In Memoriam
Professor Niilo Saranummi
Niilo Saranummi was a distinguished engineer and remarkable scientist who left a deep impact in the field of biomedical engineering and health informatics worldwide: in his home country, Finland, in Europe as one of the founders of the European Alliance for Medical and Biological Engineering and Sciences (EAMBES), globally as the President of International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering (IFMBE) and later also the President of the International Union for Physical and Engineering Sciences in Medicine (IUPESM), as well as a leader, editor and active member within the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (IEEE EMBS) and HL7.
Niilo was a member of several scientific and professional academies, IAMBE, AIMBE, IEEE, EAMBES, HL7 and FACTE. For his contributions to biomedical engineering research and his achievements, Niilo was awarded the Otto Schmitt Award. His research interests include personal health systems and eHealth, and innovation, technology transfer and technology policy setting in health technologies. He was committed to the introduction of a complete digital healthcare firstly in his homeland and then to use the experience as an example for others. In the months to follow, members of the biomedical engineering community will commemorate Niilo and refresh memories of common moments, endeavors, achievements, pleasant experiences.
Besides of being a great scientist, educator and organizer, a worker and visionary with humility, Niilo was a supporter, adviser and friend to generations of biomedical engineers. The biomedical engineering community will keep Niilo in eternal memory.