What people said about

University of Colorado Boulder
 

A must read for anyone building or working with innovation ecosystems. Petra does a fantastic job outlining and guiding how to leverage and navigate the many public and private institutions. Philip Makotyn, Executive Director, CUbit Quantum Initiative at University of Colorado Boulder

Harvard Law School
 

Highly recommend this book for anyone in academia who is interested in understanding the implications and applications of technological and economic innovation. 

Katri Nousiainen, Lawyer and Professional in Legal Education, Fellow PON, Harvard Law School 

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
 

In Government and Innovation, Petra Söderling delivers a powerful economic development framework and case studies for innovation and development initiatives. She speaks directly to a government audience and provides examples of how governments can leverage industry and capital markets for national and regional innovation goals. She also challenges the argument that “the government shouldn’t pick winners and losers.” As we saw with the MRNA COVID-19 vaccine in the United States, certain national and economic security challenges demand rapid innovation and for the government to pick a basket of winners. Söderling shows how this can be done while also supporting and maintaining overall market competition. This is recommended reading for any government official looking for a framework on how to think about innovation and industry collaboration.

Laura Thomas, Chief of Staff and Strategic Initiatives at Infleqtion, former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) case officer and Chief of Base

Google, Inc.
 

Impressively researched and written in a conversational style, Petra Söderling makes the case in Government and Innovation that government policies can act as a catalyst for technological and economic innovation that can yield substantial long term benefits to a country’s growth, prosperity and social wellbeing. With examples and case studies from the United States and countries around the world, Soderling demonstrates that the government and private sectors can partner together to create new strategies for the 21st century through a combination of government investments and business supportive policies in areas such as research and development, interest rates, taxation, trade agreements, immigration, education, and infrastructure projects. This must-read book offers a compelling perspective on the role of government in fostering innovation and offers insights for policymakers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs alike.

Bert G. Kaminski - Director, Legal, Google

Apple, Tesla

Petra Söderling details the history and background on governments role in innovation and more importantly lays out the “how” it’s done in Government and Innovation. The tools and the examples written about in Government and Innovation are a roadmap for navigating these often political and bureaucratic environments with a primary goal of getting things done. I had the pleasure to see this work first hand with Petra at Tesla and with a stealth startup. Petra worked seamlessly across multiple engineering and supply chain teams and distilled highly technical specifications into actionable needs and sourced appropriate partners to develop and innovate. Petra’s call to action to do more is welcomed and will be a catalyst for more collaboration in the future. 

Michael Pilliod, President, Central Tension, former Director at Apple, Tesla 

 Maxar Technologies

… a thought provoking and brilliantly organized piece for anyone working at, or just interested in, the intersection of government and commercial innovation. 

Joe Walsh, Global Business Development, Public Sector, Maxar Technologies

Merrill (Lynch)

Public private partnership is critical to the advancement of innovation and adoption of new technology. Petra has done a superb job as always addressing the subject and making a compelling argument. I highly recommend reading.

Katy Reynolds, CEO of Shibusa Systems, former Managing Director at Merrill Lynch

Amazon customers

Compelling Global Perspective on Innovation - With a Human Touch: Petra Soderling, in her book Government and Innovation, is able to weave the story of the intersection of technology and government strategies and paradigms, with the stories of individuals. Petra recognizes how interconnected these concepts and players are and does a fantastic job in writing about the economic developer's approach to our future.

We need books like this! This book supports what so many in government and business need as a string foundation for the future! The interplay between Innovation and Government Helps to create optimism for the future. A must read! Vivian Norris

Actionable insights for economic developers who care about the innovation economy: Petra's insightful analysis helps economic developers interested in building the technology future. Includes take-aways for governments at various levels to empower decision making and create leverage. Also, commentary on how to protect tax payer funds and ensure they are being utilized for the highest good. Baker

Economic development from an optimist’s view: Overall, this is a good read to understand economic development if you think government plays a big role and taxes are essential for innovation. I like the 3 key takeaways at the end of each chapter, and the length of the chapters is also not that long. I also like how Petra has included the tools to drive innovation and government, such as trade agreements, immigration, education, and infrastructure. I wish Petra had discussed the role of infrastructure more in the book. She mentions the Finnish nuclear reactors and the Japanese nuclear accident but fails to describe the cost overruns of Boston’s big dig project or the Vogtle nuclear plant in Georgia.

It is clear that Petra comes from government experience and favors public investments via taxes instead of private investments. But it is a tough model for countries like the US where we feel we are already taxed a lot with little to show for those high taxes – public transportation meets the needs of most people in some cities like Washington DC or New York City and is non-existent in other major cities like Minneapolis-St Paul during off-peak hours. And I don’t think Petra does enough justice to the dialogue about safety in US public transportation. I have experienced firsthand public transportation in India, Denmark, France, and the US.

There are stories in this book that drives home the point about universality and chaos theory that will stick with you. For example, Petra discusses the story of East German student Hendrick Schubert and how he cannot pinpoint whether ecology defines order or chaos.

The book has 3 sections. In the first section, Petra lays the groundwork for the tools of “prosperity enablers” - trade agreements, immigration, and education, to mention a few. In the second section, Petra discusses examples of countries where these tools were deployed successfully, like Brazil, Canada, Finland, Italy, and South Korea. The Finnish education system and its emphasis on early childhood education and daycare are mentioned. I don’t mind that our taxes in the US go towards early childhood education, but I do mind if private colleges take money from middle-class parents like myself and talk about making college “affordable” for all. And in the final section, Petra has a “call to action” in climate change, democracy, and health care.

Like any good book, the reader must take what they like and leave the rest. Petra Soderling’s “Government And Innovation” strength is the optimism and belief in our government and public investments that drive innovation. If you are in an economic development role or aspire to be, there is a lot one can learn from Petra’s experience. K V NAGARAJARAO

Amazon.com, Inc. 

"I have had the privilege of working with many exceptional individuals. Petra was the point of contact for a joint effort with Business Finland. I was impressed by her ability to move fast, solve complex problems, and bring things to a satisfactory conclusion. She can dive deep into specifics and connect them to broader trends. She was a very effective partner. I wish her the best in her career.”

Dr Babak Parviz

Vice President, Amazon

Tesla, Inc.

"At Tesla and with a stealth startup, I had the pleasure to work with Petra on technology scale up and engineering development programs. Petra worked seamlessly across multiple Tesla engineering teams (materials engineering, Autopilot, Camera / Optics) and supply chain members which was quite a feat given the pace, technical requirements, diverse working styles and scale. Petra was able to distill highly technical specifications into actionable needs and sourced appropriate / relevant Finland based companies to collaborate and set up co-development. The ability to learn, stay up to date with the state of the art and communicate sets Petra apart from many talented individuals I've worked with over the years.

In an entrepreneurial concept, Petra mentored me with a start up and helped navigate the engagement with Business Finland. Petra was inclusive and set up a working rhythm and connections with her network that nurtured the concept. Petra approached every aspect with a fantastic blend of friendly and professional working style.

It's my pleasure to recommend Petra as a great addition to a team and specifically where technical concepts need to be scaled and collaboration is required for success."

Mike Pilliod, Director, Tesla Glass

Google, Inc.

"I met Petra through a mentorship program for women in Quantum Computing and I was immediately blown away by her industry experience with Nokia as well as her current role with the Finnish government advising funding for next generation technologies. Her experience makes her uniquely positioned to weigh in on the importance of both government and private sector research towards realizing quantum technologies and she has such passion for the field. She was very eager to learn about the current state of the technology in industry during our sessions and was always asking the right (and difficult) questions about the future of the technology. Petra understands and retains complex technical details and is adept at relaying them in a manner that can be understood by both experts and new learners."

Sabrina Hong, Senior Quantum Hardware Engineer, Google

United States Department of Defense

Petra is one of the most dedicated professionals I know. She always went above and beyond for the team. She came up with groundbreaking ways to seek out business opportunities and worked collaboratively with the team to generate successful outcomes.

Petra’s expertise in digital technology, quantum computing, 5G and space technology helped drive business in all of these areas.

I would without reservation work with Petra again and recommend her to any job. I truly believe she would be a great asset to any organization. 

Megan Williams, Senior Energy and Sustainability Analyst, United States Department of Defense

Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

"I got to know Petra in our joint Colorado-Finland collaboration project on high technologies including quantum, high performance computing, aerospace and green technologies. Her broad knowledge on all of these complex deep technologies helped us made this project a concrete offering for the Colorado businesses and academia. Myself and my team have been very grateful for her ongoing support and proactive drive that resulted one of the most ambitious international collaboration projects we've undertaken at the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. I would work with her again any day."

Conner Murphy, Senior Manager, Diplomacy, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade  

Minnesota Trade Office, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

"Petra is an exceptional talent. She combines deep experience serving with Business Finland, first-hand business experience of her own and impressive industry expertise to offer her clients the highest quality service. In the past several years of enhanced collaboration between Finland and Minnesota, Petra has been a dedicated, smart and thorough partner to our efforts to build on an already strong foundation. I and Minnesota are lucky to have her support in these efforts."

Stephen Riedel, Regional Trade Manager, Minnesota Trade Office, Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development

Maxar Technologies, Inc.

"I've known Petra for about two years now from our shared interest in how satellite based, Earth observation can help governments both defend against malicious actors, respond to disasters and threats, and improve performance across a variety of functions and sectors. As Senior Advisor to the Finnish government she has been instrumental in helping Maxar navigate the public-private partnerships in the Nordics. She's not only found the right contacts, but gone above and beyond to make the right arguments for our case. She is an adept facilitator, result driven, has a keen eye for identifying and mapping key technologies to forward looking strategic objectives across the public and private sector. I can wholeheartedly recommend Petra for roles that require translating vision into action, business development skills, deep technical understanding, and perseverance."

Joe Walsh, International Business Development Manager, Government and National Security at Maxar Technologies

Nokia Oyj

"Petra is one of the most innovative leader I have ever met. She is passionate in succeeding in her work and meeting agreed targets. It was a please to have her in my team and I can recommend her to any leadership role."

Kalle Toivonen, Vice President, S60 SW Core Systems, Nokia

Embassy of the Republic of Finland in Washington DC

"It has been a pleasure to work with Petra in her role at Business Finland's Senior Advisor in USA. During my time in the Embassy of Finland to the US, we worked together in many ways from trade delegations and events to strategic planning, in order to advance relations between Finland and the United States. Her background in technology enabled her to contribute to many of our joint projects in a way that added unique value to our diplomatic as well as business counterparts all across America. She has been a major contributor to the embassy's work in 5G, quantum, space, and other technologies that are critical in the Finnish-American collaboration.
Petra is extremely skilled at project management. Her approach and experience brings clarity and focus, ultimately leading to better results. She has been one of the most results-oriented and positive colleagues I’ve had the pleasure to work with. I would gladly recommend Petra as a highly talented and dedicated colleague. She has contributed in a valuable way to a stronger commercial and innovation partnership between Finland and the US."

Heli Hyypia, Climate, Green Transition, Arctic, Embassy of the Republic of Finland in Washington DC

VTT Technical Research Centre, Ltd

"Petra worked on a lead generation assignment for VTT's Quantum Team in Spring and Summer of 2024. Her ability to grasp complex scientific and technical details, coupled with methodological strategy and sales drive made her an good choice for this role. I would recommend Petra to any technical product sales role, and look forward to working with her again." 

Erja Turunen

Executive vice president