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Demola Tampere
Published on 26 June 2018
Finland
Etelä-Suomi
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
Demola offers an Open Innovation Platform concept that supports RRI by increasing public engagement for innovation processes and improving science education for the stakeholders involved. -Teams formed of students and company representatives addresses the co-creation challenges defined together with the companies, which operate in the region. It helps students to supplement university education by real-life projects, where they gain experience, improve their professional skills and increase chances on work market. Companies co-create with a team of students, with whom the company representatives design solutions and demo concepts of the project theme and companies get more validated insight of future concepts to help investment decisions and develop innovation capabilities.
The practice is implemented since 2008. The main stakeholders of the practice are companies operating in the region, students and universities. Addressed challenge is defined with the company. The solution is developed during the Demola process. Project team multidiciplinary students and the project partner who together are responsible for design of innovative solution and implementation of the project. Company will have nonexclusive rights to use the project results as they see fit. Companies get problems solved and contacts to potential new employees at universities. Universities get important connections. Students get experience in real projects, teamwork, work for business and presentations.
The practice is implemented since 2008. The main stakeholders of the practice are companies operating in the region, students and universities. Addressed challenge is defined with the company. The solution is developed during the Demola process. Project team multidiciplinary students and the project partner who together are responsible for design of innovative solution and implementation of the project. Company will have nonexclusive rights to use the project results as they see fit. Companies get problems solved and contacts to potential new employees at universities. Universities get important connections. Students get experience in real projects, teamwork, work for business and presentations.
Resources needed
Demola is co-operated with local universities in the region and Demola Global. To run Demola operations local facilitators need to be resourced to take care of the facilitation and practicalities related to Demola activities. Each Demola financial agreements are negotiated between the partners.
Evidence of success
The practice is considered as good due to ten years of continuous development and expansion. In 2016 in Demola Tampere 57 projects with 51 project partners were realized. Demola received 821 applications from students and selected 298 team members. Students received in total 1490 credits. 48% of projects were taken into further development. 53 team members were from TAMK, 93 from UTA, 131 from TUT and 21 from other universities. Among them 188 were international students.
Potential for learning or transfer
Open innovation platforms are conceptually strong, novel regional development and renewing agenda. A novel way to do cross-sectoral innovation policy. Demola presents companies an alternative way to collaborate with universities and students. Intervention logic of the innovation platform has a different emphasis than traditional project-based measures. There are good results of the benefits of platform activities of Demola and the regional impact spreads wide because it involves a big number of innovation actors. An international network has been created, which involves already 23 branches, mostly in Europe, but also on other continents (in Mexico, Japan, Namibia and Republic of South Africa). The dedicated team works on Demola on global level and helps with international matters, such as partnerships or opening new Demola Centers, which facilitates transferability of the good practise to other regions, which are interested in implementing it.
Further information
Website
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
Demola Global
Finland
Länsi-Suomi
Contact