Building safety into systems: a conversation with Pekka Salonsaari

For over two decades, Technosmart has worked at the intersection of engineering, security, and operational resilience. Behind that trajectory is a clear set of principles, and a team committed to applying them, every day.

We sat down with CEO Pekka Salonsaari to ask not just about systems, but about values, the future of ESG in mid-sized tech, and what it really means to lead with safety.

Q: Let us start with the basics. You have led this company since 2017. What has kept you so committed?

Pekka: The people. That is the most rewarding part, and often the most challenging. But we have built a very open, evolving work environment. That makes all the difference.

Q: How did you first come to Technosmart?

Pekka: Technosmart was founded in 1999 in Tampere. I joined at the end of 2005, but I had been involved earlier through project work. Initially, Technosmart focused on collecting data from fuel distribution and transport systems. In 2001, we delivered our first fuel distribution systems. In 2006, Koiviston Auto started building a nationwide fuel distribution system that required vehicle-mounted data devices.

At the time, I was working at an IT services company. We signed an agreement with Technosmart to install these devices in buses. Personally, I installed systems in around 700 vehicles, each using RFID to identify the vehicle and transmit mileage data to back-end systems. That work gave me deep insight into customer environments.

When Technosmart began delivering a new fuel management system to Helsinki Bus Transport's new depot, I was invited to join the company full time to manage the project. I accepted, and in July 2007 signed my first employment contract with Technosmart.

After that, we delivered components to various Helsinki bus depots, and in 2010, the Finnish Defence Forces purchased a national fuel distribution system from Technosmart. I managed its installation, and in 2011 I took on the role of Business Director. Since then, I have led the business operations, and from 2017, I have also served as CEO and become a partner in the company.

Q: It is been said you are a well-liked leader, and that you have made values part of daily operations. Can you share more on that?

Pekka: When I began focusing on business performance in 2011, it quickly became clear that one barrier to smooth operations was workplace wellbeing, and how people valued their own contribution. So we addressed it head on.

Since 2011, we have had an internal wellbeing program. Over the years, we have built it around different themes, with the goal of strengthening team dynamics and personal development. We brought in group coaching and small-team dialogue sessions, creating space for open conversation.

In the early years, we partnered with external facilitators who acted as wellbeing ambassadors for the company. The feedback was very positive, and it helped shape the company culture.

Today, our core values include safety, responsibility, and cost-efficiency. But at the heart of each of those is wellbeing. That is what people here consistently recognize, and it shows in how they feel about coming to work. Our regular internal feedback confirms this year after year.

All our daily work is grounded in these values. From safety and responsibility to efficiency and wellbeing, our culture is not aspirational, it is operational. These values guide decisions, influence systems, and have directly contributed to successful projects and financial outcomes.

We have long invested in quality management. Our operations are regularly audited against leading standards, including the AQAP framework used by NATO. As ESG practices have become more central in modern business, we have not just kept pace, we have shaped our own standards. We have our own internal quality program, our own metrics, and we work with an external partner specialized in helping small companies embed and sustain quality processes. That partner, Mastos Oy, has supported us for several years.

We also have a full-time quality manager. Every system, project, and improvement effort includes a quality lens from the outset.

Q: You have placed ESG at the center of operations, despite it being optional at your company size. Why?

Pekka: ESG is not just a framework for us. It is embedded in how we run the business. Safety, responsibility, cost-efficiency, and wellbeing, those are not just words, they guide actual decisions.

Everything we do is driven by our values. These guide the culture we are building. Over time, that has led to a diverse set of projects and meaningful economic results. Because we have long practiced responsible operations, we have also moved early in formalizing our ESG and quality systems.

We developed a dedicated quality program with our own defined indicators, and partnered with Mastos Oy to help us ensure our internal practices meet professional standards. This commitment is supported by a dedicated quality manager. We continue to improve our work through both internal review and external validation.

Q: You mentioned cost-efficiency. That is often misunderstood as being about cutting corners. How do you define it?

Pekka: For us, cost-efficiency is a result of doing things right the first time. Safety and quality work might look like a cost at first, but they reduce friction, prevent failures, and build trust. In that sense, they are deeply efficient.

Cost-efficiency is not only about internal operations. It is also a visible value for our clients. By focusing on security and quality as foundational practices, we eliminate inefficiencies, delays, and unnecessary overhead. These are not just compliance efforts. They create direct economic value, both for us and for our customers. What may look like additional effort at the outset, often leads to fewer failures, faster deployment, and longer-term operational clarity. For us, cost-efficiency is a result of doing things right the first time. Safety and quality work might look like a cost at first, but they reduce friction, prevent failures, and build trust. In that sense, they are deeply efficient.

Q: And safety, it is clearly a theme that cuts across everything.

Pekka: Safety is the first of our values. It is the perspective through which we evaluate every aspect of what we do. We have worked to build that mindset into the organization, starting with our internal operations and extending into our supplier relationships.

Safety means more than one thing. For us, it includes cybersecurity, workplace safety, and systems integrity. These aspects are integrated into our programs and governance.

In 2022, we reached a key milestone when we were awarded a corporate security clearance by the Finnish Security Intelligence Service. This certifies our ability to manage sensitive information in a trusted and compliant manner.

On the individual level, every team member at Technosmart is security screened. At a minimum, each person holds a basic clearance. We have also screened our organizational structure and operating history. The same applies to subcontractors and their personnel.

Maintaining that level of oversight requires systems. We have developed internal software to manage clearance tracking, competency records, and training validity. This same tool is also available to customers who need a structured way to monitor the certifications and competencies of their teams.

Q: Looking ahead, how do you see Technosmart evolving?

Pekka: We started as a device manufacturer. Over time, we have become a solution provider, combining hardware, software, and integration logic. We have added AI-driven tools, especially in secure environments, and we will continue shaping how automation is used in critical infrastructure.

But again, trust is the constant. We do not just build faster systems, we ensure they are responsibly governed. That is where we think the next decade is going, and we are already building for it.

Q: Final question. What motivates you to keep showing up?

Pekka: It is the team. It always comes back to the people around me.

Interview by Patrick Ihalainen. Edited for clarity and continuity.