Teemu Seppälä is Technology and Innovation Director of the City of Riihimäki, where he leads the Defence Innovation Network Finland (DEFINE) ecosystem. DEFINE brings together a dual-use accelerator, innovation hub, and RDI lab, supporting startups to scale into the defence and security markets. In its first year, 24 companies graduated from the accelerator, with exits, VC funding, and commercial contracts with defence forces and industry primes.

He is a founding partner of ODIN, director of Finland’s local node of the European Network of Defence Related Regions (ENDR), and collaborates actively with NATO DIANA accelerators, test centres, and other NATO initiatives. He also oversees the Robotics Campus, Smart City, circular economy, and new ecosystem development in Riihimäki.

With 25+ years of experience in science, technology, and investment, Seppälä has led innovation ecosystems across four continents and delivered results in over 40 countries. He has managed public investment funds backing more than 1,000 startup ideas, held multiple growth-company board roles, and worked with cities, incubators, universities, governments, IFIs, and investors worldwide. His expertise spans innovation policy, programme leadership, ecosystem building, fundraising, and technology transfer, with extensive knowledge of both public and private sector innovation systems.