Design + Business qualification took place between August and October, with the participation of 44 students from both institutions

Between the months of August and October, a class of 44 students, two from Feevale University and the others from Hamk - Häme University of Applied Sciences, Finland, joined the Design + Business course, promoted in partnership by the two institutions. The activity aimed to work on the conception of new businesses through the Finnish design approach, beyond analyzing the global environment, seeking to identify opportunities for new ventures. The classes took place synchronously with participants from Brazil and Finland, and they were taught by professor Moema Pereira Nunes from Feevale, and professors Ricardo Galiot and Melanie Kirwa from Hamk.

At the end of the classes, the participants developed eight projects, based on opportunities that integrate global business perspectives in search of solving society's problems, related to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals. “It was a very challenging experience, both for the construction of the projects and for managing the cultural differences between the participants”, says Professor Moema.

Check out the projects presented:

• Platform to connect influencers and brands, helping small influencers understand how to negotiate with brands, in addition to involving aspects of entrepreneurial education
• Platform to connect students from different countries, so that they can learn through interaction, with the initial focus on public schools in Nigeria (country of one of the students) with Finnish schools
• Development of products from material made with cactus
• Platform to connect elderly people and immigrants to support the integration of immigrants in the country with language learning and reduce the isolation of elderly people
• Sexual education platform and support for access to contraceptives and hygiene products for girls
• Hydroponic food production system for homes
• Development of recycled plastic packaging that can be reused for storing ready-to-eat food, acting as a packaging rental
• Platform for therapy, with the availability of different types of therapy and indication of service conditions, being able to mediate online or in-person consultations