Talent @ BW go Demola
In October 2014, the MFG Innovation Agency is sending the next round of Baden-Württemberg talent to Finland. The "Talent @ BW go Demola" program enables university graduates to spend six months working in Europe's leading creative lab Demola in Tampere. Participants work in international, interdisciplinary teams on research projects in the IT and media sector. Interested graduates have until June 30, 2014 to apply for funding of around 5,800 euros each.
"Don't touch anything" is the unwritten - and often enough posted - law of every museum. Because the cultural experience is often neglected when simply looking at something, the Finnish transport museum Mobilia has commissioned a young research team at the Demola creative lab to develop a digital game for museum visitors: in the "Open Road" team, a Chinese, a Macedonian, a German and two Finns are working on an interactive game for mobile devices. The car racing game with time travel elements shows players what it feels like to drive the cars on display and how Finnish road traffic has changed over the last few decades. As an intuitive game with a fun factor, it is designed to appeal to a new target audience.
Improvising in an open atmosphere
"I gained valuable experience in game design," says Susanne Bauer, MFG scholarship holder and the German member of the team. "At the same time, I also took on new tasks such as project management and the 3D area, which I wouldn't have come into contact with otherwise - and realized that it works well. At the final event, we won the award for the best developed prototype with our pitch," says the 26-year-old happily. She sees the Demola experience - especially the pitching - as good preparation for working life.
After completing her bachelor's degree in media informatics at Stuttgart Media University, Susanne Bauer successfully applied for the "Talent @ BW go Demola" program in 2013. The MFG Innovation Agency is thus funding her six-month stay at the Demola creative lab in Tampere, Finland. Here, young researchers from all over the world work together in interdisciplinary teams on new solutions for the IT and media industry. The special feature: self-determined, creative work in dream projects at the interface between science and business.
The participants bring home more than just good experiences from Finland: Demola works according to the open innovation principle, which also includes the granting of shared licenses. Once development is complete, the right of use lies with both the companies and the young developers. This means that a business idea can easily develop from the practical application in the creative lab.
Apply by the end of June, leave in October
The next round of the Demola program starts in October 2014. University graduates from Baden-Württemberg who are fluent in English, have an affinity for IT and/or project management skills can apply by June 30. The stay lasts from October 2014 to March 2015 and is funded by the MFG Innovation Agency with up to 5,790 euros per participant. Interested parties should send a letter of motivation and CV in English by email to Maren Osterlitz, Talent Promotion Project Manager: [email protected]. Further information on "Talent @ BW go Demola" is also available online on the MFG Innovation Agency website.
