Jutel is a Finnish success story that has grown from a small startup to an international player in the field of radio automation. The company’s story began in 1984, when two brothers Jorma and Reijo Kivelä and their business partner Timo Turunen founded the company to provide broadcasting systems for commercial radio stations in Finland. Today, Jutel is a modern software house and the world’s most experienced supplier of radio station automation and digital radio broadcast solutions with customers all over the world, including the Middle East and Africa.
Meeting was a catalyst
The long-standing customer relationship between Jutel and Nordea took on a new dimension Nordea’s relationship manager from Business Banking in Northern Finland met with Jutel’s team in February 2024. The main theme of the meeting was sustainability: The relationship manager presented Nordea’s approach to the green transition and explained how we support companies on this journey. The meeting served as a catalyst for Jutel’s sustainability efforts.
"Following guidance from Nordea, we accelerated our sustainability efforts,” says Jorma Kivelä who is Jutel’s Chief Technology Officer: “From the way Nordea talked about sustainability and their ambitions, it was clear to us how important this is for our future and for our customers.”
A holistic approach to sustainability
Jutel’s first sustainability report was completed in the autumn of 2024, just six months after the conversation with Nordea. The report demonstrates the company’s strong commitment to ESG principles.
As regards to environment, Jutel focuses on decreasing its carbon footprint by reducing travel, supporting remote work and using renewable electricity, among other things. In the area of social responsibility, the company prioritises employee well-being, equality and diversity, and maintains strict data protection and security practices. In terms of governance, Jutel ensures transparency through robust reporting practices and adheres to high standards of financial responsibility.
Concrete actions and plans for the future
Jutel has implemented several tools to support its sustainability efforts. The company has joined the SME Climate Hub, which supports SMEs in the transition to net-zero emissions. In addition, Jutel has utilised the online courses provided by Finland’s largest business confederation Suomen Yrittäjät to improve competence within the sustainability area.
“Even though we are a small company and sustainability reporting is not yet mandatory for us, we have wanted to promote sustainability and sustainability awareness, while becoming more educated ourselves,” says Jorma Kivelä and adds: “Sustainability thinking is embedded in all our core operations.”
In the future, Jutel is considering the introduction of the ISO 14001 environmental certificate alongside the current ISO 9001:2015 quality certificate. The company is also committed to the UN-backed Race to Zero campaign, which aims to halve greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
