As Inion celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, Harri Happonen, one of the founders of Inion, looks back on his career and role as a pioneer in the commercialization of bioabsorbable implants in Finland. It is nearly impossible to speak of Inion’s journey without highlighting Harri’s contributions. His expertise and commitment have been instrumental in shaping the company’s success as it is today.
In this feature, Harri reflects on the early days of Inion, some of the most memorable moments of his career, and his perspectives on the evolving role of bioabsorbable implants in the medical field—past, present, and future.
Background
Harri began his career in bioabsorbable materials in the early 1990s. He studied at the Department of Biomaterials at Tampere University of Technology (now Tampere University) and was part of the research group specializing in starch-based biomaterials. Later, he joined the research group that focused on medical biomaterials for craniomaxillofacial surgery.
Tampere has a strong history in biomaterials, with decades of research conducted at Tampere University of Technology. Therefore, Harri gained substantial and unique knowledge of bioabsorbable implants throughout his studies and career at the university. After completing his studies and work there, he continued to focus on bioabsorbable materials for craniomaxillofacial surgery in the corporate sector. In 1997, he joined Bionx Implants as a project manager. At the time, the commercial market for bioabsorbable implants was beginning to expand.
Early days of Inion
Harri has always been particularly interested in the product development projects. This interest played a key role also in the founding of Inion. The idea for Inion originated from a clear vision: to create better bioabsorbable materials and products for surgeons.
The vision was to develop enhanced biomaterials and at the same time use more efficient, industry-scale methods that would offer the right properties for craniomaxillofacial products.
Inion’s first product line was the Inion CPS™ and Inion CPS™ Baby, specifically designed for craniomaxillofacial surgery. The company name “Inion” was actually inspired by the anatomical term for the midpoint of the skull, the origin point for cranial measurements.
One of the most remarkable aspects of Inion’s first product launch was its highly ambitious timeline with a team of only five people in the beginning. Remarkably, within less than a year and a half of the company’s founding, Inion secured FDA approval for the Inion CPS™ system and had the products ready for the US market. Harri looks back at one of the most memorable moments in his career:
“Receiving the first sales clearance was unforgettable. Everything had been done in-house: quality systems, testing, laboratory work, everything. We started from scratch while achieving an almost unrealistic timeline for the first product line launch.”

Outside Inion’s first production facility, Haavistohalli, in the early 2000s.
The team received the news about the sales clearance at Inion’s first production facility called Haavistohalli. There were no additional questions from the authorities after the first round. It was a moment of pure excitement and the team celebrated with strawberries and champagne.
The rapid launch timeline drew attention and admiration, and Inion gained extensive media coverage. Inion CPS™ product line stood out because the team had focused on scalable, efficient manufacturing by injection molding. Harri looks back at the key factors that enabled the team to reach the ambitious goals:
We had world-class expertise in production, research, testing, quality systems, regulatory processes, and compliance. Our team’s comprehensive and multidisciplinary knowledge still remains a key factor in Inion’s success today.
Harri also highlights that Inion’s early success came from the team’s dedication to focus on user experience in product design and development. The Inion CPS™ system has been tailored for specific surgical indications so that it is easy to use and has tailored features. The Inion CPS™ products have been designed to degrade at optimized rates: faster for paediatric applications and slower for adults. Mechanical properties were also fine-tuned to fulfil requirements of different anatomical areas. For example, implants for the lower jaw are stronger to withstand greater forces, while those for midface and cranial applications are more suitable for easier shaping. These distinctive attributes remain unique to Inion’s products today.
Harri Happonen as part of Inion’s story
Over the past 25 years, Harri has worked in numerous positions in research, product development, marketing and sales. Today, Harri is a member of Inion’s management team and his title is Product Management Director. As he has worked in different positions and teams throughout his career, Harri highlights the importance of diversity and teamwork at Inion:
The company’s success over its 25-year journey has been built on the foundation of multidisciplinary collaboration. No one knows everything, but together we’ve created something remarkable.
Harri’s appreciation for versatility extends into his free time as he enjoys combining hobbies with nature. Whether fishing while exploring the outdoors, windsurfing on windy lakes or seas, snowboarding on the mountains or cross-country skiing with touring skis, he finds joy in connecting physical activity with the nature. His approach to skiing has evolved from a competitive focus to a more leisurely one, such as enjoying the calm of a dark, windy night on a frozen lake. This multifaceted approach to both work and leisure is a core part of what keeps Harri motivated and inspired.
Moreover, Harri is motivated and inspired by his passion for the products, product development, and working closely with customers. He finds great satisfaction in seeing how the products perform in practice: how the products are useful for the surgeons and improve patient outcomes.
The most memorable customer feedback of Harri’s career so far was unique and surprising. It occurred during an international AAOS congress organized by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons:
An individual came to our booth and revealed a tattoo on their ankle: a tattoo of the Inion OTPS™ plate. The tattoo symbolized the successful repair of their ankle fracture using Inion’s plate, which was a life-changing event for them. This remarkable gesture was truly the best customer feedback I have received!
Past, present, and future of bioabsorbable Implants
Harri summarizes his career: “The landscape of bioabsorbable implants has changed significantly over the past 25 years. In the early days, materials and manufacturing methods were still maturing. Challenges such as inconsistent polymer quality and non-acceptable complication rates slowed the adoption.”
Today, thanks to advancements in material characterization, strict quality controls, and refined production techniques, bioabsorbable implants have become reliable and widely accepted in surgical applications. Harri sees that bioabsorbable implants play an important role modern surgical practice, particularly for reducing secondary surgeries. “Hospitals and healthcare systems are under pressure to optimize operations and cut costs. By minimizing the need for implant removal surgeries, bioabsorbable implants reduce costs, risks such as infections, and trauma for patients,” he explains.
Looking forward, Harri is optimistic about the future of bioabsorbable implants. He envisions even greater adoption of these materials, with the potential to capture a larger share of the market currently dominated by metal implants. While permanent implants will always have their place, Harri sees opportunities to expand the use of bioabsorbables significantly, thanks to new materials and technologies.
Future innovations will focus on two critical areas: patient safety and user-friendliness for healthcare professionals: “Patient safety will always be the most important feature of our products, but we also want to make user-friendly products that healthcare professionals appreciate. The goal is to create solutions that are not only reliable but also tailored to the diverse needs of different surgical procedures and techniques”
Our ambition is to create safer, more versatile products that expand the possibilities of bioabsorbable implants. By doing so, we can make a meaningful difference for both surgeons and patients, Harri concludes.