Blog
Shaping the future of MEMS: Meet our new CEO, Panu Koppinen
28.10.2026
Panu Koppinen is taking the helm as the new CEO of Kyocera Technologies, bringing a clear and ambitious vision for the company’s future. As announced in the recent leadership update, Panu steps into the role with great enthusiasm and feels honored to lead the organization forward.
Growing alongside the company
Panu’s journey with the company traces back to its very beginning. As one of the first employees at the original startup, Tikitin, he combined a strong deep-tech background with a project management mindset and international work experience. Over the years, Panu has grown alongside the organization, steadily advancing from a Program Manager to various Director roles, and most recently serving as Vice President and Chief Product and Technology Officer. Throughout this journey, former CEO Tapio Sulkava recognized his potential early on, consistently trusting Panu with increasing responsibilities and giving him the space and support to develop his leadership skills. This long-standing trust and the gradual expansion of his role have naturally paved the way for his transition into the CEO position.
Transforming deep tech into business growth
Panu envisions Kyocera Technologies continuing to grow as a strong technology and product development community that brings next-generation MEMS solutions to the market. With a doctorate in physics and extensive experience leading both R&D and product programs, he sees his role as a fusion of developing technology, people, and business.
“I see myself as a CEO who combines three key areas: technology development stemming from my technical background, the development of our people and organization, and business development,” Panu explains.
His primary focus is on transforming the team’s deep technological expertise into highly competitive, profitable products that drive business growth, while also actively exploring new business opportunities for the company’s technology platform.
A flatter, more agile organization
While the company will continue to follow its strategic roadmap, Panu is introducing operational changes to make the organization flatter and more agile. The most significant shift is bringing the R&D and technical teams closer to the CEO.
Panu aims to lead with clear goals and a firm direction, while ensuring teams have the freedom and responsibility to execute their work. He wants to foster an environment of continuous open dialogue where employees feel the CEO is accessible, ultimately promoting stronger personal ownership over projects.
“For me, it is vital to foster a culture where curiosity, openness, and thorough engineering are valued,” Panu highlights. “Bringing our engineering teams closer to leadership and keeping communication direct gives our experts true ownership of their work, while ensuring we remain agile and quick to adapt.”
A thriving work culture is a top priority for the new CEO. Panu believes that work should be enjoyable and is dedicated to helping the company’s experts develop and advance on their career paths. Additionally, Panu plans to take an even more active role in strengthening ties with the Japanese parent company, clients, and partners. Recognizing that language is a window into culture, he is studying Japanese alongside his work to deepen his understanding of his Japanese colleagues’ perspectives and further improve cross-border communication.
Setting the ambition high
For partners and clients, Panu emphasizes that the immediate priority is to successfully deliver on current product programs and fulfill all customer promises. However, his long-term ambition for the team remains remarkably high. The ultimate goal is clear: to develop and release the world’s best MEMS-based timing and frequency control products, and to build a successful future upon that foundation.