The September call of the Draft Program in Joensuu emphasized internationalization and digitalization. A total of 24 teams competed for funding, with selected projects focusing on diverse innovations ranging from agricultural robots to cultural restaurants.
Explore the Draft program’s application guidelines and apply in Joensuu or Kuopio!
Heikki Immonen, Paavo Raappana, Marja-Liisa Ruotsalainen, Karelia University of Applied Sciences
21.10.2024
In the Draft Program call held in Joensuu in September 2024, there were a total of 24 applicants, 20 of whom were in the first round and four in the follow-up stage. Nine teams received funding, with the majority of selected teams utilizing digital tools and remote services in their business operations. This fall was also the most international Draft Program ever: 12 applicant teams used English as their working language, and at least five of the selected teams include members from different nationalities.
The funded teams focus on diverse topics, with particular emphasis this time on the utilization of platform economy, electronics education, and innovations related to physical products. Among the selected teams are the agricultural robotics team led by Ville Vestman, and Evgenii Mikhailov’s team, whose goal is to lower the threshold for learning electronics.
A perceived need for a product or service offered by the team was mentioned as an inspiration for business ideas and for applying to the Draft Program. Although thematically it is not an unprecedented innovation, each business idea complements the offering of its market environment with some new element.
Teams selected in the September call
Teams selected for the first round:
- Agricultural Robot, team leader Ville Vestman
- Tourism Service, team leader Siqi Hou
- Allergy Product, team leader Mira Tallberg
- E-commerce Solution, team leader Saul Hernandez Morales
- Cultural Restaurant, team leader Bimba Kumari Amarasekara
- Social and Health Services Platform, team leader Henna Lukkari
- Electronics Education Platform, team leader Evgenii Mikhailov
Teams selected for the follow-up phase:
- Vesko Oy, team leader Leo Fadi
- Print Waste Reduction, team leader Elias Havurinne
Developing and commercializing physical technology
Developing and commercializing physical technology differs significantly from software-based technology development. For physical products, product development often requires more resources and time, as prototyping, testing, and improving are multi-phase processes, and material costs as well as building production capacity require special efforts. Logistics and distribution channels for physical products are an essential part of commercialization, which brings challenges that are not typically encountered in software development.
Another significant difference is the simple fact that products like robots contain both physical components and software, making the overall system much more complex. Developing such complex technology requires the ability to focus on the most critical features. Additional features can be added later, once the core product functions in the desired and predictable manner.
Supporting product development of physical goods in the Draft Program
The Draft Program aims to support the commercialization of physical products by promoting product development in such a way that large investments are avoided in the early stages. This is achieved by focusing on developing and testing prototypes as cost-effectively as possible, and by working closely with local universities and partners. The program emphasizes rapid experimentation and, for example, pre-orders, which can reduce uncertainty and risk before making binding decisions and investments from an entrepreneur’s perspective.
In general, the Draft Program is a delicious environment to test the commercial potential of your business idea as well as get in touch with entrepreneurial activities. In addition to financial support, the experience expertise of current and past Draft participants as well as the expertise of the network members can also be utilised. The first and second phases of the Draft Program are interactive development processes in many directions, the aim of which is to create more ready-made business ideas towards entrepreneurship itself.
Explore the Draft program’s application guidelines and apply in Joensuu or Kuopio!
Literature
Christensen C. M. & Raynor M. E. (2013). The Innovator’s Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth. Harvard Business Review Press.
Ries E. (2011). The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses. Crown Business.
Anthony S. D. (2014). The First Mile: A Launch Manual for Getting Great Ideas into the Market. Harvard Business Review Press.
NASA. (2007). NASA Systems Engineering Handbook. NASA/SP-2007-6105 Rev1.