Jari Valtonen, managing director of Idesco Oy, based in Oulu has been selected Engineer of the year by the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland. Headed by Valtonen, Idesco Oy develops remote identification solutions based on RFID technology that are used for access control, vehicle identification, payment systems and logistics among other applications. More than half of the company's products are exported, and it has subsidiaries in Sweden and the UK. Idesco employs 25 people in Oulu, and a total of 100 people through networks.

Jari Valtonen received his degree in machine automation engineering in the spring of 1990, but due to the early-90s recession, his first job was short-lived. While unemployed, he studied marketing and entrepreneurship through a labour market training programme. Following these studies, he, along with a few fellow Oulu-dwellers, developed the URA employment project, which secured an on-the-job training position for him at Idesco Oy. On-the-job training transformed into permanent employment, with Valtonen gradually rising all the way to the managing director's chair over time.
Nowadays, Valtonen also owns a significant stake in Idesco. Valtonen says he has always embraced new job assignments with enthusiasm. Working with capable and nice people, along with new challenges, has spurred him on in his career. "The best things about my job are versatility, the challenges and constantly learning new things", Valtonen says.
According to Pertti Porokari, chairman of the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland, Valtonen's selection for 2009 Engineer of the Year was unanimous. Engineer of the Year has been selected twice before. In 1999, engineer Juhani Ilmonen, heading the Lahti Motorway project, was selected, while in 2003, Nokia Inc. CEO, engineer Kari-Pekka Wilska was picked to win.