Idea Lab 2014

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How to kill bad ideas? Lessons learned in Idea
Lab - University of Tartu -

• Kalev Kaarna
• Riga 2014

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Idea Lab...

• ...a place for students
• from all faculties
• to form interdisciplinary teams and implement
  brilliant ideas

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Interesting questions

• Why did University of Tartu start Idea Lab?
• What are we actually doing?
• Is it successful popularity, start-ups?
• Why is the title of my presentation Killing
  ideas?
• What can we do together?

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WHY?

• To have students with sparkle in their eye
• To have self-motivated students, who are
  experienced in interdisciplinary teamwork (not
  just bad group work) and can discover develop
  opportunities
• To have a pool of experienced students, who can
  solve companies problems

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WHAT?

• Tramm 11 ideas, tasks, seminars, rooms labs,
  small grants, advice
• Vega fund 50 000 grant fund, advice
• Student company seminars
• International programs YESS, NGAL, Student
  Startup Camp

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RESULTS

• 5 rounds of Idea Lab process
• 700 following FB weekly newsletter
• 600 participants on events annually
• ideas come from students, companies, from faculty
  citizens Idea Lab
• 20 teams formed annually
• about 10 additional already existing teams coached

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RESULTS ideas

• using model helicopters for checking defects in
  power lines
• mobile app to help farmers detect plant deceases
• molecular gastronomy cocktails icecream
• touch screen game for brain rehabilitation
• using neural algorithm to help making buying
  cloths easier for people
• developing services for making people happy in
  elderly care homes
• better running tracks for Tartu etc.

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LESSONS LEARNED false assumptions

• Many students want to develop cool ideas
• Students have time to commit to Idea Lab projects
• Students who come know how to ask for help
• It is easy to inform students about cool Idea Lab
  projects
• Most lecturers support interdisciplinary projects
• It is possible to form teams over Internet
  (without meeting people)

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COOPERATION

• MENTORING do you want to learn to give
  inspirational criticism? NB! 11 weeks commitment
  1 hour per week
• JOINT PROGRAMS international team-up, joint
  courses, joint events
• Contact kalev.kaarna_at_ut.ee