAD in Dublin, Ireland.
Research Interests
Topics where socio-economical developement in Africa can be accelerated with mobile technology:
Social Media: Access to information and freedom of self expression. Media freedom and democracy. People need skills for constructive critical approach for the authorities. Democracy works only if people have access to education and free media. Topics: media, mobile internet, social networks, locally created content, oral cuture.
Micro Economy: African economies are dependent on micro entrepreneurship. Supporting this sector which consist 90% of all jobs in Africa, with beneficiary economical and business services and devices, we can help in increasing the prosperity in the low in-come communities. Topics: Mobile banking, micro loans, micro payment, micro businesses, micro insurances.
Research Projects
Merry-go-a-round. Research on female selfhelp groups and informal banking in Africa. Kenya 2009-
J-AMMS. Research on informal music industry in urban slums in Africa. Kenya 2008-2009
MicroE. Research on Micro entrepreneurhip in Africa. Kenya, Cameroon, Ghana (+India and China) 2008-2009
Mapya? Research project on Children and Social Media in Low in-come communities. Kenya, Finland 2006-2008
Citizen Journalism. Research on existing citizen journalism forums, their audience and media activists. US, Europe, S-Korea 2006
Activism! Research on Civic Activism. US, UK, Finland 2005
Hitchock Mobile video research. Italia 2004
Walker 2003
Conferences
Publications
Problems and possibilities of social media in developing countries, Plan Helsinki 2007
Mobile Phone Video Camera in Social Context. HCI (2) 2007+ Book article + magazine article
How to design a near-to-eye display, Publisher, Advance 2004
Presentations
Mobile phones and freedom of speech, Press freedom, human rights and democracy. IMS Copenhaegen, Denmark 2008
Mobiles in socio-economical developement, M4D Conference. (Key note) Kampala, Uganda 2008
Nokia Research Center in Africa and Mobiles for developement, UN conference: Science with Africa. Addis Abeba, Ethiopia 2008
Nokia in Africa, ICT4D, University of London 2008
Children and Social Media, Citizen Journalism in developing world (Plan). Helsinki, Finland 2007
Patents
