How to kill bad ideas?
Lessons learned
in Idea Lab
- University of Tartu -
Kalev Kaarna
Riga 2014
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.7
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)© Kalev Kaarna 8
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: [email protected]
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