Our company founder, Antti Papula, was born on 23 August 1943 in Hämeenlinna.

He graduated from the Hämeenlinnan Lyseo secondary school in 1963 and went on to take a Masters of Science in Technology at the Helsinki University of Technology, Division of Chemistry, which he completed in 1972.

After graduating, Antti Papula worked as a patent attorney for a Finnish patent agency, Patenttitoimisto Oy Heinänen Ab., before founding his own patent and trademark agency in 1975, now known as Papula-Nevinpat.

Director of Papula-Nevinpat

Antti Papula continued as Managing Director of the company until 2000, when he became Chairman of the Board of Directors.

During 25 years, he created a company that combines a well-developed local customer base with broad international reach, as well as a strong culture that continues to energize and define the people of Papula-Nevinpat and our unique way of working.

Statesman, speaker, and contributor

Antti Papula quickly began to establish contacts in Russia and Eurasia, becoming an indisputable expert in the IP culture of the region. He was also known for actively sharing his knowledge and became a popular speaker in Finland, addressing seminars and publishing articles locally and in international journals.

In this way, Antti Papula played a significant role in the development of Finnish IP competence. He also actively promoted the creation of a formal authorization process for patent attorneys in Finland.

Awarded an honorary title

On 19 May 2004, in recognition of his life’s work and contribution as a leading figure in Finnish industry, the President of the Republic of Finland awarded Antti Papula the honorary title of Patenttineuvos (Patent Counsellor). At the time, this was only the fourth such title of Patenttineuvos to have been bestowed in Finland.

Development in Finland

During the 1980s, the Papula-Nevinpat office in Helsinki grew quickly, backed by the rise in industrial production development and a growing Finnish export market. By 1987, the company had already opened an office in Lappeenranta, followed by Tampere in 1989 and Pori in 1995.

Building bridges to Russian business

Antti Papula was ahead of his time. Even back as early as the 1980s he saw the importance of Finnish trade relations with Russia (then Soviet Union) for driving the future of Finnish business.

He began forging cooperation with St. Petersburg (then Leningrad) State Technical University as well as the State Committee for Inventions and Discoveries. In 1990, this led to the unprecedented launch of a Finnish patent office in St Petersburg, known as Nevinpat.