People

About me

Dr. Aki Jääskeläinen is a Professor at the unit of Industrial Engineering and Management and leads Operations and Supply Chain Group. His is also an Adjunct Professor at LUT University. He has over 50 peer-reviewed publications. He has also written books for practitioners and participated in several development projects of Finnish organizations. 

Responsibilities

Leader of the Finnish master's programme on Industrial Engineering and Management

Leader of the Operations and Supply Chain Group (OSCG)

 

Responsible teacher at the courses: 

TUTA.252 Toiminnanohjaus   

TUTA.352 Tuotannon suunnittelu ja kehittäminen 

TUTA.350 Tuotantostrategia 

 

Field of expertise

Performance measurement and management

Purchasing and supply management

Operations management and operations strategy

Quality management

Information management

 

Research unit

Operations and Supply Chain Group

About me

I am an Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at Tampere University. I hold a PhD from the Università della Svizzera italiana (University of Lugano), Switzerland, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Sharif University of Technology, Iran. Before returning to academia, I spent nearly four years working in management consulting with both commercial and non-profit organizations. Following my doctoral studies, I carried out postdoctoral research at the HUMLOG Institute, Hanken School of Economics, supported by a Swiss National Science Foundation (2014–2016). I joined Tampere University of Technology in 2017 and later served as an Academy of Finland Research Fellow (2020–2025).

Research fields

1. Humanitarian Operations and Crisis Management

• Cross-sector collaboration for effective disaster management
• Procurement and supply management in humanitarian settings

2. Supply Chain Management and Public Policy

• Geopolitics and supply chain management
• The role of public policy and government interventions in enabling social sustainability practices such as working conditions, modern slavery

3. Operations and Supply Chain Management in Knowledge Service Organizations

• Managing knowledge-intensive service operations in academic environments
• Enhancing the responsiveness of higher education institutions

About me

Ulla Saari is Associate Professor of Industrial Engineering & Management specializing in Industrial Product and Service Systems and Docent (Adjunct Professor) of Industrial Engineering & Management at the University of Oulu with a focus on circular economy and development of sustainable technology and innovations.

She is also currently a visiting researcher at The University of Tokyo and an affiliated researcher at Hamburg University of Technology and Jönköping International Business School.

Research unit

Sustainable Industrial Transformation Research Team | Operations and Supply Chain Group (OSCG) | Industrial Engineering and Management

About me

Alireza Safarpour is a doctoral researcher at Tampere University, affiliated with The Center for Innovation and Technology Research (CITER) and the Operations and Supply Chain Group (OSCG). His academic background combines public policy, computer science, sustainability, and governance. His current research focuses on the role and application of artificial intelligence in circular economy and sustainability, particularly through the perspectives of supply chains, governance, and public policy. He is especially interested in how AI can support more sustainable systems, improve decision-making, and shape the relationship between technology, institutions, and society. His broader research has also addressed sustainable supply chains, government interventions, higher education internationalization, and the governance implications of emerging technologies. Alongside his doctoral work, he has contributed to international research projects, teaching support, thesis examination, peer review, and academic conferences.

Responsibilities

Doctoral researcher and researcher at Tampere University. Research activities include work on artificial intelligence, circular economy, sustainability, supply chains, and governance. Additional responsibilities include participation in research projects, academic teaching support, thesis examination, peer review, and conference-related academic service.

Field of expertise

Expertise in artificial intelligence and sustainability, circular economy, sustainable supply chains, governance, public policy, and qualitative research. Research interests also include government interventions, AI in governance and policymaking, internationalization of higher education, and the role of emerging technologies in shaping sustainable and resilient systems. Proficient in qualitative and mixed-methods research and in data analysis tools such as MAXQDA, Power BI, and Tableau.

Alternate description

Doctoral researcher at Tampere University working on artificial intelligence, circular economy, sustainability, supply chains, and governance. Affiliated with CITER and OSCG.

Research topics

• Artificial intelligence in circular economy and sustainability
• AI applications in supply chains and governance
• Sustainable supply chains
• Government interventions and public policy
• Governance and emerging technologies
• Circular economy and sustainable development
• Higher education internationalization

Research unit

The Center for Innovation and Technology Research (CITER), Tampere University; Operations and Supply Chain Group (OSCG), Tampere University

Research fields

• Artificial intelligence and sustainability
• Circular economy
• Sustainable supply chains
• Governance and public policy
• AI and governance
• Government interventions and sustainable development
• Technology, institutions, and society

About me

I am currently a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Unit of Industrial Engineering and Management at Tampere University, Finland. I completed my doctoral studies in the Doctoral Programme in Business and Technology Management at Tampere University. Prior to that, I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Sharif University of Technology, Iran.

Research fields

My research focuses on industrial marketing and purchasing, particularly from the perspective of managing relationships and interactions in business networks. I am especially interested in how interaction and collaboration can be organized and mobilized to achieve outcomes such as innovation, resilience, and capability development across different organizational and interorganizational settings. My work also connects with broader discussions in supply chain management and industrial marketing.