Aalto Design Factory

‼️Students will not be able to access the building or DF Labs during the closure period, even if they have completed the necessary courses.‼️
Aalto staff and Partner Plaza members retain access during this time.

☀️Summer access requests
The form for summer access applications will be open 1–15 June 2026.
Summer access will be granted only in exceptional cases and with very strong justification.

LINK TO THE FORM on our website adf.fi/access

📝August note
There will be a two-week period in August when both general access and prototyping access remain inactive.
During that period, entry to the building is still possible during working hours when the building’s guard is present.

What is it like to work on a real-world challenge with real impact while still a student? 🌍💡🛠️

We asked the recent team collaborating with Isaware, a Finnish deep-tech company building instruments for space missions. For the students, it meant stepping into the unknown, working across disciplines, and building something that could actually make a difference.

From day one, the team was trusted with a broad challenge: tackling the environmental impact of illegal mining using satellite data, AI, and on-the-ground measurement systems.

“We were always the ones setting the direction,” says project manager Mircea Geler. Laura Rodríguez, visual communication design student, agrees: ”The freedom allowed us to explore even unrealistic ideas and then turn them into something real!”

Even though the team walked away with a filed patent, the experience went far beyond technical skills: “I wanted to see how design works in real problems alongside other fields — and this project showed how everything connects in practice,” Laura says.

The project also carried personal meaning. “This is a big problem in Colombia,” shares electronic engineering student Maria Alejandra Perafán. “Knowing that this could help communities and improve water safety makes it truly meaningful.”

Working with an industry partner added another layer: “We got access to tools and knowledge that are actually used in industry today,” Mircea explains. “It’s very different from typical university projects.”

PdP reshaped how the student team sees their future: “It’s not just about building something — it’s about creating a solution people can actually use,” computer science student Adamay Bhardwaj reflects.

Mircea sums up the experience: ”Incredible experience, team, and university, great sponsor too. Even though I am exhausted, I am also incredibly sad that PdP ends. I worked in a team that I absolutely love!” ❤️

Read whole story 👉 https://pdp.fi/for-sponsors/
Interested in taking PdP? 👉 https://pdp.fi/

ADD Basics wrapped up with a final pitch showcase at DF 🎤🐲

Students pitched their additive manufacturing product ideas in a Dragons' Den-style setting🐉, facing a panel of visiting experts Olli Nyrhilä and Sonja Hiljavuo alongside Prof. Jan Akmal.

"An inspiring pitch shows ambition and spirit through the speaker, the key is to showcase the process behind it, not just the end product." - Jan Akmal

From rapid prototyping to business model exploration, the course challenges students to rethink how additive manufacturing can shape future products and ventures.

Our is launching the BootCamp 2027 edition for institutions interested inbecoming a Design Factory! 🏭
You can now sign up by following the instructions at dfg.org/bootcamp.

DF BootCamp is a unique event where institutions from around the world gather to get insights on how to build or further develop an innovation platform in their local context. For this edition, we will combine the best of both worlds: an online gathering with an in-person meet up at our headquarters in Espoo, Finland, Europe, Earth.

This event is for you if you want to create or enhance an experimental educational platform that focuses on interdisciplinarity, problem-based learning (PBL), industry collaboration, and learning by doing. In other words, those who want to develop their own Design Factory! Or, if you have new staff or decision makers in your institution that you would like to have a crash course to the DF way of thinking and doing! 💡🔍🛠️

The online half a day event will be organised in February 2027 and the main event in March 2027. The price for the BootCamp is 7950€ for institution, and 6950€ for existing DF’s. This will cover the participation fees for 4 representatives, including everything you can find from the program 😉

Excited to see you there! ✨

Relaxation fuels focus — and that’s where the best ideas start!

At , we love spaces that don’t just work, but also feel good to fuel creativity, empathy, and inspiration. Now, visitors at Viima building can pause for a calm moment and listen to 🎶 a new meditation music piece🎶 by visiting musician , available through a QR code on site. 🎧

“The music I created for is mostly performed on Native American flutes, used in healing and meditation ceremonies to invite a blissful state of being,” Lakota shares.

Find the QR code on the post, in Viima premises or via https://designfactory.aalto.fi/lakota

Take a few minutes to just listen, breathe, and be still. 💫
——
Lakota Longwalker is a Native American folk and rock musician, flutemaker, and teacher based in Helsinki. His sound blends traditional craftsmanship with contemporary expression, and has earned him 2 Native American Music Award nominations. More info: lakotalongwalker.com

Check out our latest publication:
Circular Economy principles in educational practices from !

For a new ’Deep Dive’ report series, asked the international 38-member Design Factory Global Network what topic to explore first, Circular Economy came back as the clear answer. With 15 Design Factories participating in an interview, the result is not a catalogue of plug-and-play practices, but an exploration of patterns across very different contexts e.g. zooming into:

💡Educators who visit scrapyards and wetlands;
💡Educators who invite kindergarteners to final presentations;
💡Educators who build campfires in classrooms;
💡Educators who take students to imaginary exoplanets and bring them back with a new point of view!

The collected practices are best considered windows into how other educators, in other places, with particular students, partners, and external contexts, have found ways towards meaningful educational practices that incorporate Circular Economy principles.

“I hope that reading this report will sparked an idea to explore, a tool to try, or a question to sit with,” shares Project lead Floris van der Marel. ”I hope this report serves as the basis for connection. The educators in this report are not hard to find. I hope that you find them.”

Access the Circular Economy principles in educational practices report here:
https://dfgn.org/insights/

PDP week is over! Did you get to try out the prototypes? 🤩 If not, here are some highlights from them⚙️

If yes, which one was your favorite one?