OREANDA-NEWS. The Idea Lab of the University of Tartu has created an inspiring teamwork centre in the building of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration. The new premises give the students of southern Estonia and the teams of the Idea Lab a place for brainstorming and training, entrepreneurship studies, testing of products and software as well as for the pre-incubation of business ideas.

The new premises of 300 square metres include the work and meeting rooms of the teams of the Idea Lab and two lecture rooms for entrepreneurship studies, training courses and events. “In these rooms, students can test whether the users like their products and software. Various devices help to track eye movements and detect emotions and bodily reactions such as heart rate and palm moisture,” said the Head of the Idea Lab Maret Ahonen, adding that the technical equipment available in the room also allows developing applications for the Kinect 2.0 device that registers body movements and voice commands

The premises supplement the electronics lab of the Idea Lab located in Maarjam?isa. “The prototypes created in the new premises can be sent for printing to the 3D printer located at the Institute of Technology. This allows enhancing the value of products and test the interest of the customer before the physical creation of the prototype,” said Ahonen, adding that as such, the Idea Lab is the regional incubation centre for developing innovative business ideas into business models.

The creative solution of the premises was done by Tartu Art College and carried out by Tartu Vocational Education Centre. The design solutions of the corridor created by the students of the Art College express the dynamic nature of the Idea Lab, its energy and ambitious ideas. For instance, when entering the corridor from the entrance to the Idea Lab, the visuals of sub-programmes such as the Vega Fund catch the eye in the window recesses. When describing the concept of their creation, the students say that this illustrates the process from the idea to the implementation.

The interior design carries a fresh and inspiring emotion. The name of the vision of the design is “Ideereaktor” (Idea Reactor). The inspiring design elements and the moving interior fittings refer to brainwork that is mechanically efficient.

The opening of the new premises of the Idea Lab takes place on Friday, 13 February at 13:02 at Narva mnt 4. The rooms will be opened by a brainstorming competition. In front of the visitors, teams of students, entrepreneurs and teaching staff compete in generating bright ideas.

The Idea Lab welcomes the students of all faculties of the University of Tartu as well students from other higher education institutions of southern Estonia. The teams of the Idea Lab that have joined the Tramm programme or received support from the Vega Fund get access to the premises also outside working hours.