Practical experience
Prove What You Can Do
Landing a job takes more than talent, it takes action. Demola gives you the chance to tackle real challenges, collaborate with others, and build proof of what you can do even when things are uncertain. By actively participating in a Demola project, you can turn your skills into compentencies and concrete experience.
Partnered with Innovative Companies
Demola Project Model: Real Projects, Real Impact
Our platform, created together with leading companies and professors, connects you to real-world innovation projects. You’ll work as part of a team on an innovation and development project, guided by Demola’s expert facilitators. Participating in a project will give you practical experience and the confidence to deal with complexity in any job.
What to Expect?
At Demola, innovation projects are built around real-world project topics co-designed with companies and public-sector organisations. If selected, you'll join an innovation team working to develop meaningful solutions that respond to validated needs.
Work on Real Challenges
Our projects tackle complex, relevant problems grounded in industry and societal needs. You'll work in a team to design and demo solutions, benefiting from the insights and findings of previous Demola projects. Most Demola projects last around two months, but the exact duration depends on the programme they are part of.
Guided, Not Handheld
Each team benefits from expert guidance through coaching sessions and facilitated community events. Demola's facilitators bring years of experience in innovation and adapt their support to match your ambition and commitment. You are expected to take an active role, both individually and as a team.
Co-Create and Validate
You'll co-create with other teams and Demola's experts, and validate and test your solutions with real stakeholders to continuously refine your approach. High-performing teams gain access to a network of professionals from Demola's industry partners for further input and exposure.
Grow Professionally
You'll build in-demand, career-ready skills in creative problem-solving, AI-assisted innovation, project management, international collaboration, and resilience ' all while working in an environment that mirrors real innovation practices.
Own Your Impact
Your team owns the outcomes created during the project. Use them in job interviews, your portfolio, a Master's thesis, or even as the foundation of a startup. In some cases, your work may also earn you academic credit (ECTS) if you are a student.
The impact
Proven Skills Development
Ready to turn your skills into competence? Our claims are backed by feedback from our community of participants and alumni.
Great impact on the growth of working life capabilities
Strongly agree (49.3%)
Agree (43.6%)
Neither agree or disagree (5.3%)
Disagree (1.3%)
Strongly disagree (0.5%)
Perceived impact on skills development
2 272 people took part in the survey.
New skills
65.6%
Valuable work experience
63.9%
New friends
51.5%
Startup ideas
34.4%
International teamwork experience
30.5%
Industry contacts
23.9%
Self-esteem
23.9%
New motivation to study
22.8%
Confidence in career choices
20.3%
Researcher contacts
17.6%
Better position in the labor market
13.5%
Other
1.5%
Based on Q4/2022 survey
Who Can Participate?
University Students
If you’re currently studying at or near one of our Demola locations or partner universities, you’re welcome to join a Demola project.
Current Demola Locations:
Finland:Tampere, Oulu, Vaasa, Turku, Jyväskylä
Japan:Tokyo, Sapporo
Czechia:Prague, Ostrava
Hungary:Budapest
United Kingdom:GlasgowGraduates & Professionals
In our partner cities, the projects are also open to graduates and professionals who are exploring new career paths or interested in co-creating and launching startups in the future.
Current Partner Cities for these Opportunities:
Finland:Tampere, Oulu, Riihimäki
After a Demola Project
Many alumni have participated in more than one Demola project – the current record is seven. For active alumni, we facilitate further development in their academic studies or future careers:
Master’s Thesis
Explore or fine-tune your Master’s thesis topic through a Demola project and find a potential industry collaborator for your Master’s thesis after the project.
Verified Expert Profile & Industry Connections
Develop an expert profile that highlights your project contributions, as well as innovation and interpersonal skills. Top-performing participants will have their expert profiles shared and recommended within Demola’s partner network, verifying their skills and proactive mindset.
Startup Development
Build on your project results, connect with like-minded teammates, and use your entrepreneurial mindset to lay the groundwork for a startup.
Get onboarded with Demola
Here's How to Start
Create
Create a Demola profile.
Apply
Browse project in your location and apply to those that interest you.
Approve
If you get selected, confirm your seat and start the teamwork.
Discover Your Demola Project
Apply to one or more projects today!
Remote
Human Beings in the Modern World
Update the food experience
What was the best food experience for you? Camping meals with family in the great outdoors The first meal I had at my parents' house after I started living alone Dinner at a restaurant on a first date with my girlfriend All of them taste great, but when, where, and with whom you eat them are also important values. Of course French food eaten alone is delicious, but I feel that the great value of food is being able to enjoy conversation and share tastes and experiences with those who are close to you. In recent years, the values of time performance and cost performance have spread, and meals that take time, nutrients, and price into consideration, such as complete nutritional meals, have become popular. Practical value is of course important, but are there not other things that are more important when we view “food” as an experience? When, where, and what was your best food experience? And what do we need to do to share and expand such rich food experiences? Join us in updating the food experience of our time. Today, “food” has become more diverse due to changes in lifestyles and values. There is a tendency to view food as a function, such as meal kits and home-delivered meals with good time performance, oatmeal and pasta with good cost performance, and other meals that can be eaten quickly, are nutritious, and make you feel full. However, when we look at “food” as an “experience,” there are other things that are more important. In addition to “taste,” “texture,” “aroma,” “nutrients,” and “satiety,” which are physical and healthy aspects of food, social and environmental factors as well as psychological and emotional factors have a significant impact on the richness of the experience of eating a French meal alone in the morning and a French meal with your lover at dinner, even if the food you are eating is the same. Social and environmental factors, as well as psychological and emotional factors, play a major role. When, where, with whom, and what you feel are also important elements of the food experience. We believe that the value of food lies in the ability to share experiences and sensations with others. We are a sales promotion support business, but at the same time we have the environment to use the world's first “taste sensor”. Using an “artificial lipid membrane” that imitates the human tongue, we are able to measure and convert into data the five tastes plus astringent and pungent tastes that are important elements of taste. Our strength is that we can provide objective data by quantitatively evaluating and analyzing tastes. We have also been conducting other taste preference judgments for many years, and have big data to determine subjective tastes. We hope to utilize these technologies to contribute to people's rich food experience. So far, we have used it to analyze and measure taste, study marriages, and develop alternative foods. In the future, I would like to make more use of “taste sensors” to update the modern dining experience. We want to redefine the value of people's meals and create new value by sharing happiness and excitement.Come update the food experience with us and create a new food culture.
Apply by 21 Jul
Remote
Human Beings in the Modern World
The New Formula for "Driving Happiness”
The automotive industry is in the midst of a “once-in-a-century” period of great change. The keyword “CASE” symbolizes this change. CASE“ is a term that symbolizes these changes: ”Connected,“ in which cars are constantly connected to the Internet; ”Autonomous,“ in which AI takes over driving; ”Shared,“ in which ownership is replaced by usage; and ”Electric," in which the source of power is electricity. The major changes occurring in these four areas are not merely technological advancements, but are fundamentally changing the way we live and the nature of society itself. This huge transformation called “CASE” is actually not a magic that was created from nothing at all. Many of them were created by multiplying (x) the “existing things” we are familiar with “new technologies and perspectives”. Take “Connected” for example. This is a new technology called “high-speed communication” combined with an existing machine called a "car”. As a result, values that were once unimaginable have been created, such as real-time map updates and remote control with a smartphone. What would happen if we tried to bring this way of thinking into “building” automobiles to “delivering” them to customers? We have a variety of assets such as “dealerships” that are rooted in the community, ‘mechanics’ who know automobiles inside out, and “relationships of trust” with our customers. Here, for example, we can boldly pull back the common sense of the industry and the conventional wisdom. The role of dealers can be divided (÷) with the region or other industries. Then, if we add your completely new perspective and technology (+), what kind of formula will be born? We would like to work together with you to create a business that will realize the “driving happiness” of the future by adding your “new perspectives” to our wide range of existing resources related to automobiles, so that all people who drive and are involved with automobiles can feel happy. How would you combine the four arithmetic operations of business to lead the way to a new era of driving happiness? In the past, our relationship with the automobile was relatively simple: let's organize it in 4W1H (when, where, who, what and how). It used to be that most of cars were driven on a daily basis, near our homes, by the owner, by taking out a loan. But now there are a variety of other options in all the 4W1Hs. The connection between the customer and the automobile is becoming more diverse and fragmented in all aspects. Behind these changes are technological advances that have dramatically improved the quality of automobiles and made it possible for a single car to be used very long and safely. This “longevity” has made it possible for a single car to pass through the hands of multiple owners and users during its lifetime (car life cycle*1). As a result, new businesses have emerged one after another that capture the entire car life cycle, including not only the sale of new cars, but also the resale of high-quality used cars, leasing and rental cars for a limited period of time, and the recycling and reuse of parts after they have completed their role in the car. It can be said that the convenience of automobiles has further increased, with customers being able to choose when they need a car at a reasonable price and when they need it. We believe that new business opportunities lie in this diversified, fragmented, and complex situation. For example, what can we do if we subtract (-) the stereotype of the dealership as a place where customers “wait” to buy? Next, what can we do if we divide the roles (÷), of our maintenance skills and apply it to various mobility needs in the community? Can we create new value by multiplying (×) with other fields and industries? By capturing our business as “the four arithmetic rules of business,” we should be able to create even greater value. We would like to create a new business by redefining the “customer journey*2” of the automobile, which has become fragmented and prolonged, by capturing our business as using the “four arithmetic rules of business”. What kind of added value can we create throughout the entire process from when a customer begins to consider a car, to when they acquire it, use it, and even when they let it go? Why don't we reconfirm the points of contact with our customers and work together to create a new business that will make them happier and enriched throughout their lives, and create “driving happiness” for them? ＊1 The entire process of a single vehicle from the time it is sold as a new vehicle until it is scrapped. ＊2 This concept refers to the series of experiences and actions that a customer goes through from learning about a product or service to purchasing or using it, which is resembled to a "journey”.
Apply by 21 Jul
.jpg&w=750&q=75 "Healthcare Superplatform")
Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere, Tokyo, Vaasa
Human Beings in the Modern World
Healthcare Superplatform
Currenty public healthcare service apps are very limited due to the lack of ability to utilize user’s personal data and 3rd party integrations. We are missing lots of efficiency and personalization due to the rigidness and basic digitalization of the healthcare services. There are lots of good but separated data hubs (like kanta.fi) where the information exists, but it is not used for our benefit. What if we could build a superplatform for public healthcare users, aka citizens? How might we aggregate personal, medical and lifestyle data from the public healthcare sector, 3rd party service providers and users themselves to build new kinds of value propositions for the citizens? Which would be the first simple use cases where the public healthcare sector and 3rd party service providers could offer extremely good service for the citizens? In this project we aim to build use cases and demonstrate those through simple apps and user interfaces. We are looking for people interested in software engineering, data sciences, healthcare, service design and UX.
Apply by 07 May
Helsinki, Oulu, Tampere, Tokyo, Vaasa
Human Beings in the Modern World
VIP Event Experience
Event experience is extremely standardized nowadays. Everyone who buys a ticket gets same experience during the event. 5G Advanced and 6G positioning paired with “superplatform” of personal information could be used to tailer event experience to another level. What if you don’t have to show your ticket to anyone, but the gates recognize you and you can just walk in? What if the bartender at the venue knows already what you would like to drink? The opportunities are limitless, and we are eager to explore them with you. How to build personalized VIP experience for every visitor by utilizing location data? How can we streamline the visitor experience to know what we have, what we want and what we would like? Let’s assume we have the exact location of the visitors at our disposal and visitor’s personal information and utilize that to personalize the experience for the users. Join the project to create the demonstration of next-generation personalized event experience. If you are interested in events, software, positioning tech, data analytics, UX or visual visual design, this is the project for you!
Apply by 07 May
Helsinki, Ostrava, Oulu, Prague, Tampere, Tokyo, Vaasa
Human Beings in the Modern World
Garage as a Service
Traditional car leasing models are growing in popularity. At the same time there have been many trials for different car sharing solutions. We are interested in concepting a service for high-end car brands that offer flexibility and luxury for the customers through a “Garage as a Service”. Instead of leasing one car for 4 years, you could have the flexibility to change the vehicle based on your current needs and change the car at a centralized garage periodically. Is your family growing? Go and change for a bigger car. Want to enjoy the summer in convertible? Go and get the coolest convertible available! How would you productize and design this kind of “garage” service? How could you leverage the trends of hyperpersonalization, sustainability and ease of maintenance in this kind of concept? How would the service be presented to the customers and what would be the “terms of service”? In this project we assume money is not the issue for the customers. Join this project if you are interested in car industry, new business models, service design, visual design or marketing!
Apply by 07 May
Helsinki, Ostrava, Oulu, Prague, Tampere, Tokyo, Vaasa
Human Beings in the Modern World
Journalism In Metaverse
In the never-ending fight against mis- and disinformation, reliable news and quality journalism are more important than ever. The problem for traditional news is the interface; whether digital articles or physical news papers, it is extremely hard to offer the reader enough context and sources to fully validate the authenticity and trustworthiness. This leaves lots of space for mis- and disinformation to look just as convincing as the real news. What if we could offer near limitless amounts of sources, background and context for the readers? We want to build demos in metaverse environment to see what kind of user experience would enable transparent journalism in the future. How would a news article in metaverse look like? How much can we utilize the limitless space and different dimensions to visualize the news for the readers? Can we mix different mediums (text, audio, video, etc…) together to create completely new kind of news reading experience? We are looking for students interested in software engineering, game design, journalism, metaverse or UX design.
Apply by 07 May
Student Success Stories
See how Demola has helped students around the world succeed in their careers and personal lives.
Ahiram Cruz Mártinez
Master’s Degree student in Research and Innovation in Higher Education
Excellent
20/04/2023
“I enjoy connecting with other people who are not from the same area and field, and creating new things. I think Demola is a very great platform and, since I’m interested in education, I think this is a great idea to help students and other people to learn in a different way and to be closer to the work life.”
Aleksandra Akmaikina
Master’s Student in Public and Global Health
Excellent
20/04/2023
“I joined Demola for the third time already, since I enjoy how my personal skills are developing here and I love the feeling of freedom of thoughts, to be able to think, feel and express anything.”
Sofia Kasari
Master’s Student in Sustainable Digitalisation
Excellent
20/04/2023
“I wanted more experience in interdisciplinary project work and real-life, tangible development of solutions with external stakeholders. I also wanted to practice what the design process is like in the real world and how to present novel ideas in an attractive, business- oriented way. And Demola delivered!”
Dário Santos
Master’s Degree Student in Engineering and Technology
Excellent
10/06/2022
“In Demola we focused on creating solutions that can and should be applicable and should happen in real life, concrete and implementable solutions that can have an impact. Those type of solutions that go way beyond than just making a new website or a nice social media page.”
Antti Hyytinen
Master of Business
Excellent
17/04/2023
“If you have successfully completed the Demola project, it is proof of your passion and that your mindset is inevitably customer-oriented. Demola is definitely an experience I can recommend to all students.”
Clarify Your Doubts: Our FAQs
Get the information you need with our comprehensive list of FAQs below:
Is it free to join Demola projects?
I already graduated / taking a gap year / unemployed / worked for many years…, can I still apply?
How many projects can I apply to at once? Will you send me more than one offer?
After finishing a project, can I take part again?
What if my university is not on the list of "Home institution" choices? Does it mean I am not eligible to apply?
Do you have any questions about Demola? See our help center
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