Hanna Tiri brings to Magister practical insight into network functionalities and conceptual 3GPP expertise

First question: Who are you, and where do you come from?

My name is Hanna Tiri and I come from Haukipudas. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background and work history?

I’ve studied engineering mathematics and signal processing at the University of Oulu, in the degree programme of computer science and engineering. I graduated from there as a Master of Science in Information Engineering in 2007.

When working on my Master’s thesis in 2006, I also began working at Nokia, where I joined a research team that supports 3GPP standardization. After that I worked at Renesas and following its acquisition, at Broadcom, in research and engineering roles.

In 2015 I started at my most recent job, Nordic Semiconductor, as an R&D engineer. For 10 years, I worked there in the world of IoT (Internet of Things) devices. Nordic Semiconductor is a leading manufacturer of Bluetooth Low Energy SoCs but my work was related to Cellular IoT solutions.

My work at Nordic Semiconductor was more device-oriented than the preceding researcher roles, involving e.g. product development and algorithm design work. It gave me a good understanding of real-world limitations and problems of the devices and networks. However, my job also involved research work related to new concepts in the 3GPP IoT field, and following 3GPP standardization was part of the work.

What kind of expertise are you bringing to Magister?

Magister provides system simulations to its customers with strong research expertise. I can complement this with my own expertise from industry, and by giving insight into what kind of practical constraints different network functionalities create.

I’ve worked with link and system simulators for almost 20 years, which is also expertise I’m bringing with me to Magister.

I hope to also contribute my technical expertise, for example, in 3GPP-related matters. I have strong conceptual knowledge from the 3GPP domain.

What kind of work tasks and projects does your new role entail?

There’s a new project called NexaSphere about to start, aiming at future solutions for 6G, networks with AI solutions, and unified TN/NTN. My aim is to dive into the project from a technical perspective and take care of the deliverables and practical work Magister is providing for the project. I’ve already started networking with the project partners, and I’m currently gathering information to start the project at full speed.

Additionally, in the long term, the goal is to develop Magister’s link and system simulators and other tools for the needs of this project and other customer projects. I will also be working on 5G and 5G NTN/TN system simulator projects, in which I am able to contribute my own expertise and experience.

How have your first weeks at Magister been?

These weeks have been great, and I’ve had pleasantly busy days. From the very first days, I got to participate in interesting project meetings.

There seems to be a flexible approach to remote work and different life situations here in Magister. Since the first day, I’ve been working remotely. I was also welcomed to the company and onboarded completely remotely. 

From what I understand, this is a new situation for Magister as well, even though there are other remote workers at the moment. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to show how starting remote work can practically be done from the home office. It’s off to a good start.

Magister prioritizes employee wellbeing and onboarding

I get the feeling that at Magister, employee wellbeing and onboarding have been considered thoughtfully. I have seen an unprecedentedly great onboarding plan that covers not only practical matters but also the technical aspects needed for the job.

Even though I interact with my colleagues remotely, people have their cameras on, so it feels like I already know people through meetings. People and their faces are becoming familiar.

I’m feeling good about the start, although at first, I was a bit nervous about how I would integrate into the team while working remotely. It’s important to ask questions with a low threshold and be actively in contact with others.

What fascinates you the most about the field in which you work?

It’s easy to get immersed in all kinds of technical problems. They are just really interesting!

At the moment, I’m excited about satellite communications and what it will enable in the future. It’s interesting to see how satellite-based network solutions and related end user devices will become more and more visible in people’s everyday lives in the coming years.

What are you most looking forward to in your new role at Magister?

I’m excited to be able to look at my own professional field from a slightly different angle after many years in the IoT industry.

I’m also excited about the world of simulator development and research. It feels like returning to my roots again.

I’ve worked with simulators all the time, but now their development will become more of a main job for me again. I look forward to combining my research experience from my younger years with the expertise I’ve gained in the IoT industry in the past years, and how it will expand my expertise in interesting research topics I’ll be working on.

How do you like to spend your time outside of work?

I have three kids, a spouse and a dog. Managing family life with three teenagers takes up a lot of time. I enjoy spending time outdoors daily with my dog. I practice fitness boxing and different forms of sports in general.

I also like doing volunteer work in a parents’ association, where we focus on helping local families with children and lower incomes. This provides a good balance to my theoretical work.