Brainstorming solutions for health technology in Digital Wellbeing Sprint

Digital Wellbeing Sprint is an open innovation and cooperation sprint program, where students from different fields and cultural backgrounds innovate and develop future healthcare and wellbeing solutions together with companies. Six health technology companies were on board.

In one of the challenges the group discussed usage options for a tablet for example in a hospital environment. One challenge was about exercising applications for smartphones and another challenge about using a digital home physiotherapist.

The whole program culminated in pitching event in Oodi, where participants presented their achievements. During the six-day program, the participants also got to hear many inspiring speakers from different organizations.

Digital Wellbeing Sprint started in 2017. Now the program was renewed and companies from health technology field participated. The students worked in groups and each had a chance to choose the most interesting challenge. There were more than 30 participants in this year’s sprint.

Teachers from all three universities of applied sciences have been planning the program. In addition to that, eight tutors from master’s programs were along.

- We have had amazing tutors who have been very active. They have for example organized workshops and facilitated groups, says Maija Kiljunen, the project manager of Digital Wellbeing Sprint.

Multidisciplinary competence is needed in solving the challenges

Six intensive days of Digital Wellbeing Sprint took place during three different weeks. During the first days the students worked in group-work premises of Terkko Health Hub in Meilahti. The next week there was a boot camp in We+ at the Cable Factory. On the last week there was a pitching day at IBM premises in Munkkiniemi and finally the ideas were presented in Oodi.

Although organizing all the facilities and speakers has been challenging, project manager Maija Kiljunen is excited about the outcome. Every day experts and companies inspired and boosted the sprint and gave participants ideas for solving their own challenges. Students have been very close to the actual working life just because of these premises.

- This was good because I don’t think it’s good to stay all the time in one place, says Alisher Aliev who studies Business Information Technology at Haaga-Helia.

Aliev got interested in Digital Wellbeing Sprint because health technology is a field in which he sees himself in the future. Aliev’s group challenge was to define the customer interface for start-up company Disior. Group also had two students with nursing background of which the other had also experience in business consulting.

- We did a very good job really. We all worked together and even had meetings outside the sprint meetings, Aliev tells.

The program is suitable for students in all fields and degree programs, because multidisciplinary competence is needed. According to Alisher Aliev Digital Wellbeing Sprint is not just for people with healthcare or technology backgrounds.

Aliev says that the best part of Digital Wellbeing Sprint was pitching training together with Suvi Lehtonen from LaureaES. Lehtonen reminded the students to avoid certain fonts and keeping the colour palette simple in the presentation. She also recommended adding photos of the pitchers at the end of the presentation so that the audience will remember their faces. Groups had used these advice since every presentation seen at Oodi had pictures of the group members.

Suvi Lehtonen

Lehtonen herself says that she is not an expert in pitching, but she has seen thousands of pitches. Lehtonen was in charge of the 3AMK’s Cambridge Venture Camp earlier this spring.

Both the companies and the students praised Digital Wellbeing Sprint. Organizers therefore hope that the sprint will take place again next year.

Read more about Digital Wellbeing Sprint from the blog.