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With adidas, KISKA explores zero-waste sporting goods, mass-customisation, and the future of footwear. Ultimately building up the brand’s future market potential.
Success for students of FH JOANNEUM!
Transportation Design | University Collaboration
KISKA hosted FH JOANNEUM Institute of Industrial Design students for their semester projects in sustainability. And the students had a tough task to consider…
Last year, an exciting collaboration took place. The FH JOANNEUM Institute of Industrial Design has always had close ties with KISKA – our founder Gerald Kiska being a key player in its formation. Today, the Institute is a leading university of applied sciences in Austria. The lecturers and our team came together to give the students a fresh opportunity – a chance to work on a meaningful project and gain practical experience in a competitive industry.
“Watching students turn first ideas into tangible, well-reasoned results was very exciting”
– Senior Talent Acquisition, Cynthia Kop.
In July 2022, the Institute and KISKA came together to support students with their third semester projects. With our team including Rosanna Haider, Vincent Schmid, Maxime Lefebvre, and Cynthia Kop leading the way, the students visited our Salzburg HQ. They were able to explore our workshop, tour our studio, and meet our integrated teams behind the KISKA brand.
The Institute prides itself on a hands-on approach to learning – so we really wanted to give the students a challenge they could sink their teeth into. So, we generated a transportation design brief for them: ‘Sustainability in motorsports on two-wheels’. We knew this would be a tough topic. It’s debated, advocated, denied, and defended in the industry almost daily. But we knew it would push students to think outside-the-box and give them the opportunity to work on a hot topic.
“The complexity of social and ecological changes calls on future designers to think in an interdisciplinary manner, to reflect critically and interact courageously”
– Institute Director, Thomas Feichtner and Senior Lecturer, Markus Well.
The journey was not an easy one for the students. They brainstormed. They collaborated. They stressed. But then they started putting their ideas down on paper – and they didn’t disappoint. From radical changes to motorsport venues to ground-breaking new motorcycle designs, to experimental communication tactics and advertising, the scope of their output was vast.
The students presented their final ideas to our panel of industry experts, including one of KISKA’s managing partners: Sebastien Stassin. And we had a blast. Working with students is something we are deeply passionate about. It’s a win-win opportunity – where students can work on a meaningful topic, and we can learn from the younger generation’s outlook and priorities.
“The most valuable takeaways were watching the next generation of designers in action and listening to their takes on sustainability”
– Managing Partner, Sebastien Stassin.
This collaboration provided eager design students with valuable real-world experience in the industry they aim to work in one day. It gives them a head-start in making waves in design and networking with established creatives. And we anticipate seeing some familiar faces back for an internship in the next few years!
The insights gained from working with FH JOANNEUM students was vital. If your university would be interested in a similar project, don’t hesitate to contact our team. From internships to semester projects to mentoring programmes – just reach out. Who knows what could come from this collaboration in the future?
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