Spinning pilots
Editoija
Haho, Päivi
Kaartti, Virpi
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
2018
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-328-131-8
https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-328-131-8
Tiivistelmä
Spinning pilots -publication presents the outcomes and activities of the Spinning pilots -project. The strategic objectives of the Uusimaa region include strengthening the region’s position as an innovative hub for enterprises and supporting the growth entrepreneurship of high competence, in particular. The Spinning Pilots project supports these objectives with a focus on entrepreneurship in the health and well-being sector. Health sector SMEs that have both growth potential and adequate flexibility to achieve genuine benefits in the experimental project work were selected as the target group of cooperation. Health and well-being technology is a globally growing market. Start-up companies in the sector need agile and cost-effective ways to examine the needs of customers and business opportunities in foreign markets. Living Labs can provide companies with support in their innovation activities. Typical features in the activities of Living Labs include the application of several methods, engagement of users and other stakeholders, operating in an authentic operating environment and cocreation. Living Labs have been described as being intermediary organisations which build and strengthen the open innovation ecosystem in Europe, which supports the internationalisation of small and medium-sized enterprises while enabling the validation of products and services in other markets through cooperation with and consultation of Living Labs (The Living Lab Methodology Handbook 2017). However, this role is new and still taking shape, and Living Labs need to promote international cooperation and the commercial provision of their services. The objective of the Spinning Pilots project has been to create better opportunities and effective approaches or action models for internationalisation for start-ups in the health and well-being sector by adhering to the Lean Startup principles. The project was executed between the years 2017-2018 as an alliance of four organisations. The key stakeholders in the project were the multidisciplinary Laurea and Metropolia Universities of Applied Sciences, which brought their extensive offering and both substance competence and experience in corporate partnerships to the table. The other stakeholders involved in running the project were Upgraded, the organisation for start-ups in the health and well-being sector, and Helsinki Think Company, the entrepreneurship society of the University of Helsinki, which has led several voluntary accelerators and programmes for students. In addition, the European Network of Living Labs and Forum Virium Helsinki provided support for the project. The project was funded by the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council.