SME DATALAB 42: Start a Student Project

Are you interested in working together with students on digitisation projects, which are affordable, flexible and add value? With as result a data driven company with business impact? Then the SME DATALAB 42 is an interesting option for you. 

About the datalab

The Small Medium sized Enterprises datalab is a project that matches students in the fields of AI and computer science with SMEs/MKB's to help the companies complete a digitisation related project. The students are paid for their work and receive invaluable industry experience and the SMEs receive quality work at a reasonable price.

  • Transition to data driven way of working
  • Access to talent
  • Helps your SME grow and flourish


Collaboration with students

Your company can participate in different activities, depending on the needs. Each of the activities have different roles and are depending on which one fits in the company maturity. A group of pre-selected Bachelor and Masters program students in the field of Informatics, AI and Data Science are matched with companies and projects that fit their experience and education.


Main activities

The three main activities offered by the SME DATALAB 42:

  1. Datalab Inspiration session
    Inspiration session in which entrepreneurs are informed about the possibilities of working with data. During those sessions, you will get information and examples of other companies on the possibilities of AI and digitisation.

    - Free for client.

  2. Datalab Sprint
    Project carried out by a student at your company under the guidance of an experienced project leader. Project delivers a predetermined deliverable and SME AI Clinic. The duration of the project is 6 – 10 weeks, the number of hours spent is 80. 

    - The costs for the client are 3.000 euros. Students are remunerated on a freelance basis and receive 1.500 euros.

  3. Datalab Workshop
    If it's not clear where to start with a project, then we will work with a student and our project lead to determine where your pain points are when it comes to data science and create a scope of a project around that. No obligation to move forward with proposal.

    - The costs for the client are 1.000 euros.


Benefits

  • Learning from eachother;
  • Focus on your company's questions or needs, not on the learning process of the student (like an internship);
  • Flexible way of working, no waiting list or whatsoever; 
  • The cost and benefit for your company are crystal clear. It is a clear proposition that you can say yes or no to. In this way, we take away some of the complexity that working with a knowledge institution entails;
  • Full focus on the projects with the student(s). the infrastructure and set up are created by the ROBUST programme.


Assistance to Small and Medium Sized Enterprises

The SME DATALAB 42 is part of the larger proposal called The ROBUST Long Term Program. This programme aims to assist Small and Medium Sized Enterprises with the application of AI and digitisation. 

Six AI SME Clinics will be developed along the axis of the existing NLAIC-HUBS with the assistance of JADS. JADS is the national coordinator of the AI clinics in the LTP. The AI SME Clinics will take on different shapes in different regions and will put SME needs first.

Please see some inspiring examples of past projects from JADS:

  • How to make the transition to a more data-driven way of working?
    > DAS Legal Aid
  • How to present information better with the aid of data? How to gain insight into visitor flows and behavior in the museum itself?
    > Noord-Brabants Museum
  • How can you on forehand determine the budget and margin on a project as accurately as possible?
    > Merford Noise Control


Sourcing partner MKB Digital Workspace

The University of Amsterdam and MKB Digital Workspace work together in the SME Datalab 42 Program. In this partnership, MKB Digital Workspace will serve as the sourcing partner, providing their expertise and resources to support the success of the program.


Become more digitalised through student led consulting projects

We are looking for companies interested in one of the three activities. Please reach out to us by the form below.


Specific local initiatives

MKB companies in the regions of Haarlem, Haarlemmermeer en IJmond could benefit from the collaboration with our partner CupolaXS. Read more about the collaboration.

MKB companies in the regions of Flevoland, Noord-Holland and Utrecht could benefit from the collaboration with our partner Digital Hub Noordwest. Read more about the collaboration.