The Future Expert Launchpad (FELP) aims to support the employment and skills development of highly educated international professionals, graduating students, and individuals seeking new career directions. FELP offers participants the opportunity to work on genuine, market‑driven projects and strengthen their expertise through hands-on collaboration.
Demola’s Internationally Certified Learning Environment Enables Innovation
Demola is a Finnish company with 15 years of experience in new concept development and co-creation. Its globally operating innovation platform brings together talent and real business needs.
“We always start from the question: what is the genuine need in the market? This becomes the foundation for forming a multidisciplinary team to explore solutions. Neither participants nor companies know the answer in advance, and the goal is not to execute a predetermined product, but to explore whether an idea could work. And if it doesn’t, the team can pivot towards a more promising direction,” explains Simo Kekäläinen from Demola.
At the heart of Demola’s model is an internationally certified project environment and a clear, guided process that every team follows throughout the Future Expert Launchpad program. Service design, futures thinking, and systems thinking all merge within FELP — emphasizing creativity, experimentation, and learning skills that are in high demand in today’s labor market. The aim is to create the conditions for innovation and growth.
Inviting Jobseekers in Oulu to join
The Future Expert Launchpad program has already been implemented successfully in several Finnish cities, including Riihimäki and Tampere. Now it arrives in Oulu. The eight‑week program welcomes graduating students, international professionals, and individuals currently available in the job market.
“Teams are formed around each project — participants might include an IT engineer, a gardener, a nurse, and a language student. It is exactly this diversity that sparks new ideas. People with many different backgrounds are encouraged to apply,” says Kekäläinen.
BusinessOulu sees the program as an opportunity for jobseekers to recognize their existing skills and support continuous learning.
“Projects bring together professionals from different fields, and participants gain project management experience, design and development skills, and valuable company connections. The coaching opens up new — and sometimes unexpected — opportunities for jobseekers,” notes BusinessOulu coordinator Taru Lääkkö.
“One of the most important aspects of the service is that participants can demonstrate their skills through real work, which strongly supports their job search,” Lääkkö adds.
Demola also recognizes the value for job seekers: “Demola and Future Expert Launchpad are global credentials that show you have completed an intensive eight‑week process, gained updated skills relevant to the job market, and built strong networks,” says Kekäläinen.
Industry Collaboration Opens New Pathways
Throughout the projects, participants receive support and guidance from Demola’s experts. As the development work progresses, local companies and startups are invited to review the teams’ ideas. This may lead to recruitment opportunities or further development of the project concepts — including entrepreneurial pathways.
“In Future Expert Launchpad, companies see you and your expertise. Your skills are not evaluated based only on a CV but through concrete project results. All ideas and outputs created in Demola belong to the participants themselves — so starting a company based on a project is entirely possible,” Kekäläinen emphasizes.
BusinessOulu highlights the wider regional impact: “The coaching also strengthens local business development, as project topics address real company needs. Participation provides a strong foundation for starting one’s own business — and for growth,” Lääkkö concludes.
The Oulu Implementation Begins in March – Apply Now!
Demola and BusinessOulu are offering jobseekers in Oulu the opportunity to participate in the Future Expert Launchpad program in spring 2026. You can join the FELP program without losing your earnings-related or other unemployment benefits. Job seeking and other required processes continue normally during participation.
The application period for the first implementation ends on 10 March 2026.
Program Schedule
- Kick-off: 16 March 2026
- Mid-event: 30 March 2026
- Finals: 11 May 2026
In addition, participants will have weekly meetings with the Oulu group and ongoing work with their own project team.
More information about the Future Expert Launchpad program: Demola.net
Read more in our event calendar: Tyomarkkinatori.fi
Explore the projects and apply through the Demola Portal: Demola Portal
More information:
Joonas Kemppainen
COO
Demola
joonas@demola.net
tel.050 529 1845