Industry projects

The students in the IDBM programme offer their knowledge in the form of industry projects. Since 1995, some 110 projects have been completed within the IDBM for leading Finnish companies. Each project is completed by teams of 3 to 5 students, representing the Helsinki School of Economics, the Helsinki University of Technology and the University of Art and Design. A project manager and an expert are chosen from the universities to supervise the progress of the project. The projects are confidential; if necessary, the students and the supervisors will sign a non-disclosure agreement.

The project topics have dealt with new product concepts (design and user interface issues), the definition of customer needs and the future environment of a product, the analysis of markets and customer feedback, and the examination of corporate identity, communications and design management, among other things. Usually the duration of the industry project is one academic year (from September to May). A project can also be completed within a tighter schedule if necessary. The cost of a project for the company is about €10.000 + VAT depending on the size of the student team (3 to 5 persons) and the amount of work done (4 to 8 credits per student).

In the industry projects, the company involved is able to come into contact with young, innovative students and to obtain first-hand information on the most recent research and training in the field. During the course of the project, the company also has an opportunity to evaluate the students in view of possible future collaboration.