Project
GrowthCF – Renewing Business through Student Collaboration
Project sponsors
Abbreviation
Project type
Focus area
Implementation time
1.1.2025 - 31.8.2026
Financing program
Just Transition Fund (JTF)
UN Sustainable development goals
Project description
KasvuKS - Innovative Business through Student Collaboration Project is part of a comprehensive set of three parallel projects aimed at renewing business operations and improving research, development, and innovation (RDI) opportunities in Central Finland. The parallel projects are carried out by the Central Finland Entrepreneurs Association and the Jyväskylä Education Consortium Gradia. These projects aim to create a more favorable operating environment for SMEs to engage in RDI activities and to renew their business operations in various ways.
The purpose of the parallel project at the Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences (Jamk) is to enable more local SMEs to utilize Jamk's free student collaboration as an innovation platform—a place where they can get support for renewing their business operations and find a long-term partner in the higher education institution. The other parallel projects support this goal by focusing on tightening collaboration within the service network, making services more comprehensible for businesses in need of renewal, developing service guidance, and producing information on RDI activities within local SMEs.
The success of the project is based on strong collaboration between companies, educational institutions, and the service network. Through collaboration, new operational models are developed to expand the user base of services supporting business renewal, strengthen long-term collaboration between companies and educational institutions, and enhance the growth of innovation and business in Central Finland.
Project results
As a concrete result of the project, at least 25 companies from Central Finland will utilize the student collaboration innovation platform to renew their business operations. Depending on the assignment, they will receive innovative concepts for more sustainable business practices, renewable energy solutions, service development, or entirely new business ventures. If the companies find it meaningful to modify joint assignments, the outcome will also be new or strengthened cooperation between the companies. The enhanced collaboration with educational institutions sought by the project aims to provide long-term support for the companies' development efforts. The goal is to develop a plan for the next student assignment or a commitment to other types of collaboration with educational institutions, which will advance the companies' development efforts, with 12 companies during the project.