17.06.2025

For over a decade, Turku University of Applied Sciences (TUAS) has led the way in experiential business education. Its sales competitions are more than academic exercises—they are practical, high-impact platforms that unite students, educators, and industry. These events foster innovation, enhance employability, and create direct pathways to professional careers.

Through international cooperation and capacity-building, this proven model is now expanding, particularly in the context of the Erasmus+ LISS24 project.

Learning Through Competition

Sales competitions simulate real-world B2B selling environments, where students perform sales dialogues and negotiate solutions in front of professionals acting as buyers and judges.

This hands-on format trains participants in communication, strategy, and problem-solving. The experience combines rigorous academic objectives with the immediacy and realism of business practice, offering students valuable feedback and a bridge to employment.

TUAS: A Pioneer in Europe

TUAS has played a central role in shaping sales education on a European scale. It has co-organised Finland’s Best Seller Competition alongside Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences and hosted the European Sales Competition (ESC), including the first fully online ESC in 2021. Between 2018 and 2021, TUAS led the SEASAC project, which introduced structured B2B sales competitions to Southeast Asia.

Notably, both Harri Lappalainen and Timo Holopainen serve on the board of the European Sales Competition Association. Lappalainen currently holds the position of chairman, underscoring TUAS’s ongoing leadership and influence in the international development of sales education.

Meaningful Collaboration with Industry

A key ingredient in TUAS’s approach is deep collaboration with businesses. Over recent years, organisations such as IF Insurance, Manpower Group, Pemamek, and Fonecta have contributed real-life case materials, acted as competition judges, and participated in post-event recruitment.

Over recent years, organisations such as IF Insurance, Manpower Group, Pemamek, and Fonecta have contributed real-life case materials, acted as competition judges, and participated in post-event recruitment.

These competitions have become effective, performance-based talent pipelines where companies engage with potential future employees in a live setting.

Regional Expansion in Armenia and Georgia

The LISS24 project has extended this pedagogical model to the Caucasus region. In Armenia, the initiative involves the National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA), the Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU), and the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA). In Georgia, the participating institutions include Akaki Tsereteli State University (ATSU) in Kutaisi, Shota Rustaveli State University (RSU) in Batumi, and Georgian Technical University (GTU) in Tbilisi.

Each university is actively embedding sales training and competition formats into their academic programmes, with structured guidance from TUAS. The goal is to build sustainable, high-quality sales education ecosystems that enhance innovation capacity and student employability in both countries.

Armenia’s First National Sales Competition

A landmark achievement occurred in spring 2025 when Armenia hosted its first national-level B2B sales competition. Organised at Yerevan, the event featured a live case provided by Inecobank, one of Armenia’s leading financial institutions.

The competition was directed by Dr. Tatevik Yedoyan, Head of the Chair of Economics, Law and Management at the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia. Inecobank’s own professionals participated as buyers and judges, providing authentic feedback and rigorous assessment.

At the conclusion of the event, the bank announced it would offer internships and job opportunities to the top finalists, confirming the strong recruitment value of the competition.

At the conclusion of the event, the bank announced it would offer internships and job opportunities to the top finalists, confirming the strong recruitment value of the competition.

A Model with Global Relevance

At TUAS, sales competitions are not just events—they are strategic instruments that link education to employment, foster international engagement, and enhance the university’s global reputation.

Students graduate with greater confidence and readiness, companies discover well-trained talent, and academic institutions strengthen their role in regional development.

Students graduate with greater confidence and readiness, companies discover well-trained talent, and academic institutions strengthen their role in regional development.

Is your organisation interested in connecting with future B2B sales professionals?

Turku University of Applied Sciences and its international partners invite companies to learn more about collaboration opportunities within the Erasmus+ LISS24 project and the broader sales competition model.

Partnership options include involvement in case design, participation as guest judges, or contributing to mentoring and feedback. These activities provide companies with early insights into student competencies while supporting practice-based learning and talent development.

To explore how your organisation might take part in this educational model, please contact Dr. Arto Kuuluvainen (arto.kuuluvainen@turkuamk.fi) at Turku University of Applied Sciences. We are happy to discuss possible forms of cooperation that benefit both education and working life.