Noora Torpo

Senior Data Scientist, NAPA Shipping Solutions, NAPA Finland

Give Noora Torpo a choice between a spreadsheet and a walk in the woods, and nature usually wins. That’s exactly why she wanted a job where the numbers matter for the planet, not just the balance sheet. Now, as a Senior Data Scientist at NAPA Shipping Solutions, she gets to build algorithms that help ships burn less fuel and emit less carbon – proof that her two passions don’t have to compete.

Noora’s journey to join NAPA happened by coincidence. At the end of her studies in applied mathematics, Noora was browsing Master’s thesis positions and decided to send an open application to boost the search. Her proactive approach caught the attention at NAPA, and intrigued by her profile, they reached out to her with a suitable topic in mind. Noora wasn’t familiar with NAPA beforehand but was excited to work in a field where mathematics could be combined with something practical such as shipping. Fortunately, this connection led to an invitation to work on the Blue Visby Solution for her thesis.

The opportunity aligned perfectly with Noora’s passion for environmental issues and her interest in the marine industry. In the Blue Visby project, Noora worked on arrival schedule optimization of dry and wet bulk carriers with the goal of reducing shipping emissions. Through this work Noora had a chance to get familiar with the shipping sector and apply her technical and mathematical skillset.

After completing her thesis and graduating from Aalto University, Noora was offered a permanent position as a Data Scientist at NAPA. This was a moment of great achievement, a testament to her hard work and dedication. She is thrilled to see the Blue Visby project evolve, and she has contributed to the research and development of the algorithm.

Now working as a Senior Data Scientist, Noora uses her technical and mathematical skills to work with data, develop models and design algorithms. Combined with her communication skills, she aims to interpret and understand the impact on ships with her team. She tackles complex problems, from detecting sensor failures to predicting destination ports, sometimes using statistical approaches, other times applying machine learning. She also collaborates with developers on data engineering tasks to ensure NAPA’s back-end systems run smoothly and efficiently.

Noora plays a crucial role in the new NAPA Studios project. At NAPA Studios, her journey continues to take on new dimensions. She is not just confined to her area of expertise in data science – she’s encouraged to explore strategy and business too, a level of exposure most people don’t get this early on. It says something about NAPA’s culture: a good idea counts, no matter what your title is or how long you’ve been there. Despite her initial lack of knowledge about ships, Noora has gained valuable insights and perspectives, growing both personally and professionally.

For Noora, that’s what she loves most about NAPA: large enough to make significant strides in the marine industry but small enough for her to influence internal processes. Noora, always active in organizations like Scouts and student organizations, thrives in NAPA’s working environment, which mirrors her proactive nature and allows her to engage in various interesting work projects and leisure activities.