Practical experience
Landing a job takes more than talent, it takes action. Demola gives you the chance to tackle real challenges, collaborate with others, and build proof of what you can do even when things are uncertain. By actively participating in a Demola project, you can turn your skills into competencies and concrete experience.
Partnered with Innovative Companies
Our platform, created together with leading companies and professors, connects you to real-world innovation projects. You’ll work as part of a team on an innovation and development project, guided by Demola’s expert facilitators. Participating in a project will give you practical experience and the confidence to deal with complexity in any job.
At Demola, innovation projects are built around real-world project topics co-designed with companies and public-sector organisations. If selected, you'll join an innovation team working to develop meaningful solutions that respond to validated needs.
Our projects tackle complex, relevant problems grounded in industry and societal needs. You'll work in a team to design and demo solutions, benefiting from the insights and findings of previous Demola projects. Most Demola projects last around two months, but the exact duration depends on the programme they are part of.
Each team benefits from expert guidance through coaching sessions and facilitated community events. Demola's facilitators bring years of experience in innovation and adapt their support to match your ambition and commitment. You are expected to take an active role, both individually and as a team.
You'll co-create with other teams and Demola's experts, and validate and test your solutions with real stakeholders to continuously refine your approach. High-performing teams gain access to a network of professionals from Demola's industry partners for further input and exposure.
You'll build in-demand, career-ready skills in creative problem-solving, AI-assisted innovation, project management, international collaboration, and resilience - all while working in an environment that mirrors real innovation practices.
Your team owns the outcomes created during the project. Use them in job interviews, your portfolio, a Master's thesis, or even as the foundation of a startup. In some cases, your work may also earn you academic credit (ECTS) if you are a student.
The impact
Ready to turn your skills into competence? Our claims are backed by feedback from our community of participants and alumni.
Strongly agree (49.3%)
Agree (43.6%)
Neither agree or disagree (5.3%)
Disagree (1.3%)
Strongly disagree (0.5%)
2 272 people took part in the survey.
New skills
65.6%
Valuable work experience
63.9%
New friends
51.5%
Startup ideas
34.4%
International teamwork experience
30.5%
Industry contacts
23.9%
Self-esteem
23.9%
New motivation to study
22.8%
Confidence in career choices
20.3%
Researcher contacts
17.6%
Better position in the labor market
13.5%
Other
1.5%
Based on Q4/2022 survey
If you’re currently studying at or near one of our Demola locations or partner universities, you’re welcome to join a Demola project.
In our partner cities, the projects are also open to graduates and professionals who are exploring new career paths or interested in co-creating and launching startups in the future.
Many alumni have participated in more than one Demola project – the current record is seven. For active alumni, we facilitate further development in their academic studies or future careers:
Explore or fine-tune your Master’s thesis topic through a Demola project and find a potential industry collaborator for your Master’s thesis after the project.
Develop an expert profile that highlights your project contributions, as well as innovation and interpersonal skills. Top-performing participants will have their expert profiles shared and recommended within Demola’s partner network, verifying their skills and proactive mindset.
Build on your project results, connect with like-minded teammates, and use your entrepreneurial mindset to lay the groundwork for a startup.
Get onboarded with Demola
Create a Demola profile.
Browse project in your location and apply to those that interest you.
If you get selected, confirm your seat and start the teamwork.
Apply to one or more projects today!
West of Scotland
Value Creators of Tomorrow
**Theme:** Value Creators of Tomorrow · UWS Ayr Campus · Autumn 2026 Businesses are under increasing pressure to reduce environmental impact, but customers do not always choose an option simply because it is described as sustainable. Sometimes the greener choice costs more, feels less convenient or is communicated in ways that ask people to sacrifice. What if the sustainable option was simply the better experience? This project explores how design, behaviour, storytelling, technology and business innovation could make lower-impact choices more attractive without relying on guilt. The team could investigate hospitality, tourism, events, food and drink, transport or consumer experiences and identify moments where sustainable behaviour could become easier, more enjoyable or more desirable. The aim is to move beyond awareness campaigns and develop something people would actually want to use. The outcome could be a service, behavioural intervention, experience, digital prototype, business model or communications concept. If you are interested in sustainability, business, psychology, design, hospitality, tourism, film or technology, this project is for you! **Related tags:** #sustainability #behaviour #hospitality #tourism #service design
Apply by 21 Oct
West of Scotland
Value Creators of Tomorrow
**Theme:** Value Creators of Tomorrow · UWS Ayr Campus · Autumn 2026 Most people eat every day while knowing surprisingly little about how modern food is produced. Agriculture is being transformed by automation, data, climate pressures, sustainability and changing consumer expectations, yet public perceptions of farming can remain rooted in the past. What will the relationship between people, food and farming look like in the next decade? Could technology make provenance visible? Could farms become places of learning or experience? Could storytelling change perceptions of agricultural careers? Could digital tools connect producers and consumers in new ways? The team will investigate how people currently understand food production and where new value could be created for farmers, consumers or communities. The outcome could be a digital service, visitor experience, educational concept, provenance tool, communications format or new business model. If you are interested in food, agriculture, sustainability, computing, film, photography, education, health or business, this project is for you! **Related tags:** #agriculture #food #technology #provenance #sustainability
Apply by 21 Oct
West of Scotland
Human Beings in the Modern World
**Theme:** Human Beings in the Modern World · UWS Ayr Campus · Autumn 2026 Ayrshire's coastline is an economic, environmental and cultural asset supporting communities, tourism, recreation, food and marine ecosystems. Yet much of what happens in and beneath the sea remains invisible to the people who live beside it or visit it. What if the coast itself became a place to learn, play and explore? Could film, sound, citizen science, sport, gaming, augmented reality or interactive storytelling help people understand marine life, environmental change, local heritage and the blue economy? This project asks the team to imagine a new relationship between people and the coast. The strongest ideas may combine environmental understanding with compelling experiences rather than simply providing more information. The outcome could be a visitor experience, educational product, digital prototype, citizen-science concept, campaign or new tourism proposition. If you are interested in film, photography, music and sound, sport, education, computing, tourism, environment or business, this project is for you! **Related tags:** #blue economy #coast #tourism #environment #education
Apply by 21 Oct
West of Scotland
Human Beings in the Modern World
**Theme:** Human Beings in the Modern World · UWS Ayr Campus · Autumn 2026 Access to sports health and performance support is unequal. Elite athletes may have specialist clinicians, technology and facilities around them, while people participating in grassroots, community or recreational sport often have very different levels of support. How might useful sports-health knowledge and support become more accessible without simply trying to reproduce elite services at lower cost? Could digital tools, AI, remote support, education, community partnerships or new service models help people prevent injury, recover well and participate with greater confidence? The team will investigate the experiences of real users – potentially young people, community clubs, older adults, disabled participants or recreational athletes – and identify where support currently breaks down. The outcome could be a digital prototype, community service, educational tool, social-enterprise model or new approach to sports-health provision. If you are interested in nursing, sport science, health, inclusion, computing, psychology, design or social enterprise, this project is for you! **Related tags:** #sport #health #inclusion #community #digital health
Apply by 21 Oct
West of Scotland
Value Creators of Tomorrow
**Theme:** Value Creators of Tomorrow · UWS Ayr Campus · Autumn 2026 Retail alone is no longer enough to make people visit a town centre. Shopping, entertainment, food and social interaction can increasingly happen online, while many high streets are left asking what physical town centres are actually for. What if empty spaces became studios, performance venues, creator hubs, learning spaces, health experiences or places to make rather than simply buy? How might culture, hospitality, technology, community activity and enterprise combine to create places people genuinely want to spend time in? This project challenges the team to choose a real Ayrshire town or high street and imagine a new role for it. The focus should be on understanding the needs of users, businesses and communities before developing the concept. The outcome could be a future-place concept, service model, meanwhile-use prototype, event format or commercial proposition. If you are interested in art, design, business, music, film, tourism, community development or place-making, this project is for you! **Related tags:** #high street #regeneration #place-making #creative industries #community
Apply by 21 Oct
West of Scotland
Human Beings in the Modern World
**Theme:** Human Beings in the Modern World · UWS Ayr Campus · Autumn 2026 People increasingly discover places through creators, social media, streaming and online communities rather than traditional destination marketing. At the same time, local communities and businesses can struggle to make their stories visible without falling back on familiar stereotypes. What does 'local' mean in a digital world? How might people tell stories about Ayrshire that feel authentic, surprising and created with communities rather than simply about them? Could film, photography, audio, music, interactive media or creator culture reveal a place in completely different ways? The team will explore how local identity is created, represented and discovered. They could work with residents, visitors, businesses or community organisations to prototype a new storytelling model or experience. The outcome could be a documentary concept, creator format, digital experience, community storytelling model or place-based campaign. If you are interested in film, photography, music, media, tourism, communities, business or storytelling, this project is for you! **Related tags:** #place #community #film #tourism #storytelling
Apply by 21 Oct
See how Demola has helped students around the world succeed in their careers and personal lives.
Master’s Degree student in Research and Innovation in Higher Education
Excellent
20/04/2023
“I enjoy connecting with other people who are not from the same area and field, and creating new things. I think Demola is a very great platform and, since I’m interested in education, I think this is a great idea to help students and other people to learn in a different way and to be closer to the work life.”
Master’s Student in Public and Global Health
Excellent
20/04/2023
“I joined Demola for the third time already, since I enjoy how my personal skills are developing here and I love the feeling of freedom of thoughts, to be able to think, feel and express anything.”
Master’s Student in Sustainable Digitalisation
Excellent
20/04/2023
“I wanted more experience in interdisciplinary project work and real-life, tangible development of solutions with external stakeholders. I also wanted to practice what the design process is like in the real world and how to present novel ideas in an attractive, business- oriented way. And Demola delivered!”
Master’s Degree Student in Engineering and Technology
Excellent
10/06/2022
“In Demola we focused on creating solutions that can and should be applicable and should happen in real life, concrete and implementable solutions that can have an impact. Those type of solutions that go way beyond than just making a new website or a nice social media page.”
Master of Business
Excellent
17/04/2023
“If you have successfully completed the Demola project, it is proof of your passion and that your mindset is inevitably customer-oriented. Demola is definitely an experience I can recommend to all students.”
Get the information you need with our comprehensive list of FAQs below:
Where can I stay up-to-date on the new projects and events?
Will I get my Demola certificate automatically after finishing the project?
I got accepted! What's next? How can I find my teammates?
What do the project's final results look like? What are the evaluation formats?
How much time should I prepare for Demola project?
Do you have any questions about Demola? See our help center
Join Demola and work on career-relevant projects with global impact.
