Personal profile
Short bio
Esko Lehtonen received the MA degree in Cognitive Science in 2008 from the University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. In 2014, he received a PhD degree in Cognitive Science from the same university.
From 2007 until 2016 he was working in research and teaching positions at the University of Helsinki. In 2017 he was a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand, and from 2017 until 2017 at Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden.
Since 2019, he has been working for VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, Finland, first as a Research Scientist and then as a Senior Scientist and interim Research Team Leader. His research interests include the impacts of novel technologies on transport and mobility and applications of data science and AI.
Education/Academic qualification
Social sciences, Doctorate
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
-
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 5 Gender Equality -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 10 Reduced Inequalities -
SDG 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 4 Finished
-
FAME: Framework for coordination of Automated Mobility in Europe
Innamaa, S. (Manager), Malin, F. (Participant), Aittoniemi, E. (Participant), Lehtonen, E. (Participant), Sintonen, H. (Participant) & Koskinen, S. (Participant)
1/07/22 → 30/06/25
Project: EU project
-
STYLE: Healthy Lifestyles to Boost Sustainable Growth
Tuominen, A. (Manager), Sundqvist, H. (Participant), Mesimäki, J. (Participant) & Lehtonen, E. (Participant)
1/01/22 → 31/12/23
Project: Research Council of Finland
-
Hi-Drive: Addressing challenges toward the deployment of higher automation
Innamaa, S. (Manager), Silla, A. (Participant), Aittoniemi, E. (Participant), Lehtonen, E. (Participant), Sintonen, H. (Participant), Itkonen, T. (Participant), Kutila, M. (Participant), Pyykönen, P. (Participant) & Nisula, E. (Participant)
1/07/21 → 30/06/25
Project: EU project
-
L3Pilot: Piloting Automated Driving on European Roads
Innamaa, S. (Manager), Itkonen, T. (Participant), Lehtonen, E. (Participant), Aittoniemi, E. (Participant), Silla, A. (Participant), Sintonen, H. (Participant), Malin, F. (Participant), Penttinen, M. (Participant), Rämä, P. (Participant), Torrao, G. (Participant) & Koskinen, S. (Participant)
1/09/17 → 31/10/21
Project: EU project
-
Beyond human proxies: The roles and usefulness of large language models in user research for mobility service development
Wallius, E. & Lehtonen, E., Mar 2026, In: Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives. 36, 101917.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile8 Downloads (Pure) -
Decoding acceptance of driver monitoring systems: Evaluating alternative measurement models, cross-country variations, and behavioural intention
Öztürk, İ., Lehtonen, E., Madigan, R., Lee, Y. M., Aittoniemi, E. & Merat, N., Jan 2026, In: Transportation Research Part F: Traffic Psychology and Behaviour. 116, 103384.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open Access1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus) -
Liikenneturvallisuuden keskeiset haasteet ja toimenpiteet
Mesimäki, J. & Lehtonen, E., 5 May 2026, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland. 61 p. (VTT Asiakasraportti; No. VTT-CR-00243-26).Research output: Book/Report › Report
Open AccessFile123 Downloads (Pure) -
Understanding the Gender Gap in the Acceptance of Automated Vehicles: International Mobility Study Across 17 Countries
Torrao, G. & Lehtonen, E., 2026, Computational Science and Its Applications – ICCSA 2025 Workshops: Proceedings. Gervasi, O., Murgante, B., Garau, C., Karaca, Y., Faginas Lago, M. N., Scorza, F. & Braga, A. C. (eds.). Springer, p. 20-34 15 p. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science, Vol. 15899 LNCS).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceedings › Scientific › peer-review
-
Cross-country differences in willingness to use conditionally automated driving systems: Impact of technology affinity, driving skills, and perceived traffic climate
Öztürk, İ., Lehtonen, E., Madigan, R., Lee, Y. M., Aittoniemi, E. & Merat, N., Sept 2025, In: Technology in Society. 82, 102903.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open Access5 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
Press/Media
-
Liikuntaa tulee edistää kokonaisuutena
Tuominen, A., Sundqvist, H. & Lehtonen, E.
23/05/23
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media