Maria Rohnonen

Maria Rohnonen

Development Manager | Sustainable Energy & Big Data Analytics | IEEE STEM Champion 2025 🌱
Espoo, Uusimaa, Finland

About

I'm a sustainability-driven professional with hands-on experience in clean energy and green technology, driving change towards a better future. I'm currently deepening my knowledge in AI and ML, studying the subject and putting it into practice across several connected projects. These include a data analytics practice at the Mayor's Office in the City of Espoo, Finland, helping the city gain insights from data for smarter urban modernisation, and a project modernising district heating forecasts for a 350 MW waste heat system using machine learning and automated data pipelines.

I also co-established AurinkoLab, a non-commercial initiative where 7–21-year-olds explore sustainable development hands-on by building DIY solar-powered electric transport. Making AI accessible matters to me: I volunteer teaching AI literacy for women (organised with Aalto Design Factory) and co-organised an AI & robotics course for deaf children, supported by IEEE.

Happy to share my thoughts about:
- AI & data analytics in business and public services
- Sustainable energy and clean technology
- Climate action and decarbonisation across energy, transport, and construction
- Sustainability transitions and systemic change
- Post-growth and a regenerative future

Research & Publications

Probabilistic Forecasting of Cogenerated District Heating in Finland Under Structural Fleet Transition: A Temporal Fusion Transformer Approach

Finland's combined heat-and-power (CHP) fleet contracted by approximately 65% between 2018 and 2024 in response to the European energy transition, producing strongly non-stationary district heating cogeneration. This paper presents a probabilistic 24-hour forecast of national CHP-based district heating production using a Temporal Fusion Transformer (TFT) trained on nine years (2016-2024) of hourly Fingrid data, augmented with weather, ENTSO-E electricity prices, and calendar covariates. The work contributes a reproducible probabilistic forecasting pipeline for CHP-coupled district heating systems undergoing structural change, and surfaces the regime-shift challenge as a first-class problem for energy-system forecasting.

[View on Zenodo]

Projects & Volunteering

Instructor & Co-Organizer

AI: From Philosophy to Tools and Methods (Course for Women)

Aalto Design Factory

Volunteered to teach AI literacy and practical applications, helping to make artificial intelligence accessible and empowering for women in technology through both conceptual foundations and hands-on tools.

Co-Founder & Education Program Lead

AurinkoLab

Dec 2023 - Present · Southern Finland & Beyond

Breaking down barriers with inclusive STEM programs:

Mentor

Suomen Oppisopimusosaajat ry

Feb 2025 - Present

Sharing knowledge and guidance with those on their entrepreneurial journey, focusing on productization, funding, team management, e-commerce, and strategic planning.

Experience

Data Analyst (Intern/Project)

City of Espoo (Espoon kaupunki - Esbo stad)

Feb 2026 - Present · Espoo, Finland

AI & ML project within the Digital Services & Data Management team.

Software Developer

Hyperion Robotics

Jun 2022 - Nov 2023 · Espoo, Finland

R&D at the intersection of robotics, automation, and sustainable construction, researching rules, limitations, and new solutions for 3D printing of polymer concrete using industrial robotic systems.

Co-Founder & Technical Programs Manager

Siltatel OY

Jul 2019 - Nov 2021 · Helsinki Metropolitan Area

Built and led technical and commercial programmes from the ground up. Responsible for product development, partnerships, and business operations across the Helsinki Metropolitan Area.

Global Accounts & Carrier Relations Director / IT Systems Integration Lead

Virgin Group (Virgin Media)

Jul 2013 - Dec 2019

Led digital transformation, IT systems integration, and carrier relations for global telecom accounts. Directed business-critical projects across customer experience, billing, and receivables management. Honored with the "Virgin Stars 2019" award (selected as 1 of 100 out of 70,000 global employees), recognized by Sir Richard Branson for outstanding contributions.

Education & Certifications