SeAMK Innovation Week is a compulsory course for all first-year students of Seinäjoki University of Applied sciences. It is carried out as a one-week intensive course in March. During the SeAMK Innovation week, students solve real working life challenges given by client businesses or organizations in multidisciplinary teams. The clients are local companies and organizations interested in getting input from young higher education students. The challenges range from developing marketing to solving logistical problems.
Learning in practice
The week is pedagogigally based on a method called Design Thinking, which focuses on both customer and business perspectives. The students are divided into approx. 10 multidisciplinary groups, which work in separate rooms. In each classroom there is a coaching team to give the instructions for daily activities and support. At the end of the week, the students present their solutions to the given problem to the client who chooses the best one. During the week, students will apply methods such as Design Thinking and Service Design. They learn brainstorming, group work and presentation skills – and get the lived experience of creating something new.