Tuukka Ahoniemi appointed as Professor of Practice in Industrial Sales at Tampere University

Doctor of Science in Technology Tuukka Ahoniemi assumed his new role within the Industrial Engineering and Management Unit at Tampere University on 1 June 2025.

Ahoniemi’s appointment is the first step in a wider educational and research initiative focused on the sales of investment products and technology services. This initiative has been developed in close collaboration with Tampere Chamber of Commerce and Industry and has received substantial support from a wide range of donors.

The primary goal of the industrial sales project is to enhance technical sales proficiency and international commercial skills within Finnish industry. Ahoniemi brings to the role a wealth of experience from leadership positions in both publicly listed and growth-stage technology companies, along with a strong background in teaching and research.

“I look forward to maintaining close and continuous collaboration with the companies involved in this initiative. It is important that our education and research efforts directly address the needs of industry. As a Professor of Practice, I can contribute practical experience, real-world case studies and bring in guest speakers from across the technology sector,” says Tuukka Ahoniemi.

Sales and commercialisation skills are often acquired through hands-on experience in the technology industry. While large organisations typically have well-established internal processes and resources to train their staff in sales and commercialisation, small and medium-sized enterprises often depend on experiential learning. 

Ahoniemi points out that sales expertise is often viewed as a distinct professional skill in technical fields, even though the commercialisation of investment products and technology services is fundamentally about creating value for customers. 

“Commercial success begins with an in-depth understanding of the customers and tailoring products or services to solve their problems. Sales cannot operate in isolation, as the entire organisation must understand what customers are prepared to pay for and why – and who the target customer is in the first place,” Ahoniemi says. 

Sales processes are often complex and lengthy, requiring close involvement from technically skilled professionals.
“We aim to broaden the skillset of engineering students in the areas of sales and commercialisation, but we are not looking to teach them sales tricks,” Ahoniemi notes.  

Turning engineering professionals into sales experts  

According to Professor Tuomas Ahola, Head of the Industrial Engineering and Management Unit, the first courses under the new initiative are expected to begin in the upcoming academic year.

“We are delighted to welcome Tuukka Ahoniemi to lead this initiative in close collaboration with the business community. His appointment enables us to quickly initiate teaching and research focused on the sales of investment products and technology services. Our vision is to offer high-quality basic courses for all technology students, alongside an advanced study module for students specialising in industrial sales,” Ahola says.