Introduction
In ‘The Garage’, an HZ Innovation Studio, students will engage and design relevant solutions for a variety of challenges. Meet and collaborate with industry stakeholders, fellow students, researchers and lecturers. Together we immerse in projects and succeed in delivering meaningful output. We see the range of projects as metaphorical cars that need repairs. They come in for a particular solution and our ‘colleagues’ work on it for a certain amount of time in order to deliver what is agreed upon. The projects combine a multitude of concepts that are top of mind in our region. In this, entrepreneurship, governance, regional planning, change or development are linked to health, wellbeing, sports, recreation, leisure, hospitality or tourism.
WHO ARE WE?
In our studio, you can work for example on improving business processes in hotels, create circular business models for campsites, brainstorm for new coastal health experiences or the stimulate residents’ healthy living. We search for purpose and create value accordingly. Obviously, the sustainable development goals are integrated in what we do as well as why we do it. Share your interests and co-decide on the best projects for you. Working in our innovation studio allows you to complete (parts of your) exchange whilst building your résumé. The studio provides coaching and a vibrant workspace.
WHY?
Working on real-life projects with a variety of stakeholders is a great opportunity during your studies! Perhaps you feel additional coursework would not bring you sufficient joy or a learning reward. At the same time, you could have completed various internships before but was never given the possibility to truly shine in taking things a step further. The province of Zeeland and our extensive partner network offers perfect possibilities to improve our region. Completing design challenges related to understanding the context, creating a new concept or proposing a business case is rewarding. You will learn an awful lot by exploring, ideating, discussing, prototyping, testing, innovating, learning and do so again if needed. Coaches and fellow students are there to assist and motivate you. In our studio, we work together. Although it could be possible you work on one project by yourself, you can be a member in a different project team at the same time. Project teams are composed of students with as mixed backgrounds as possible for the benefit of interdisciplinary working. The interdisciplinary set-up allows you to learn from other students. Work with people from different cultures and nationalities to develop your cross-cultural skills. We blend English with Dutch (students) from time to time, making it possible for students from ranging levels of language mastery to join. Another important aspect could be that the majority of other minors take place online or doing a minor abroad causes travel, quarantine and or quality of live challenges. Although the pandemic could desire to work online from time to time, we try to regularly meet at our hub. Students, seen as our colleagues, have their own desk available. Project teams could work in separate spaces while we also have sufficient opportunities to brainstorm, discuss, drink a coffee or have lunch.
