BPN 1267 Finland in search of social media (3)

This trip we were also the guests of Nokia Research Lab, more particular with the Innovation Centre. This centre looks at ways in order to innovate. These days it looks also outside. Words like open innovation, crowd sourcing collaboration, social media are not just part of slogans, but are essential to the research centres. In the region of Tampere these words have been made concrete in the Demola institute. Partners herein are universities, universities and students. The institute is stimulated by the municipality of Tampere.

Demola draws on Tampere’s potential, which has world class know-how in the domains of media and ICT, but it has also strong international companies and science-driven R&D. There are many students with different backgrounds, a mix of technical, art, media and business persons working together. Open innovation is seen as a new operational mode “combining internal and external ideas as well as internal and external paths to the market to advance the development of new technologies” (http://www.openinnovation.eu/).

Demola is a new service provided by the TUT, UTA, TAMK and PIRAMK, ICT and media companies in the Tampere region as well as the Technology Centre Hermia Ltd. Students get the opportunity to develop digital products and services based on project ideas from companies. It is projected as new open innovation environment, Tampere-wide, open to every student and every company in the area. Concepts and demos created are public.

Demola provides to students access to interdisciplinary teams, collaboration with companies. There is training and continuous guidance from top professionals, while there is learning by doing. Demola is looking for interesting and rewarding demo projects created at Demola premises. There is the possibility to start own’s business based on IPR created in demo project. And a real discerning feature is that the IPR created in the Demola project will belong to the students. Students can exploit their demo, but they can also sell the user’s right to a company. The institute will negotiate the terms on behalf of the students. I have seen may project bureaus, so called learning factories, but they do no stimulate the ownership of the IPR.

Demola for universities and polytechnics is a practical teaching and learning environment with real and interesting project topics for project courses. There is collaboration between degree programmes, universities and polytechnics, but also companies and education. Proposals for future research areas are generated at Demola. For companies Demola provides experience of innovative product and service concepts and experience of open innovation as a new operational mode. They can get licenses to usable demos and establish collaboration with universities and polytechnics, thus linking to the best talents in Tampere. In fact they can get the opportunity to experiment and test new ideas in an agile and effective open innovation environment.

Demola as institute provides the follow up channels company license payment, start-up, venture capital and new projects.

Blog Posting Number: 1267

Tags: open innovation