Building a Repair Ecosystem - An interview with Tuula Löytty from Smart & Lean Hub Oy

Credit: Private archive

Can you tell us about yourself and what you do, your background?

I hold a degree in industrial engineering and management from Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology. Over my career, I’ve spent 18 years in the private sector in industries such as dairy, sugar, and metal, followed by another 18 years in higher education, focusing on research, development, and innovation.

I run Smart & Lean Hub Oy, where we help organizations work better by using digital tools and simple ways to improve their everyday activities. My approach looks at the big picture and often brings people together to test new ideas in real-life settings. I like being the link between technology creators and the people who use the tools. I’ve been doing this since the 1980s, when I first started working with digital solutions.

Why is Circ@Home important to the City of Lahti and to Smart & Lean Hub Oy?

For the city of Lahti, this project directly supports its ambitious climate and circular economy goals. The city is working towards carbon neutrality and nature-positive outcomes, and the project provides practical ways to achieve these goals. By focusing on household behaviour and new circular services, the project helps to reduce resource use and emissions, while establishing everyday practices that will drive the transition to a circular economy.

For Smart & Lean Hub Oy, the project provides an opportunity to address a significant development challenge. As an official partner, we will design, implement and evaluate local interventions with the support of the City of Lahti. Our shared aim is to turn the results of these pilots into sustainable, repeatable solutions that will benefit Lahti and that can be adopted by other cities.

What will you and your team be working on?

We work across three interconnected levels:

1. International – We collaborate with other Circ@home consortium partners to deliver on our joint commitments under the Interreg Baltic Sea Region grant agreement.

2. National (Finland) – Together with Finnish partners, we promote Circ@Home, exchange knowledge, and share findings nationwide, ensuring the impact of all pilots is amplified.

3. Local (Lahti) – Our pilot focuses on extending the life cycle of smart devices (smartphones, smartwatches) through repair. This hands-on work tackles e-waste by identifying and reducing barriers such as affordability, accessibility, and consumer trust. Our next step is a waste audit and stakeholder interviews to map residents’ “repair paths” and highlight weaknesses in the existing ecosystem.

What will the Lahti pilot do to make smart device repair easier and more appealing for people?

The Lahti pilot explores how to increase repair rates for smart devices, where barriers include:

• High repair costs and complex processes
• Limited spare parts and manufacturer restrictions
• Low consumer awareness of repair rights and options
• The culture of replacement reinforced by rapid product cycles

Our intervention focuses on raising consumer awareness. Many people hold on to broken or outdated devices instead of repairing or recycling them. Behavioural patterns include postponing repairs, opting for replacement, or storing unused devices at home.

What’s missing is an integrated, user-friendly repair ecosystem that connects consumers with affordable, reliable, and certified repair services. To address this, we are planning a Smart Device Repair web application to encourage behaviour change by using digital technologies to enhance motivation, create opportunities, and strengthen users’ capability to choose repair over replacement.

How does your work in Lahti contribute to change?

Our three-layered approach creates a ripple effect:

• Local: In Lahti, applications like Älyä Korjaukseen (“Smart for Repair”) empower citizens with skills and confidence to extend device lifespans.
• National: We share lessons and best practices across Finland to inspire replication in other cities and organizations.
• International: Data and models from our Lahti pilot feed into Circ@Home’s broader goals, helping to develop a scalable Circular Services model and Urban Circular Triangle model for the Baltic Sea region and beyond.

How to get involved with the work you’re doing in Circ@Home?

1. Stay Updated and Inspired

Follow project news, pilot results, and upcoming events through Circ@Home’s official channels:

Smart & Lean Hub Oy also shares local updates and stories from the Lahti pilot:

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tuulaloytty
• Website: www.smartlean.fi

2. Join the Lahti Pilot
If you are a resident of Lahti, you can take part in our pilot on smart device repair. We are looking for people who:

• Have smartphones, smartwatches, or other smart devices that need repair or refurbishment.
• Want to test digital tools such as the Älyä Korjaukseen app and provide feedback.
• Are willing to share their experiences and “repair journeys” through short interviews or surveys.

Your participation helps us build a repair ecosystem that works in everyday life—not just on paper.

3. Partner with Us
If you represent a local repair business, service provider, or municipal/regional actor, there are several opportunities to collaborate:

• Repair shops and technicians can help us test and refine service pathways and support awareness-raising and circular practices.
• Municipal and regional actors can align policy tools and infrastructure with citizen needs.

4. Contact Us
If you’d like to join the upcoming Lahti pilot or explore collaboration, please contact:
📧 tuula.loytty@smartlean.fi

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