Exploring nanotechnology: a TET student’s week at Canatu
This week, 14-year-old student Kaius Teräsvirta from Nöykkiö High School had the opportunity to step into the nanoscale as part of his TET program. TET, short for Työelämään tutustuminen, gives students a unique opportunity to explore the working life. During this program, students spend time at real workplaces, experiencing what different jobs are really like. It’s a chance to learn practical skills, meet professionals, and see how daily work routines function. TET helps students explore career possibilities, develop responsibility, and get a head start on understanding the working world—all while having a hands-on, eye-opening experience.
In his interview, Kaius told us a bit about himself and about his experience at Canatu during this week.
“During this week I’ve got to know the ins and outs of the Canatu CNT technology and saw first-hand the immense amount of effort and skill that is put into it.”
Kaius Teräsvirta, Nöykkiö High School student
Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Hi, I am Kaius and my friends know me as “kake!”. I am from Espoo, and I am interested in aviation, physics, chemistry, and geography. I’m 14 years old and I am also a part of my local volunteer fire department’s cadet program.
What did you get to do during your week at Canatu?
During my rather exiting week I got to follow brilliant people do their job all the way from lab technicians to patent managers. I was allowed to help a lot and I learned tons from my week in chemistry, physics and patent law!
What was the most exciting thing you learned?
Probably the most exiting thing I’ve learned was how CNT can be manipulated in so many different ways and how it is so fragile yet so strong at the same time! During my multiple tours around the factory, I got to see the reactors up close, and it was really exiting to see all the different engineering principles in action!
Was there a person or moment that inspired you the most?
The two most inspiring people during my week were probably Linnea Mäkelä, who I was with in the laboratory following her experiments and assisting her there, and Erkki Savilampi, who was managing patents upstairs. Linnea was an amazing and insightful person who taught me a lot, and we had tons of good conversations regarding working at Canatu and studying in general. Erkki was a kind and cool-headed person who taught me a lot about patents and how they are applied for and managed.
How has this experience changed how you think about technology or your future?
During this week I’ve got to know the ins and outs of the Canatu CNT technology and saw first-hand the immense amount of effort and skill that is put into it. I’ve learned a lot regarding how nanotechnology can be used in the future which has led me to believe that carbon nanotubes are going to be a strong part of the future!
Anything else you’d like to share?
During my time at Canatu everybody here has been very kind and nice to me, helping when I had questions and allowing me to follow what they do! They have shared me their knowledge and allowed me to help them with some of the stuff they do! I am very glad I could spend my week here and I don’t think that there would be another place that I would have wanted to go after this!
