Things learned in studies put to good use at summer job at Ioncor

Business logistics student Katariina Mäkinen completed her internship at Ioncor in Salo. Diving into work in her own field gave her the opportunity to make use of the lessons she had learnt during her studies.

Business logistics was not the first thing that came to Katariina Mäkinen’s mind when she was considering which field to pursue. At first she planned to study history, but her mother was able to recommend business logistics to her.

− I had worked at Hesburger for a long time and had already learned the business mindset there. My mother pointed out that I have the kind of thinking and expertise needed in business logistics on my own, and that this foundation could be strengthened with studies in the field, says Mäkinen.

Encouraged by this, Mäkinen went on to study business logistics at Turku University of Applied Sciences, first through path studies and then as a degree student.

− I have felt that the field is my own. I didn’t think this would become my passion, but it feels like it just happened, she says.

Mäkinen is particularly interested in LEAN-thinking and continuous improvement.

− By nature, I am a person who can easily find things to improve and think about how to do things better. I can look at things from the outside and question ways of doing things, rather than just settling for the old ways, she says.

Business logistics is a Bachelor of Business Administration degree. Business logistics studies give you a broad-based knowledge of the position of business administration and related logistics in society and working life. The main areas of logistics are procurement, transport and warehousing, and the coordination and management of these activities.

A rewarding summer internship

Mäkinen is currently in her third year of studies. During the summer, she completed a four-month work placement at battery manufacturer Ioncor Oy in Salo. Ioncor separated from Valmet Automotive in 2024.

− I come from Salo and I was familiar with the company beforehand through Valmet. I’m particularly interested in the automotive industry, electric cars and the green transition, so working at Ioncor seemed like the right fit, says Mäkinen.

Mäkinen worked as a summer worker doing freight forwarding and customs clearance. Her work included preparing various transport documents and keeping customs records.

− For example, I took care of the documentation for the transport of dangerous goods and did customs clearance. Little by little, I got to know a little bit of everything, Mäkinen says.

According to Mäkinen, the four-month traineeship gave her good experience of both her own team’s work and what other internal stakeholders do.

− It has been interesting to get an overview of how everything works and at the same time get to know a lot of people.

A thesis on the Trump administration’s incoming administration

Mäkinen was able to put her business logistics studies to practical use in her work. The traineeship showed that the studies are useful in practical working life.

− I have been able to directly benefit from the lessons I have learned from my studies, for example, in terms of transport and warehousing, supply chains and cooperation with customs authorities, she says.

Mäkinen will graduate soon. She wrote her thesis on a particularly topical and interesting topic: the tariffs of the Trump administration. The thesis discusses the effects of tariffs and what kind of survival opportunities Finnish export companies have if President Donald Trump’s administration were to impose import duties on products from the European Union.