- LISS24

Learn-Innovate-Sell-Succeed LISS24

Project aims at increasing B2B Sales and innovation capacity of Armenian and Georgian universities, especially in the field of engineering in the new digital era

The Project No

101128310 - LISS24 - ERASMUS-EDU-2023-CBHE

Coordinated by

TURKU UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES

List of Consortium Members

TURUN AMMATTIKORKEAKOULU OY

UNIVERSITAT POLITÈCNICA DE VALÈNCIA

FACHHOCHSCHULE WIENER NEUSTADT GMBH

KUNGLIGA TEKNISKA HOEGSKOLAN

NATIONAL POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF ARMENIA

GEORGIAN TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION OF ARMENIA

ARMENIAN NATIONAL AGRARIAN UNIVERSITY

AKAKI TSERETELI STATE UNIVERSITY

SHOTA RUSTAVELI STATE UNIVERSITY

BENDAHARA SEAMED REGIONAL OPEN L CENTER SEAMOLECI-DEPDIKNAS

MINISTRY OF EDUCATION AND SCIENCE OF GEORGIA

The methodology of the project is built on three core elements

B2B Sales courses in all partner universities ended by the assessment through sales competitions

Effective learning of innovation competences and creation of potential new products and services

Sales Labs launched to foster understanding about salesperson’s and customer’s behavior as well as accelerate new university-business cooperation in education and research

Project News

Open Eyes Event at NPUA to Present B2B Sales Laboratory to Academic and Business Partners

The B2B Sales NPUA Laboratory was established within the framework of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education project "Learn – Innovate – Sell – Succeed (LISS24)." The laboratory was officially presented during an Open Eyes Event, attended by members of the academic community, business representatives, and international partners. The LISS24 project is coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland) and brings together higher education institutions from Spain, Austria, Sweden, Georgia, Armenia, and Finland. In Armenia, the project is coordinated by the National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA). Welcoming the participants and emphasizing the importance of establishing the B2B Sales NPUA Laboratory, Elbak Elbakyan, Vice-Rector for Pre-University Education at NPUA, noted that today's engineers should not only be capable of developing technological solutions but should also understand the principles of market commercialization and B2B sales. "It is important for us that graduates understand how their products reach businesses, how they should be presented, and what steps are necessary to ensure an effective sales process. In this context, artificial intelligence also plays a significant role, as it is already transforming approaches to B2B sales and business communication," said Elbak Elbakyan. The laboratory provides an opportunity to simulate sales negotiations, study customer behavior, analyze communication effectiveness, and utilize technologies capable of recording and analyzing human emotional responses. The laboratory equipment enables the monitoring of changes in attention, stress, engagement, and emotional reactions, offering valuable insights for research in sales psychology and business communication. Ruben Aghgashyan, Armenian Coordinator of the Erasmus+ LISS24 Project and Head of the Center for Digital Technologies, stated: "This event was the first opportunity to introduce the laboratory's capabilities to a broader audience. We believe it should serve not only students but also the business community by becoming a platform for collaboration and knowledge exchange. The laboratory is built around three key pillars: education, research, and business. Here, students, faculty members, and company representatives can jointly study sales processes, develop new approaches, and apply them in real-world environments. In today's technology-driven world, success depends not only on creating an excellent product but also on the ability to present and sell it effectively, where highly qualified B2B sales professionals play a crucial role." The laboratory demonstration was led by Arthur Zaprosyan, Head of the NPUA Center for Continuing Education. The first live demonstration featured renowned psychologist Professor Ruben Aghuzumtsyan as a volunteer participant, showcasing the system's capabilities and the mechanisms used to analyze emotional responses. The newly established B2B Sales NPUA Laboratory is expected to become an important platform for cooperation between the university and the business sector by supporting joint research, professional training, sales skills development, and the creation of innovative solutions. At the same time, it will enable students to transform theoretical knowledge into practical competencies and enter the modern labor market better prepared. The event was attended by partners from Georgia, as well as representatives of the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia and the Armenian National Agrarian University, both participating institutions in the LISS24 project. The laboratory operates as part of the NPUA Center for Continuing Education.

Great news from the European negotiation arena!

The European Sales Competition was held on 9–11 June and hosted by Kristiania University of Applied Sciences. The event brought together over 60 students from European and U.S. higher education institutions. Its purpose is to connect talented individuals from universities across Europe through real-world sales scenarios, industry networking, and by fostering innovation in the field of sales. We are proud to share a success story that concretely demonstrates the practical impact of the LISS24 project. Both the National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) and the National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA) made their debut in the European Sales Competition under the guidance of their coaches Tatevik Yedoyan PHD, PMP® and Gor Martirosyan. The students Irena Simonyan (NUACA), Tigran Stepanyan (NUACA), Arina Manukyan (NPUA), and Sona Aghabekyan (NPUA) took part in individual sales negotiations as well as a team-based challenge. A special congratulations to Arina Manukyan (NPUA), who advanced to the finals and achieved an excellent 4th place overall. This is a clear indication that the LISS24 project is not only about building cooperation structures, but about developing real, result-driven competence. The goal goes beyond networking: it is about creating an environment where international sales and negotiation skills are developed through hands-on experience, and where partners can truly demonstrate their capabilities. For the Turku University of Applied Sciences team Arto Kuuluvainen, Timo Holopainen, Harri Lappalainen and Pinja Palm it has been particularly inspiring to see how Armenian and Georgian partners have found their place within the European competitive and learning landscape not only participating, but succeeding. This strongly confirms that capacity building works best when it is embedded in everyday practice, not limited to plans and documentation. At its core, this work is about shaping direction, enabling the success of others, and simultaneously developing one’s own expertise in situations where theory is genuinely put to the test. The result is tangible growth visible in students, partners, and the opportunities that open up for them. #LISS24 #ErasmusPlus #CapacityBuilding #B2BSales #NegotiationSkills #HigherEducation

The first “B2B Sales“ competition of the Eastern Partnership countries in Armenia

Within the framework of the successfully going on EU Erasmus+ “LISS24” Project, involving per three Armenian and Georgian partner universities, the first “B2B Sales“ student competition of the Eastern Partnership countries will take place in Armenia on June 24-25, 2026. The universities participating in the competition are: - National Polytechnic University of Armenia (NPUA) -National University of Architecture and Construction of Armenia (NUACA) -Armenian National Agrarian University (ANAU) -Georgian Technical University (GTU) -Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University (BSU) -Akaki Tsereteli State University (ATSU). Each university will be represented by a team consisted of three competing students and one coach. Representatives of the Project’s European partner universities are also expected; the latter, mainly together with representatives of Armenian business community, will serve on the competition’s jury panels. The competition program includes: -Welcome speeches and the official opening ceremony of the competition -Brief presentation of the Project and the objectives of such competitions within it -Introduction of the competing students and the jury members -Presentation of the competition procedure, scenarious and the evaluation criteria -Conduct of the preliminary round and selection of the finalists -Conduct of the final round and summing up of the competition results -Closing ceremony of the competition: providing all the competitors with certificates of participation, awarding of the winners, and closing remarks -Q&A session with the invited media representatives. Some extra organizational details of the competition: The competition is held in two rounds. On the first day, three parallel so-called “room sub-competitions” are held, involving all 18 competing students from the six aforementioned partner universities of the Project. From each room’s group of six, the two top-ranked students advance to the next stage and earn the right to compete the following day in the final round, where the overall winner and the other two prize-winners will be determined. In both the first day’s qualifying round and the second day’s final, the competitions are conducted using real “scenarios” selected jointly with business partners and provided to the participants in advance, based on the sale of a specific market product. The student acts as the “seller,” while a business representative from the relevant field acts as the “buyer.” Each negotiation is allotted 12-15 minutes, during which the “seller” must try to convince the “buyer” and sell the offered product. The outcome is evaluated in parallel by each jury member according to unified, pre-developed criteria provided to them, and the scores are consolidated at the end by averaging. All other details of the competition can be found in the attached information package through the competition’s Agenda, Competition Guides, Lists of Competitors and Jury members, as well as the Evaluation Criteria, while the “LISS24” Project as a whole can be explored by visiting the trilingual website http://liss24-am.liss24.com/. LISS24 Armenian Team NPUA Press Center

Presentation of the NPUA “B2B Sales” Laboratory to Future Beneficiaries

Within the framework of the European Union Erasmus+ “LISS24” project, B2B Sales Laboratories have been established at partner universities in Armenia and Georgia, offering a unique environment for acquiring, improving, and developing knowledge and skills in sales, customer negotiations, and forms and tools of business interaction. The NPUA Sales Laboratory has been established as a multifunctional educational and research unit of the University, aimed at improving teaching, professional development, and applied research in the fields of market marketing and sales, customer behavior studies, and business analysis. It provides a unique practical environment where University lecturers and students can learn, conduct experiments, analyze consumer behavior, and develop innovative approaches to B2B sales based on the integration of teaching, research, and practical activity. Through the Laboratory, students are given the opportunity to develop skills aligned with real-life business environments, based on experiential learning and the active involvement of students in real business processes. As a result of effective cooperation withthe European partners of LISS24, the NPUA team has studied the broad technical and functional capabilities of sales laboratories, as well as the modern educational content and methodologies applied in them. The Sales Laboratory can also significantly contribute to cooperation between the business sector and NPUA by offering various educational and research services aimed at enhancing their sales potential and competitiveness. This is based on the Laboratory’s unique capacity to develop different types of virtual and digital environments for sales, marketing, and sales-related discussions and negotiations. Presentation of the Laboratory’s capabilities will take place at the NPUA Continuing Education Center, located on the 5th floor of Building 10 of the National Polytechnic University of Armenia, where the Laboratory is situated. The event will be held under the title “Open Eyes Event,” as envisaged by the LISS24 project. Dear representatives of the media, internal and external stakeholders !!! We are pleased to invite you to the National Polytechnic University of Armenia to participate in the official opening and presentation of the “B2B Sales NPUA” Laboratory, located on the 5th floor of Building 10 of the University, on June 24, 2026, at 12:00. The event will provide an opportunity to become personally acquainted with the above-mentioned facilities and to form your own opinion and ideas regarding future cooperation. Gathering: 11:45, on the 5th floor of NPUA Building 10 (elevator is available). For additional information, please contact us by phone: 091 488 585 or 093 520 520. NPUA Press Center

Erasmus+ CBHE LISS24 project consortium members at ATSU

On May 20, 2026 Akaki Tsereteli State University hosted Erasmus+ CBHE project LISS24 consortium member universities for a day of workshop, networking and cultural activities in Kutaisi, Georgia. The program began with a welcome speech followed by the workshop. Official meetings and networking sessions took place to encourage more active cooperation among participants. Later, guests joined a city tour and sightseeing activities to explore Kutaisi cultural and historical attractions. The event focused on strengthening academic cooperation, professional connections and cultural exchange among the consortium members. The project “Learn-Innovate-Sell-Succeed LISS24” aims to enhance B2B sales competencies and foster innovation capacities at universities in Armenia and Georgia, particularly in the field of engineering within the new digital era. The project is coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland).

Eastern Partnership Innovation Competition in Georgia

On May 19, 2026 Akaki Tsereteli State University academic staff and students from the Faculty of Technical Engineering participated in the Eastern Partnership Innovation Competition within the framework of the Erasmus+ CBHE project LISS24 organized in Georgia on the premises of Georgian Technical University. The teams were formed by the participants of the local innovation competitions held in Georgian and Armenian universities. 11 student teams and 30 student participants from six LISS24 partner universities participated in the competition. Invited international experts provided teams with themes and challenges. Students worked in teams and created new solutions to proposed societal challenges. The event was organized to showcase the work completed during local-level innovation and sales competitions in Georgia and Armenia and to give the students an opportunity to meet their peers from other universities. The teams from Akaki Tsereteli State University presented two projects: “Smart House,” and “Smart Waste Bin with Automatic Separation System”. The students are participants of the course “B2B Sales in Engineering” developed within the framework of the LISS project and now being offered as an elective subject for the VIII spring semester students majoring in “Construction” educational program at the Faculty of Technical Engineering. The next Eastern Partnership Innovation Competition will be organized in Armenia in June, 2026. The project “Learn-Innovate-Sell-Succeed LISS24” aims to enhance B2B sales competencies and foster innovation capacities at universities in Armenia and Georgia, particularly in the field of engineering within the new digital era. The project is coordinated by Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland).

Meeting with Business Representatives in the frame of LISS Project

A meeting with the representatives of Businesses in the frame of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building LISS Project at the Faculty of the Technical Engineering at Akaki Tsereteli State University took place on May 30, 2025. Representatives of the construction businesses LTD Zumi, LTD Atlantic Sakartvelo, LTD Karibtche, LTD V.D.K, LTD Dagi+ were participants of the meeting. The meeting was also attended by the alumni of the faculty that are at present employed in the businesses. The aim of the meeting was on one hand, to share information about the LISS project, the course that was developed and the laboratory for the B2B sales, and on the other hand to get feedback from the business representatives based on their experience. Business representatives informed about a position of sales engineers that has become recently available at the construction companies. The information about the new course and B2B lab arose interest in students, and they expressed their interest in the course and the lab activities. The business representatives discussed and listed the skills in the field of sales that they are seeking for in the applicants that would like to be employed in their companies. The Erasmus + CBHE Project Learn – Innovate – Sell – Succeed (LISS24) is aiming at increasing B2B Sales and innovation capacity of Armenian and Georgian universities, especially in the field of engineering in the new digital era.

Academic Comeback: GSSI 2026 Conference in Ancona

A while ago, I decided to step back into academic research after spending more than a decade mainly in the private sector. To be honest, I wasn't sure what to expect. My earlier academic work dates back to the late 2000s and early 2010s. After that, my focus shifted increasingly toward business, entrepreneurship, board work, and practical development projects. Research remained in the background. Fast forward to 2026. I've now attended my second international academic conference within a year. Even more importantly, I already have my first new peer-reviewed publication out after a long break. Not a bad start for an academic comeback. This week, that journey took me to Ancona, Italy, for the GSSI: Global Sales Science Institute (GSSI) Conference 2026. The conference itself was a good one. We discussed topics ranging from AI in B2B sales and sales talent development to onboarding, commercial excellence, sales communication, and the future of sales education. I also had the opportunity to present our poster on AI adoption in B2B sales, co-authored with the man & legend himself Timo Holopainen .(Turku University of Applied Sciences) In addition, Johannes Reiterer presented a paper we co-authored with several colleagues (about online negotiations). However, what I enjoyed most was not the presentations. It was the people. It was a pleasure to meet so many great people. Like f.ex. Thomas Berger, Stefan Wengler, Jaap Feijen, Arend-jan Diephuis, Jaakko Metsola, Rasmus Kej Åradsson, Per Ivar Seljeseth Ph.D., Jarkko Niemi, Michael Skriver, Pia Hautamäki, Carl Thong, and many others. With many of you, we had inspiring discussions not only about sales, research & education, but also about life in general. Like always, the best conversations took place during dinners and coffee breaks. Based on my experience, those (more or less) informal conversations often create the most valuable ideas and future collaborations.And, naturally, sports found its way into many conversations too. Given my background, it seems to be present everywhere I go. Looking back, the conference reinforced something I've been thinking about for a while: the most interesting questions in sales today IMHO sit at the intersection of technology and people. My current research interests are increasingly focused on: 🔹 AI in B2B sales 🔹 Sales education 🔹 Sports business And speaking of memorable experiences... Our journey from Turku to Ancona turned into a complete travel catastrophe. Delays, missed connections, rerouting, and far too many hours spent in airports & trains. What should have been a relatively straightforward trip ended up taking 35 hours. Fortunately, good company, plenty of laughs, and a few well-earned beers helped us eventually reach Italy. 🍺 If we met in Ancona, let's stay connected. And if you're working on any of these topics, I'd love to exchange ideas. 🤝 hashtag#GSSI2026 hashtag#B2BSales hashtag#ArtificialIntelligence hashtag#SalesResearch hashtag#SalesEducation hashtag#TUAS