savonia yrityspalvelut | koulutuspalvelut –amk.fi examples of co-operation between savonia...

Savonia yrityspalvelut | Koulutuspalvelut

www.savonia–amk.fi

Examples of co-operation between Savonia University of Applied Sciences and companies



Contents

1. Co-operation in teaching• Projects inside engineering studies• Co-operation within normal lecturing

2. Co-operation in R&D projects• New project: foreign students helping SME’s in their

internationalisation process• SME’s as partners and beneficiaries in EU-projects



About working with SME’s

•Entrepreneurs are very busy, with their hands always overflowing with tasks to be done

•Often don’t have time or experience for seeking aid from University etc.

•Sometimes don’t know how to seek outside funding for their projects

•Companies profit from using University’s testing facilities

•Universities need to be active in communicating with SME’s to know what they need -> organizing practical co-operation projects



Projects’ linkage to companies and teaching

Project

T&K –yksikkö:

Company X

Company Y

Company Z

Teaching

Bachelor’s thesis

Student projects



1. Consulting within project courses

• In engineer education, there are project courses in which real-life projects are conducted by students

• Companies, research institutions, authorities etc. give topics -> students seek & produce information, perform laboratory tests, design etc -> help things to get forward with minimal cost for companies

• Students gain experience from real-life project work, responsibility etc. and contacts to possible future employers



Finding expertise from University for SME’s

•Savonia provides expertise among others in Mechanical engineering, Electronics design, Design, Marketing -> a small SME can get a lot of help for product development project from one organization

•Practical work for students, own fingerprint in a real product!



From company point of view

• In co-operation with students, companies receive motivated, active, fresh-minded workers

• Create a link to University which they can use every now and then, when a need appears -> effective communication

• By utilizing student’s knowledge, companies keep on touch how things are getting forward in own field

- On the other hand, also University stays aware of what is happening out there



1.2 Co-operation in lecturing

•As a teacher, it is vital to invite experts from companies to give a lecture for students

- Students face new things as they will be faced in working life

•Also the value of study visits to key factories etc. cannot be overestimated

•Adult education for managers from SME’s in Iisalmi -> examples from business life



Rationale concerning R&D projects

• Company may give an original idea for testing, researching etc

• Savonia can start planning project based on this idea or company can be the primus motor, too

- Financiers are encouraging companies to apply for funding and using Universities as administrators

• Also feasibility studies are possible on behalf of companies before major projects

• Environmental technology projects need close negotiation also with authorities, besides companies and financiers



2.1 Helping companies in their internationalization process

Foreign people are a resource which seems to be under-exploited in North Savo

•Like ambassadors of their home country for Finnish SME’s

Small enterprises need help in using this opportunity•Savonia’s legislative role is to support SME’s in our

region



Current co-operation, example 1.

A Russian graduated worker helping chemical manufacturer to gain sertificate for export to Russian market

•Translation of documents•Communication with Russian parties




A French business student creating marketing contacts from her home country for automation developer

•Searching, screening potential customers•Market communication in French to sell the

product




A Chinese IT-student localising Software product to Chinese market

•Translation of text in user-interface•Bringing the cultural know-how to SME about new

export market




A German graduated worker deepening contacts in Germany for a SME developing environmental technology

- The product has been originally developed in a R&D project in Savonia, Technology, Environmental Engineering unit



2.2 Company as partner in EU-funded project

An educational project for environmental engineers and other professionals, financed by EU (ESF)

We invited selected technology suppliers to join this project to present their products with an entrance-fee –> wide interest among technology suppliers in Finland -> enabled the funding from EU



Conclusions

Objective is to develop truly win-win and long-term partnerships between SME, students, teachers, project workers and finally the whole University

University people should be as one of company’s employees

Everybody learn from multi-sector collaboration, many points of view!

savonia yrityspalvelut | koulutuspalvelut –amk.fi examples of co-operation between savonia...

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