LUOMUS

Finnish Museum of Natural History

Biodiversity Informatics Unit

Digitizing collections is essential part of Unit's work. (Picture: Salla Mehtälä)Biodiversity Informatics Unit manages and provides ICT services for data management and digitisation of natural history collections. Besides supporting researchers at Luomus the Unit also provides services for a broad group of stakehoulders through the Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility. Co-operation is carried out with all natural history museums in Finland, and with national institutions and authorities handling species information. Unit also develops services for naturalists and for monitoring surveys. The Unit participates in the activities of international biodiversity informatics networks.

Contact information of the Unit.

Biodiversity Informatics Unit consists of three teams: Species Information Team, ICT Team ja Digitisation Team.

Species Information Team

Species Information Team is responsible for stakeholder relations of Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (FinBIF), acts as a link between FinBIF and other units and teams within Luomus, designs services needed for management of species information and takes care of species information and its quality in FinBIF. The Team also ensures congruence of data within FinBIF, improves the accessibility of the data with ICT Team, assists ICT Team in data managing of FinBIF, maintains and publishes the annual checklist of Finnish species, acts as a helpdesk for FinBIF and is responsible of communications of the FinBIF in co-operation with University services.

Team leader
von Bonsdorff, Tea — Team Manager, Planning Officer (also in Botany Unit)

  • Heikkinen, Mikko —  IT Specialist
  • Kuusijärvi, Anniina —  IT Designer
  • Laiho, Eija-Leena —  IT Designer
  • Morris, Will —  IT Specialist
  • Turunen, Alpo — GIS Specialist
ICT Team

ICT Team is responsible for the development and maintenance of the information systems of Luomus and FinBIF, maintains tools for managing taxonomical nomenclature, promotes accessibility and usability of biodiversity information and is responsible for the quickest possible transfer of the data resulting from the digitization of the collections to the FinBIF portal in cooperation with the digitization team. The Team also participates in national and international network cooperation in their field, is responsible for the technical development and maintenance of websites of Luomus in collaboration with University services, and is repsonsible for liaising with the University's IT center. The ICT team also maintains IT equipment used in the attractions of Luomus. The ICT Team consists of software professionals.

Team leader
Piirainen, Esko  IT Manager
Raitio, Olli —  IT Specialist, Acting IT Manager

  • Joro, Pedro —  IT Specialist
  • Lintulaakso, Kari — Coordinator (also in Natural Sciences Unit)
  • Lumme, Markus — IT Designer
  • Mäkinen, Pyry —  IT Specialist
  • Pulkka, Robert — IT Designer
  • Rannisto, Meeri —  IT Specialist
  • Wu, Zhengzhe —  IT Specialist (also in Digitisation Team)
Digitisation Team

Digitisation Team is responsible for digitizing the scientific collections of Luomus, does the digitisation work in collaboration with teams responsible for collections, and supports the ICT team in transfering the data resulting from the digitisation to be shared in FinBIF portal. The team also ensures the efficient and appropriate utilization of digitisation resources, with the aim of moving as rapidly as possible towards the digitisation of all collections, follows international development of their field and participates in national and international digitisation initiatives. Many members of the Digitisation Team also work in some other team in the Zoology or Botany Unit.

Team leader
Koivunen, Anne Digitisation Manager

  • Günther, Mariina — Museum Technician
  • Haapala, Jaana —  Senior Museum Technician (also in Botany Unit)
  • Kahanpää, Jere —  Digitisation Coordinator (also in Zoology Unit)
  • Koistinen, Marja —  Senior Museum Technician (also in Botany Unit)
  • Laaka-Lindberg, Sanna —  koordinaattori (also in Botany Unit)
  • Laine, Sanna —  Senior Museum Technician
  • Lommi, Sampsa —  Senior Museum Technician (also in Botany Unit)
  • Mikkonen, Marko —  Museum Technician
  • Paukkunen, Juho —  Senior Museum Technician (also in Zoology Unit)
  • Piirainen, Pirkko —  Senior Museum Technician
  • Salo, Pertti —  Senior Museum Technician (also in Botany Unit)
  • Söderholm, Max — Museum Technician
  • Velmala, Saara —  Senior Museum Technician (also in Botany Unit)
  • Wu, Zhengzhe — IT Specialist (also in ICT Team)
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Contact information

  • Address:
    • Pohjoinen Rautatiekatu 13, 00100 Helsinki
  • Postal Address:
    • P.O. Box 17, FI-00014 University of Helsinki
  • Staff (University phone directory)
  • E-mails: firstname.lastname@helsinki.fi
  • Feedback considering Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility: helpdesk@laji.fi 
Person in charge of the page: 
Eija-Leena Laiho
26.3.2024