In autumn semester 2023, we are celebrating our ongoing collaboration between Innovation Centre Denmark Shanghai (ICDK) and the Innovation Management (IM) program at the Sino-Danish Center for Education and Research (SDC). This marks the third consecutive time that ICDK and SDC have come together to initiate a program that engages students in addressing real-world innovation challenges. This collaboration aims to foster creativity and promote cross-cultural learning among emerging talents. Adding to the excitement, this year we are partnering up with NineUnited, a leading Danish innovation-driven family-owned company.
Expectations are high as ICDK, SDC and NineUnited are all contributing to this exciting project in their unique way. SDC assumes the main coordinating role of the project and ensures that the learning objectives of the module are fulfilled by helping the students navigate the academic and business requirements through guidance and supervision from academic supervisors. ICDK primarily offers insights and experience, while also giving the students feedback during the project. Lastly, being the first time to work in this format, NineUnited in Shanghai has prepared real-life cases for the students to solve, giving them a glimpse of business world realities that the company encounters on a daily basis.
The collaboration is organized around three major milestones. In early October, six groups of Innovation Management students from SDC were presented with two challenges from NineUnited at a kick-off. In late November, at the Midterm Status Event, students presented their preliminary thoughts and received feedback from Investment Manager Mr. Huan Huang, the challenge owner at NineUnited. The culmination is scheduled for January 11th, when IM groups will pitch their results at Studio9 in Shanghai.
“Working closely with a company like NineUnited and our partners at ICDK allows us to bridge the gap between academia and industry, ensuring that our students are well-prepared for the dynamic and fast-changing job market” Dmitrij Slepniov says. Additionally, Huang from NineUnited explains that he wishes the students to inspire them, to explore, and contribute with practical advice to further develop their business models. He points out that while the project aims to give the students the opportunity to experience real-life cases, that NineUnited looks forward to a mutually beneficial cooperation.
Martin Hoxer from ICDK hopes that similar projects will be carried out in the future as he states: “I believe the collaboration offers a range of possibilities to further evolve into specific industries with new educational programmes involved, and it can take different forms in regard to working with challenges, research papers, presenting in the form of talks, workshops, or doing pitching events like with NineUnited.”
According to Dmitrij Slepniov, participating in this project provides students with a unique set of advantages. They engage with real-life innovation problems, applying theoretical knowledge in a practical setting. The collaborative nature exposes students to diverse perspectives, educational backgrounds, and experiences.
Combining academic and industry goals, the collaboration found a format of project deliverables where alongside an academic project submitted for the exam, students will prepare executive summaries, discussing their findings focused on the company challenge from a business perspective.
“This enriches their learning experience and prepares them for the complexities of the real world of business and innovation. Unlike typical courses, this project encourages students to take active responsibility for their learning, fostering a sense of ownership and independence. The emphasis on solving real-world problems ensures that the skills acquired are directly transferable to the professional arena, distinguishing this project from traditional educational approaches,” says Dmitrij. The final pitching event allows students to learn how to communicate their solutions to diverse audiences beyond academia.
Collaborative projects like this will have from its inception in 2012 been an integral part of the Innovation Management Program at SDC. We anticipate seeing the results of this partnership in January 2024 and are looking forward to many more collaborative projects involving business, academia and government to come in the future.
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