iEER supported in Helsinki-Uusimaa region 10 days 100 Challenges programme which is a unique 10 days open innovation programme where students learn new work-life skills and solve challenges together with leading innovative companies, professional experts and inspiring coaches. This year, the 10 days 100 challenges was organised from 4th of July to 14th of July with the themes on the Future of work and Sustainability.
The program is an effort undertaken by semi-structured collaboration between three Helsinki region Universities of Applied Sciences Laurea, Metropolia and Haaga-Helia. This year, the challenge owners includes Microsoft, Teila, OP Bank, Kesko and the cities of Espoo and Vantaa, to name a few. They bring challenges to teams which then have 10 days to find out solutions. This programme brings multiple benefits to the educational institutions involved such as: expanding course availability to the summer, improving teachers’ skills to teach (and to use new methods for) entrepreneurship, service design, lean service creation, open innovation, etc.
This year there were 91 participants from four universities in 21 teams. 50 % of students were international. Besides eleven staff members from universities also challenge owners worked with the teams during the 10 days. The coaches and organising team of the 10 days 100 challenges have adapted methods learned from the Aula Emprende pilot in which representive of the three universities of applied sciences took part in Autumn last year.
On the final day of the progarmme, student team members gave final pitches and solutions that they had developed in the past days and present them to the challenge owners. Companies and municipalities that had given challenges awarded a team for the best solution but also iEER Local Stakeholder Group formed a jury of four to evaluate results and award one of the teams.
iEER awarded the Team 4SC – For Sustainable Choice. In their solution Sustainable Flower label was solution to the challenger owner Kesko’s (one the biggest retail chains in Finland) question how to support more sustainable consumption. Each petal of flower showing different aspect of sustainability on the price tag. Same information can be found on-line and then customers can have further information on product’s sustainability. Teams will still have time to finish their solutions until autumn this year.
4SC team– For Sustainable Choice
- Jenni Koutuaniemi, Student of Osteopathy
- Jenny Helin, Student of business administration
- Jonna Savaloja, Student of elderly care
- Susanna Lundhal
iEER jury
- Pekka Rantala, Business Finland
- Pontus Stråhlman, Spinnaker Ventures
- Christine Chang, Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council
- Harri Haapaniemi, Laurea University of Applied Sciences
This article is brought to you by the Laurea University of Applied Sciences. For more information about the 10 days 100 challenges, please visit 10days100challenges.fi
