SPARK Finland

Pre-SPARK Health Concept Discovery

Unlock and ignite the potential of research discoveries in Health & Life Sciences!

Are you ready to turn your research findings into real-world concepts? Or to develop your ideas into value-creating solutions? What if you could discover new opportunities for your own career along the way? Join us in the Pre-SPARK Health Concept Discovery Program to unlock the potential of your research – while getting direct support from top industry professionals. 

 

🌟 DISCOVER AND DEVELOP: This program is your gateway to uncovering practical and value-creating concepts that can transform the future of health innovation based on your own findings or existing research discoveries. Explore the realms of real-world challenges, idea development, product creation, and delve into critical aspects of business, such as regulatory compliance, intellectual property, competitor analysis, and market understanding.

In Autumn 2025, Pre-SPARK will dive into key concept development topics within Health & Life Sciences across three thematic areas:

  • Biotech, Pharma, Cell Therapies, and Vaccines

  • Medical Devices and Diagnostics

  • Bioinformatics, AI, and Digital Health

 

🚀 WORLD-CLASS LECTURERS, MENTORSHIP AND PEER SUPPORT: Get to learn from top industry experts in Finland and from abroad, where we will dive deep into topics such as design thinking, product development, funding, regulatory & IPR, market understanding, among others. Receive invaluable guidance and mentorship from seasoned industry professionals who will be your compass when navigating through the process of transforming ideas into value-creating concepts. Collaborate with peers who share your passion and ambition, fostering a supportive and innovative community.

🌐 BROADEN YOUR HORIZONS: As the course will be organized by SPARK Finland, you will get a unique chance to immerse yourself in the SPARK network that transcends academia, opening doors to exciting career possibilities and nurturing your journey towards developing fundable research projects.

🤝 TEAMWORK: We believe in the power of collaboration and diversity. You’ll work in small groups with teammates from multiple backgrounds, sparking the concept forward through collective brainstorming and dynamic problem-solving.

 

FOR WHOM:

Whether or not you have a research discovery of your own, we welcome applicants affiliated with SPARK Finland’s member institutions, who are:

🔬 Master’s students
👨‍🔬 PhD candidates and PostDocs
👩‍⚕️ Scientists and Clinicians

If you’re joining without a research discovery or idea of your own, you can explore existing literature for inspiration and learn how to translate academic research into a practical, value-driven concept. Alternatively, you can join a team and work on concept ideas proposed by your teammates.

Applying to Pre-SPARK doesn’t require a fully formed idea—one of the program’s key goals is to guide you through the process of refining your concept in early stage. There is no requirement to participate apart from an interest in health technology development. Background on health and life sciences is recommended, but not a must!

Click here for some inspirations to start with your idea or concept development.

 

STUDY CREDITS OPTION:

Upon successfully completing the program, participants will receive a Pre-SPARK Certificate of Completion from SPARK Finland. Student participants may also have the opportunity to earn up to 5 ECTS, depending on their degree program’s approval. Please check for possible specific enrollment instructions from your study program. More details are also provided at the end of this page.

 

WHEN & WHERE:

  • Lectures and workshops (hybrid: on-site for participants in Helsinki/Espoo area, or Zoom for others): Every Wednesdays starting 16.00, from September 10 to November 18 (with timing exceptions in some session). See below for more detailed schedule.
  • 1-1 mentoring meetings (online or on-site): to be agreed separately between teams and mentors.

For more questions about the Pre-SPARK program, please reach out to My Nguyen (my.nguyen@sparkfinland.fi).

 

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to transform your career and make a lasting impact in shaping the future of the health industry!

Send in your application with the button below or click here.

 

For Autumn 2025, the application period is open between April 1 – May 30, followed by a late-bird application until August 29 upon availability. Selection results will be sent in June for early applicants and in early September for late applicants. To maximize your chance of securing a spot in the program, we advise to apply before May 30. 

Note that we have a limited amount of study seats available, please apply only if you can commit the necessary time to actively participate in the program.

 

The Pre-SPARK Health Concept Discovery Program is organized by SPARK Finland and supported by SPARK Finland’s member institutions (see below). For Autumn 2025, Pre-SPARK is co-organized with the Master’s Programme in Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki.

Autumn 2025 Program Schedule

Please note that small changes might be made during Spring 2025. More detailed agenda will be shared at the beginning of the program. 

2025 Mentors and Lecturers

(The list is being updated during Spring 2025.)

Literature

Upon completion of the program, participants will be provided a certificate of completion. For student participants, it is optional to earn up to 5 ECTS after completing the program, if you wish to include Pre-SPARK in your study transcript and if your degree program approves it. In some cases, the credits are not registered automatically. It is advised to check with your degree program beforehand if the credits can be included into the degree, under what section, and if there is specific enrollment instructions to be followed.

Please read below for more details on applying for study credits:

University of Helsinki
After confirming your study place with our team, you can enroll in Sisu using the course code ‘TMED-603 Pre-SPARK Health Concept Discovery Programme’. The registration period is between 14.8 – 1.9.2025. The credits will be registered upon course completion.

Aalto University
Please contact your supervisor or study coordinator to discuss and get their approval to earn credits from Pre-SPARK. We do not guarantee that credits can be included in all degrees. Therefore, it is advisable to check with your study program beforehand.

Doctoral students can read more instructions regarding Independently completed individual studies within doctoral degree. For further inquiries, contact University-level Doctoral education services (UDES): udes@aalto.fi.

University of Eastern Finland
Please contact your degree programme to check if Pre-SPARK can be included into the degree, and the credits will be registered under what section. We do not guarantee that credits can be included in all degrees – therefore, it is advisable to check with your relevant contact person beforehand. A list of contacts and more further instructions can be found here: https://kamu.uef.fi/en/tietopankki/planning-and-completing-studies/recognition-of-prior-learning/.

Other universities
Please contact your degree programme to check if Pre-SPARK can be included into the degree, and the credits will be registered under what section. We do not guarantee that credits can be included in all degrees. Therefore, it is advisable to check with your study program beforehand.
If it is possible to earn credits, after Pre-SPARK has completed, students are responsible for coordinate with their program’s contact person to include the credits into their degrees.

Do I need my own research findings to participate in the program?
No. You can develop a concept based on your own research, draw inspiration from a curated pool of research discoveries, or work on any idea that interests you—as long as it aligns with at least one of the program’s themes.

Do I need to have an idea or ongoing project before joining the program?
No. While having an early-stage idea can be helpful, it’s not required. You can also join a team and contribute to ideas suggested by your teammates. Before the program starts, we encourage you to explore different aspects of health and life sciences to identify topics that interest you – if you haven’t done so already.

Who can participate in the course?
The course is open to Master’s and Doctoral students, researchers, clinicians, and scientists affiliated with SPARK’s member institutions. We expect that participants will together form a diverse, multidisciplinary and collaborative learning environment.

Do I need a background in health and life sciences to join?
No. The only requirement is a strong passion for health and life sciences and an interest in creating impact from research discoveries. While prior knowledge of the industry is beneficial, it is not mandatory.

Do I need a team to join the program?
No. You can apply as an individual or with teammates. However, each team member must submit an individual application and specify their team name or teammates in the application.

How will teams be formed?
If you join as an individual, we will facilitate team-building sessions to help you connect with other participants. We advise using this time wisely to find teammates that share common interests with you. After these sessions, teams of 4 people will be formed. If you apply with an existing team, you will work together as a team throughout the program.

What is expected from participants during the course?
We expect all participants to attend and actively engage in program sessions while collaborating with their project teams to develop their concepts. By the end of the program, you are expected to deliver a final team presentation and a concept description of your team’s project. As part of your project development, there will also be other small assignments throughout the program.

How are mentors be assigned to teams?
Once teams are formed, we will match each team’s topic and interests with relevant industry mentors.

Who owns the intellectual property (IP) of the concept developed in the program?
IP ownership depends on your affiliation and the origin of your idea. We will explore this topic in more detail during the program.

How is confidential information handled in the course?
We ask you to not share any confidential information throughout the program. Please be mindful of this, especially when you are developing concepts from your own existing research.

SPARK Finland

SPARK Finland is a member of SPARK Global network

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