Sandbox programme
About this good practice
Interdisciplinary teams of master’s students are formed and provided with a problem statement by Sandbox partner companies in order to find solutions to pressing or strategic challenges. Problem validation, product strategy building, solution prototyping and testing allows students to implement the knowledge they have acquired within prior courses in a real-life project. Within the problem-development process, the students and partner organisations will get useful experience and practices.
Tartu City has provided 3 assignments to the programme: one of the outcomes was an engagement app prototype to increase young citizens’ participation in local life.
The programme provides a unique opportunity to engage in real-life challenges of companies, enhancing professional skills and delivering value at the same time. It is a good example of how to support discovering new ideas from the grassroots, also encouraging partnership between companies and universities to improve the local ecosystem – a practical cooperation possibility between public, private and research institutions resulting in practical outcomes (it is often a prototype of some application) and possible job opportunities for students.
Resources needed
The fee (2 500 € per problem in 2021) which is paid by the companies giving the challenges allows the university to develop & refine the programme, improve design thinking and digital product management education locally, be a part of the DFGN (Design Factory Global Network) and train their staff.
Evidence of success
By Tartu City as a partner organisation at least 2 prototyped ideas with a high potential of success are ready to go on to the development stage.
Additionally, an in-house training programme is planned for the autumn of 2022 to bring service design thinking principles into the public service development more.
Potential for learning or transfer
Similar programmes are already implemented widely; participating in such programmes with real life problems from the public sector is easily replicable.
Further information
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Good practice owner
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