Endowed professorship in investment products and technology services gains recognition

The Industrial Achievement of the Year Award was presented to P2X Solutions, which operates Finland’s first industrial-scale renewable hydrogen production plant. The winner and recipients of honorary mentions were announced at the 2025 Subcontracting Fair.

In early 2025, Tampere University announced the establishment of an endowed professorship focused on the sales of investment products and technology services. The professorship aims to enhance sales capabilities in industrial sectors, elevate the status of sales, and advance academic research in industrial sales through close collaboration with industry.

The professorship was originally proposed by Janne Viinikkala to address a long-standing challenge: the commercialisation of technological expertise. Although Finnish technology and industrial companies are global leaders in innovation, they often lag behind their international competitors in sales capabilities and commercialisation expertise. To bring the vision to life, a steering committee was established in collaboration with Tampere Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Tampere University. To date, more than €1.5 million has been raised through private donations from over 35 contributors.

“Joining this project has been easy, as the need to tackle the sales challenges facing Finnish industry has been so widely recognised. The initiative quickly grew into a veritable mass movement. I want to express my sincere thanks to all the companies, foundations and stakeholders who have supported us, enabling us to take concrete steps forward so quickly. A special thank you goes to the steering committee, which has exemplified the spirit of collaboration at its finest in the Tampere region,” says Janne Viinikkala.

“The prestigious designation received from Business Tampere highlights the significance of this project for the future of Finland’s export industry. The importance of sales and commercialisation expertise in global competition cannot be overstated. Finnish industry produces world-class technology, and together we want to ensure it achieves the commercial success it deserves,” says Antti Eskelinen from Tampere Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Tuukka Ahoniemi was appointed as Professor of Practice in Industrial Sales during the first phase of the project. Teaching in industrial sales and the development of research projects began at Tampere University in the autumn of 2025. 

Marko Seppänen, Dean of the Faculty of Management and Business at Tampere University, highlights the project as a prime example of effective collaboration between academia and industry. 

“The industrial sales initiative received strong backing from numerous company partners within our stakeholder network, allowing us to get off to a fast start. Core courses are already underway, and in the coming years students will have the opportunity to focus on industrial sales during their major or minor studies. Collaboration with companies enriches teaching through guest lectures, real-world case studies and thesis placements,” Seppänen says.

Buoyed by the strong start of the project, efforts are now underway to establish a full-scale hub for industrial sales expertise and research at Tampere University. In 2026, an associate professorship (tenure track) will be established alongside the Professor of Practice role, and a new research group will be launched to generate cutting-edge knowledge on modern industrial sales in close collaboration with industry partners.