Karsa Oy Secures Aviation Security Expert, Mark Laustra, for Its Board of Directors

Karsa Oy, commercialising chemical ionisation (CI) technology originally developed at the University of Helsinki for security applications, today announced the addition of aviation industry expert, Mark Laustra, to its board of directors. Laustra is venerated as an authority in the space with more than 25 years of experience heading development and strategy for leading companies like Smiths Detection, Astrophysics, and most recently Analogic where Laustra was instrumental in building a U.S. domestic and international market for checkpoint CT technology to make airline passengers safer than ever before.

“The addition of Mark Laustra to our board of directors represents a significant advantage for Karsa Oy as we develop and launch our products into the civil aviation security market,” said H.J. Jost, co-founder and chief executive officer of Karsa Oy. “Mark will be a guiding force, helping direct our product launches and strengthening our position in North America with his background in building the marketplace for aviation security technology in the U.S., and we are thrilled to announce that this industry insider is joining our board of directors.”

Karsa Oy is developing explosives detection equipment with high sensitivity and specificity to provide dramatically increased explosives detection capabilities at lower costs than current technologies. Bringing this technology to the global market place is expected to transform the security industry with options that will raise the level of security in markets including civil aviation, beginning with air cargo screening. Karsa Oy technology has application for customs and border protection as well as emergency management.

“I am pleased for the opportunity to work with Karsa Oy as it brings new, revolutionary technology to the civil aviation space,” said Laustra. “My career has been focused on bringing technologies to market that secure environments and help keep people safe, and I hope to contribute to that goal with this appointment.”

Karsa Oy was founded in 2016 by a team of sampling and detection experts from the University of Helsinki, international industry partners and Lifeline Ventures, the leading venture capital investor in Finland, and with the support of the Business Finland, the Finnish Agency for Innovation. For more information, please visit www.karsa.fi.

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Contact information

H.J. Jost, CEO, Karsa Oy
hj.jost@karsa.fi