Mika Aaltonen

Mika Aaltonen (born 16 November 1965) is a Finnish futurologist and former footballer. His position was an attacking central midfielder. He also played for the Finnish national team. Aaltonen is a Ph.D. in economics, associate professor (Foresight and Complexity), founder of the Royal Society of Arts Helsinki Chapter, editorial board member of European Foresight Journal, and editorial board member of E:CO (Emergence: Complexity and Organisations journal).

Playing career
After being selected the key player of the Finnish league and the best player of the under 21 national team, Aaltonen signed, at the age of 21 years, a three years contract with Inter Milan. He played for Inter one friendly game: Inter Milan (All. Trapattoni – Zenga – Bergomi, Baresi, Ferri, Brehme – Berti, Aaltonen, Mattheus – Rummenigge, Serena, Diaz) vs Soviet Union.

During his career (1982–1994) he played in Finland, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, and Israel for Turun Palloseura, Inter Milan, Bellinzona, Bologna, Hertha BSC, Hapoel Be'er Sheva F.C. and Tampereen Pallo-Veikot. Aaltonen won 1 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze and 1 Cup in Finland; 1 bronze in Israeli league (Hapoel Beer Sheva) and 1 Second Bundesliga title (Hertha Berlin). He finished his career at a relatively young age because of a persistent ankle injury, and because of this, he ended up concentrating more on his studies. Aaltonen studied throughout his playing career, and after he retired from football, he earned a doctorate degree in economics.

Aaltonen is best remembered for a goal scored against Italian goalkeeper Walter Zenga in UEFA Cup in 1987 during a match between Turun Palloseura and Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium in Milan. This goal more or less earned him a transfer to Inter shortly afterwards.

Later career
Aaltonen has worked as a visiting researcher at the London School of Economics (UK), the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers (France) and the Gregorian University (Italy).

He is a co-founder of PORT 2.0 Ltd., a company pioneering the design and construction of new logistics facilities to meet the increasing challenges of sustainability, safety and efficiency in near shore and onshore logistics.

Aaltonen is the chairman of Sustainable Nation Group, a company focused in building up new analytic capabilities to climate change transformation.

He has written 16 books and over 100 articles about foresight, complex adaptive systems, decision-making and societal change.

Personal life
Aaltonen lives in Helsinki, but was born in Heideken, Turku, got married in Turku Cathedral, is an alumnus of the year at Turku School of Economics, and a hall of fame football player at FC Turku (TPS).

His son Anton Aaltonen is a professional footballer for FC Inter Turku.

Books

 * Organisational Complexity (2003) with Associate Professor Auli Keskinen & LSE Professor Eve Mitleton-Kelly, FFRC Publications.
 * Complexity as a Sensemaking Framework (2005) with Doctor Theodor Barth, SFI Professor John L. Casti, LSE Professor Eve Mitleton-Kelly & Director Irene T. Sanders, FFRC – publications.
 * Robustness – Anticipatory and Adaptive Human Systems (2010), Emergent Publications.
 * Mr & Mrs Future. Five Big Questions (2012) with Danish futurist Rolf Jensen, shortlisted for the best economic book by SEFE, Talentum.
 * The Renaissance Society (2013) with Danish futurist Rolf Jensen, McGrawHill.
 * Crossroads. Transformations on the road to 2040 (2015) with American analyst Michael Loescher, Aalto University.
 * The Third Lens. Multi-ontology Sense-making and Strategic Decision-making (2016), 2nd edition, Routledge.
 * Tomorrow's Society – Conditions for Well-being (2019), AlmaMedia.
 * Artificial Intelligence – Man and Machine (2020), AlmaMedia.
 * Education in the 2020s. Hope, and Where It Comes From (2021), Edukustannus.

Articles

 * Circular Cause, Time and Narrativity. International Journal of Management Concepts and Philosophy. Vol. 2, No. 3, 183–193, (2007).
 * Chronotope space – Managing the complex trade-offs between the properties of the strategic landscape and the time frame being considered. Foresight. Vol 9, No 4, 58–62, (2007), Emerald LiteratiNetwork 2008 Highly Commended Award.
 * Future's Education. A Multi-ontology Approach. In: Thinking About the Future. Strategic Anticipation and RAHS. Singapore National Security Coordination Secretariat, 31–40, (2008).
 * Evaluation and Organization of Futures Research Methodology – Version 3.0. Futures Research Methodology – Version 3.0, The Millennium Project Publication (2009).
 * Emergence and Design in Foresight Methods, European Foresight Platform Brief No. 180 (2010).
 * Knowledge, Time-space Contexts and Management, Philosophy of Management. Vol. 10, No 3, 79-85, (2011).
 * Arctic Storm. Transformation in Transportation and the Emergence of Finland in the World Stage (2013), with American analyst Michael Loescher, Lapland Publication.
 * A Manifesto for a Sustainable Planet (2015), with Shell scenario planner Ian Dunlop & UN Policy Planning Chief Tapio Kanninen, foreword by president Tarja Halonen, Helsinki Sustainability Center Publications.
 * The Future of Facilitation. Leadership, Influence and Impact in Disruptive Times, with awarded facilitator Paolo Martinez, IAF Publication (2021).
 * Brave New World. Transformations in Transport,and the Consequences They Entail, Finest Bay Area Development/Smart City Innovation Cluster Publication (2023).