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Unlock innovation with talented business students 

The in the Master program in Business Innovation at SSE is seeking companies to collaborate with for Live Projects running from end-March to mid-May. The Live Project offers an excellent opportunity for your company to work with student teams on a specific digital transformation challenge and gain valuable insights into how digital technologies and data can drive meaningful change in your organization. These insights will be rooted in cutting-edge academic theory with direct applicability to your business needs.

What is the Digital Transformation course about?

In the course, students delve into digital transformation, defined as “organizational change that is triggered and shaped by the widespread diffusion of digital technologies”, and explore how organizations can leverage digital technology to remain innovative, competent, and resilient. Some topics in the course are:

• Managing change for the effective implementation and use of new technology
• Adapting business models to capitalize on digital opportunities
• Designing for human-AI decision making to balance efficiency with explainability
• Building digital ecosystems and platforms to create new value for your organization

Who can participate in the Live Project?

The Live Project is open to organizations with a concrete and active digital transformation initiative. For the course starting in March, we aim to recruit cases in the following areas: Finance, Retail, Healthcare, Education, Creative Industries, Human Resources, Manufacturing, and Telecommunication.

What you can expect from the collaboration 

• Innovative solutions: Students will deliver customized recommendations to address your digital transformation challenge.
• Fresh perspectives: By working with our students, you’ll gain access to new ideas and approaches.
• Talent access: This collaboration gives you early access to top Master’s students, providing potential future employees or collaborators.
• Cost-effective results: There are no financial costs—only your time and engagement. In return, you’ll receive research-backed, actionable insights.

What we expect from you

• A concrete digital transformation case: The project must center on a digital technology (e.g., data analytics, AI and automation, digital platforms, IoT) that the company is currently implementing or integrating into work or organizational processes. Students need something real and active—not a long-term vision or loose idea. 
• A clear challenge: Provide a specific challenge you face in driving digital transformation. This serves as a starting point for students. The students will then define the final research focus themselves based on the course materials.
• Collaboration & feedback: Assign a company contact to provide data, contacts within the company, and some guidance.
• Openness to new ideas: Be open to the fresh, innovative solutions our students will bring to your organization. Please also know that, despite the clear benefits, this is first and foremost an educational project for students.
• No NDA: SSE students cannot sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) for this project for practical and pedagogical reasons. In certain cases, NDAs nevertheless need to be put in place. For these cases, we have prepared an NDA that is appropriate for an academic setting. Please note that the school, not the students, would be the signatory party. We ask that you let us know as soon as possible if your participation is likely to require the use of an NDA.

Project overview

A group of 5–6 students will analyze your digital initiative and propose recommendations. We recommend that you support them through:

• Kick-off meeting: Introduce the case with a pitch deck and background materials
• Weekly check-ins: Short alignment meetings between the student group and a dedicated contact person
• Interviews: At least three with individuals involved or affected by the transformation
• Final presentation: Students share findings and recommendations in mid-May

Timeline

• Submit challenge by February 28
• Preparations in early March
• Project period: late March to mid-May(students work ~1 day/week)

Timeline:

• Submit your challenge by February 28 (right side on this landing page).
• Preparations (March): Use this time to gather materials and data relevant to the challenge. Students will be introduced to the company and begin work in late March.
• Project period: Late March to mid-May. Students will dedicate 20% of their full-time studies to this project i.e., working on the project for one day per week.

Defining the Digital Transformation challenge

To help students deliver relevant and impactful insights, we ask that your challenge focuses on a concrete digital initiative that is currently underway—not a distant future plan. The project should explore how a specific digital technology is shaping work processes, roles, decision-making, or collaboration in your organization.

A useful format for formulating your challenge is:

How can [your organization] deal with [a specific challenge] when using [a digital technology] to achieve [a desired organizational change]?

When developing your tentative question, please specify the following three components:

1. Organizational Change
   Think in terms of work processes, roles, services, or strategic priorities.

• What needs to change? Describe the current situation versus the desired one.
• Why is change needed? Clarify what problem exists today and what benefits the new way of working is expected to create.
  
  

2. Digital Technologies
   Think in terms of concrete tools: datasets, data pipelines, software applications, AI systems, automation tools, digital platforms, or IoT devices.

• What specific digital technologies are you currently using, implementing, or integrating to support this change?
  Note that this does not need to involve new or advanced technology — students can also work on a new application of existing systems or data sources.
  
  

3. The Challenge
   Think in terms of a real issue you are currently facing, not a hypothetical one.

• What is difficult about using this technology to drive the change described above?
  This could relate to data quality, user adoption, workflow redesign, governance, skill gaps, process integration, transparency, or collaboration.
  
  
• Examples of relevant challenges
  
  
• How can we address data quality challenges when using analytics tools to shift from reactive compliance to proactive sustainability management?
• How can we overcome volunteer engagement obstacles when using digital platforms to improve outreach and service delivery?
• How can we handle human–machine collaboration issues when using AI technologies to support sales management?

If you need further guidance in defining a suitable challenge, reach out to andreas.dahlberg@hhs.se.