University of Zululand

Aalto University is where science and art meet technology and business. We shape a sustainable future by making research breakthroughs in and across our disciplines, sparking the game changers of tomorrow and creating novel solutions to major global challenges. Our community is made up of 16 000 students and 5 200 employees, including 446 professors. Our campus is in Espoo, Greater Helsinki, Finland.  Diversity is part of who we are, and we actively work to ensure our community’s diversity and inclusiveness. This is why we warmly encourage qualified candidates from all backgrounds to join our community. Biodesign Finland, an innovation and training program at Aalto University, has spent over 10 years helping future healthcare innovators and entrepreneurs identify unmet clinical needs and transform them into impactful medical technology solutions and new ventures. Our community brings together clinicians, researchers, and entrepreneurs from Finnish universities, wellbeing services counties, and medtech startup ecosystems, united by a passion for improving healthcare. The program has contributed to the creation of several medtech companies and supported our program participants in securing €30 million in funding for their post-project commercialization. Do you want to become a MedTech Founder? We offer training for professionals in technology, business, and healthcare, as well as university students interested in establishing a successful medical technology (medtech) venture. Biodesign Finland at Aalto University is looking for four (4) part-time innovation fellows (participants) with the ambition and potential to become the next generation of medtech founders. Biodesign Finland invites motivated engineers, data scientists, designers, healthcare professionals, researchers, and university students to join our MedTech Founders program. The MedTech Founders program is executed part-time. Through need-driven innovation, you will develop clinically validated solutions and commercialization pathways at the intersection of research and entrepreneurship. The MedTech Founders program is organized by Aalto University through Biodesign Finland, a healthcare innovation and training program jointly developed by Helsinki University Hospital (HUS) and Aalto University. The positions, program structure and effort needed The program runs for 6.5 months. Selected candidates will be employed by Aalto University in a 20% part-time position for the duration of the program. Participation in the MedTech Founders Program requires a weekly time commitment corresponding to the 20% part-time position. This includes training sessions, clinical immersion, project work, teamwork, independent study, and other program-related activities. The part-time employment arrangement is one element of the program's implementation. The MedTech Founders training modules amount to 8 ECTS (see credits and certification below). During the program you will focus on clinical needs identification with HUS clinicians and healthcare professionals. After the need is identified you will build new need-based medical solutions and seek funding towards commercialization of your project supported by the program faculty and mentors. Credits and certification Participants with an active study right at Aalto University may be awarded ECTS credits upon completion of a personal study plan approved by Aalto University. Participants without an active study right will receive a diploma from Aalto University stating the study extent in ECTS credits, which may be used when applying for credit recognition at other institutions. MedTech Founders is not responsible for credit recognition decisions made by other institutions and does not facilitate credit transfer processes outside Aalto University. Why join? Build innovation capacity: We provide structured training, education, and coaching for health technology innovators—suitable for both first-time and experienced innovators. Real world clinical immersion: You will work with clinicians to identify and validate unmet needs in hospital environments during a clinical immersion period at HUS – Helsinki University Hospital. Network and visibility: Get to connect with clinicians, researchers, entrepreneurs, industry partners, and investors to accelerate your next success whether within your workplace or a new medtech startup. Proven impact: Our alumni have raised €30M to grow their ventures. You commit to the training program — we provide training and support to help you build a fundable medtech venture. To support and found this, you will be recruited with a 20% contract to Aalto University for the duration of the 6.5-month program. Also, you will gain access to Terkko Health Hub co-working space at the HUS Meilahti campus. Your role and goals As a participant in the MedTech Founders Program, you will learn and apply a proven need-driven innovation process for identifying and addressing unmet clinical needs. The program aims to develop research-based and need-driven medical technology solutions with commercial potential while fostering the creation of new medtech ventures. Following an introductory training period, you will be immersed in a healthcare environment where you will observe healthcare professionals, clinical workflows, and medical technologies in everyday use. Through these observations, you and your team will identify unmet clinical needs and opportunities for innovation. Using the Biodesign innovation process, you will evaluate and prioritize identified needs and focus on developing a technically feasible and commercially viable solution to one selected healthcare need. Throughout the program, you will be supported by experienced instructors, healthcare professionals, industry experts, and mentors. The identified needs and proposed solutions will be further refined in collaboration with healthcare stakeholders to ensure their clinical relevance and potential impact. You are expected to take the leadership and responsibility for your project and the development and validation of the selected solution. The ultimate goal is to create innovations that can improve healthcare delivery and patient outcomes while offering a pathway toward future commercialization. Program participants continue typically developing their solutions through follow-on research projects, innovation funding programs, or startups established after completing the program. What we are looking for We are looking for motivated individuals who have: A Master's degree or a higher University of Applied Sciences (UAS) degree, or equivalent expertise in engineering, data science (e.g., AI or machine learning), design and service design, clinical practice, life sciences, business, entrepreneurship, or another relevant field. University students applying to the program need to have completed all studies by the end of September 2026. Excellent written and spoken communication skills in English. Fluency in Finnish is considered an advantage. Strong teamwork and collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams. A proactive, entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to take initiative in uncertain environments. Strong interest and capacity for startup-entrepreneurship Strong analytical, problem-solving, and information-gathering skills. A willingness to take on leadership responsibilities and pursue the commercialization of project outcomes through a startup, research commercialization pathway, or an existing company. Previous program-related work experience after graduation and/or entrepreneurial experience are considered an advantage. Relevant experience may include business development, product development, engineering, data science (e.g., AI or machine learning), design and service design, healthcare, clinical practice, life sciences, entrepreneurship, or other related fields. The program is suitable for university students, researchers, entrepreneurs, and professionals who want to transform healthcare innovations into real-world impact. This role must be performed from Finland. Candidates must be legally authorized to work in Finland and be based in Finland by the start date and for the duration of the employment.  Onsite participation during typical office hours is required, in addition to self-study. Participation in the MedTech Founders Program requires a weekly time commitment corresponding to the 20% part-time position. This includes training sessions, clinical immersion, project work, teamwork, independent study, and other program-related activities. The part-time employment arrangement is one element of the program's implementation. Applicants should demonstrate strong motivation and the capacity to innovate in healthcare. Participation in clinical immersion at HUS during office hours is obligatory. Program participants employed to a private company during the program cannot generate direct benefit to their employer or develop a venture in the field of their current employer. Program participants are highly encouraged to establish a new medtech company after the program, which is the main goal for the program. What we offer We offer a meaningful job where you can develop innovative technologies in a stimulating environment with fantastic equipment and facilities. You will get the support of recognized researchers in the Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering. You will also gain access to Terkko Health Hub co-working space at the HUS Meilahti campus. The position will be based in Department of Neuroscience and Biomedical Engineering, and you will be employed by Aalto University for the duration of the MedTech program. The position is fixed-term and part-time (20 %), and the part-time contract will be valid for 14.9.2026–31.3.2027 (6.5 months). The salary for innovation fellow is approximately 3300€/month for full-time work (36.25 hours/week) and the contract includes Aalto University occupational healthcare. We value work-life balance and the well-being of all team members. While we work in a hybrid way, and the primary workplace is Otaniemi, Espoo and the participants needs to commit to on-site participation. The Otaniemi campus is a thriving and connected community of 100 nationalities, 16 000 students and 5 200 employees. Life at the transformed campus is vibrant and filled with amazing architecture, calming nature, and a variety of cafes, restaurants, services and good connections along the recently opened metro line. Ready to apply? To apply, please submit the following application materials in English (PDF files) through our recruitment site ("Apply now!”). Letter of motivation (max. 1 page) needs to demonstrate your motivation to improve healthcare through technology, relevant skills and experiences, why you think you are the right person for the role, and it also needs to demonstrate the lack of conflict of interest in participating the training program considering that you may create inventions and follow-up commercialization during the program. The letter needs to reflect on skills you have relevant for medtech and startup entrepreneurship. CV Portfolio (presenting your greatest professional or other achievement(s), max. 5 pages) Degree certificates and academic transcripts Please note: Aalto University’s employees should apply for the position via our internal HR system Workday (Internal Jobs) by using their existing Workday user account (not via the external webpage for open positions). Aalto University’s students and visitors should apply as external candidates with personal (not aalto) email. Join us to turn validated clinical needs into impactful medtech solutions and take the next step toward founding your own medtech company. The deadline for applications is 4.8.2026. The positions will be filled as soon as a suitable candidate is identified. Interviews will be conducted onsite during 12.8.-14.8.2026 with potential follow-up meetings. For additional information, please contact: Kalle Uibo, MedTech Founders Project Manager at Biodesign Finland, Aalto Univ., kalle.uibo@aalto.fi Phone: +358 50 409 6556, Call times: 10.00-12.00 during workdays. Heikki Nieminen, Associate Professor and Head of Biodesign Finland, Aalto Univ., heikki.j.nieminen@aalto.fi. www.biodesignfinland.fi Aalto University reserves the right for justified reasons to leave the position open, to extend the application period, reopen the application process, and to consider candidates who have not submitted applications during the application period. More about Aalto University: Aalto.fi twitter.com/aaltouniversity facebook.com/aaltouniversity instagram.com/aaltouniversity Aalto University has been awarded with HR Excellence in Research quality label in European Commission, guaranteeing that we adhere to top quality HR practices in both recruitment and employment relations. More about Aalto University: Aalto.fi youtube.com/user/aaltouniversity linkedin.com/school/aalto-university/ www.facebook.com/aaltouniversity instagram.com/aaltouniversity To view information about Workday Accessibility, please click here. Please see more of our Open Positions here.