SUOMI 100 Interview with Mr. Heikki Kyöstilä, Founder and President of Planmeca Group
Planmeca Group is proud of Finland's technological expertise and know-how. Planmeca Group has stayed on the cutting edge of health care technology for more than 45 years. The company was founded in Finland in 1971 by Heikki Kyöstilä, who remains the President and owner of the company. According to Kyöstilä, the road to success is paved with continuous innovation and learning – these are the drivers of the industry and the factors behind the success of his company.
Copyright: Sanna Tolmunen/Planmeca
Finland as an exceptional breeding ground for high technology innovations: “Planmeca Group is an international company but we are very proud of our Finnish roots, which are still growing strong. We have always had a firm belief in Finnish expertise, and our headquarters as well as most of our production remain in Helsinki. Finland is celebrating 100 years of independence this year, so it is a big year for us.
High quality education, investment in research, and collaboration between industry players are the keys to technological progress. In Finland we have a diverse ecosystem of established organisations and big companies as well as small start-ups working together to create new ideas, which have the power to change the world. As an official partner of the Finland 100 centenary year we are proud to spread the message of Finland’s strong technology know-how and expertise all over the world.
Planmeca is also a member of Healthtech Finland, an organisation which aims to grow and support the Finnish health technology sector together with member companies. Finland is a pioneer in high technology, and that is what we want the country to be in the future as well. We must keep strengthening the Finnish ecosystem of technological expertise and Healthtech Finland is a great example of this work.”
Copyright: Sanna Tolmunen/Planmeca
Innovations aimed at providing the best possible health care: “We have launched great new products this year. Our new small and lightweight intraoral scanner is a great example of these. We have been getting wonderful reviews for. Also our new X-ray unit is a cause for excitement. It’s raising the bar for all CBCT imaging units. Our new algorithm for patient movement correction is another ground-breaking innovation. Movement during an X-ray causes blurry images, but this algorithm corrects that movement, which means fewer retakes. It’s especially useful with lively patients like children. This is an innovation that improves both workflow and patient care.
In the future dentistry and health care will be completely digital. This transformation increases the demand for education and training for dental and health care professionals. This is why we are constantly strengthening our product training concepts around the world. On the academia side, our joint venture with the University of Turku – Nordic Institute of Dental Education – offers high-quality continuing education courses for international dental professionals.
Copyright: Sanna Tolmunen/Planmeca
Ultimately our goal is to always help dental, health care and veterinary professionals to give their patients the best possible care.”In the medical field Planmed – part of Planmeca Group – is representing our group with its unique imaging solutions. Our extremity scanner for orthopaedic imaging for example enables weight-bearing imaging, which means the imaging can be done with the patient standing. This kind of exam is very useful in many foot and ankle conditions for example. Our award-winning digital breast tomosynthesis and mammography systems help health care professionals fight breast cancer. We also offer solutions for veterinary professionals.
Planmeca as a Suomi Finland 100 partner: “Last spring we teamed up with the Serbian dental supply company Plast-DENT to organise a seminar on digital solutions in dentistry in conjunction with the centenary year. The event was hosted by the Embassy of Finland in Belgrade and it was a great success. The event coincided with the Belgrade Dance Festival, where the Finnish dance group Tero Saarinen Company delivered their contemporary dance performance supported by Planmeca. It was the first time a Finnish dance artist participated in this Belgradian event, which was another wonderful contribution to the Finnish centennial.
Planmeca on the Serbian market: As important as our Finnish roots are to us, we are a global company through and through with products distributed in over 120 countries. Europe continues to be an important market area for us, and East-Central Europe is definitely a growing market. We are very excited to be in the Serbian market. Things are moving fast in the area, and I am happy to say that many of the leading universities and clinics in Serbia are our customers already. For example, I was very glad that the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Nis recently chose Planmeca Compact i Touch dental units for their renewed clinic. But of course there is still a lot of room for us to grow, and we’ll keep listening to the Serbian dental and medical community to learn more about the market and gain an even deeper understanding of the industry in this area.”
The future of the industry and Planmeca Group in a fast-changing world: “I have said this before and I will say it again, we are living in an exciting era. We believe that 3D technology is going to transform the field of dental and health care. Software is now the heart of progress. Devices must have extraordinary usability and seamless integration with software. Future will not only be digital but also mobile. We must keep investing heavily in R&D. Long-lasting customer and partner relationships have always been important for us, and they will be in the future as well.”
Planmeca Group
- Products distributed in over 120 countries
- Turnover in 2016 MEUR 730
- Employs 2,700 people worldwide
- Headquartered in Helsinki, Finland, where Planmeca dental units, X-rays as well as mammography and software solutions are also designed and manufactured
- 98% of products are exported around the world
- Consists of Planmeca Oy, Planmed Oy, Plandent Division, LM-Instruments Oy, E4D Technologies, Nordic Institute of Dental Education
Heikki Kyöstilä, President and founder
Planmeca Group
1971: Founder of Planmeca Group
1999: Member of the Finnish Foundation for Entrepreneurs
2005: Honorary title ‘Teollisuusneuvos’ (Industry Advisor) granted by the President of Finland
2010: National Defence Medal, with swords
2011: Helsinki Golden Medal
2012: Honorary Consul of Jamaica in Finland
2017: Honorary Doctor of Medicine, University of Oulu, Finland