In January, Japan Airlines (JAL) and Aalto Entrepreneurship Society (Aaltoes) organized an idea challenge for students. The participants were given a task to come up with business proposals for Japan Airlines, and the winners were promised a prize of 46,000 JAL flying miles each.
The challenge focused on JAL Japan Explorer Pass (JEP), which encourages international visitors to Japan to explore different cities through domestic flights. Students from various study backgrounds developed ideas for how to get more travelers to use JEP.
124 students signed up for the challenge, and out of 48 teams, ten were chosen for a final pitching session at Startup Sauna in Espoo.
Keita Takahashi, Manager, General Affairs, Northern & Central Europe at Japan Airlines and a judge in the competition, expressed strong appreciation for the students’ solutions.
“The quality of their work far exceeded our expectations. Each proposal was distinct and highly sophisticated, ranging from incredibly unique and innovative ideas to deeply researched and well-structured business plans,” Takahashi says.
“I was particularly impressed by how well they understood our core mission. Within our ESG strategy, our goal is not simply to transport passengers to regional Japan via JEP, but to address the social challenge of regional revitalization."
Aalto design students came up with the winning proposal
The winning solution was presented by Mariko Kalsi and Paulina Sawczuk. They suggested a crowdfunding approach, allowing travelers to financially support the areas they visit when booking their trip with the Japan Explorer Pass. The solution was targeted at travelers who had visited Japan before.
“We were focusing on people who want to have a more meaningful trip, rather than first-time travelers, who want check out all the famous sights,” Kalsi says.
Kalsi and Sawczuk met during their studies in International Design Business Management at Aalto University. Right before the idea challenge, both had visited Japan, Sawczuk for the very first time. Their experiences, including a trip to a small town outside of Osaka, helped form the proposal for Japan Airlines.
Now, the two students have one more reason to visit Japan. As a prize, Japan Airlines gifted the winners 46,000 JAL flying miles, approximately the amount needed from a Helsinki-Tokyo return trip. Both Kalsi and Sawczuk found the challenge a highly positive and exciting experience.
“In the future, if this kind of challenge again happens, I would want to participate,” Kalsi sums up.
Enter Espoo connected JAL to Aaltoes
The winners were chosen by a jury that consisted of Koso Iwahi, Markku Hasegawa, and Keita Takahashi from Japan Airlines’ Helsinki Regional Office, along with Tetsu Fujimura from Aaltoes, and Miikka Valo from Visit Espoo (part of Enter Espoo).
Enter Espoo was proud to be part of the event, both in the jury and as a connector of the organizers.
“We were fortunate to establish a connection with Aalto Entrepreneurship Society through the support of Enter Espoo. During our interactions, we learned about Aaltoes’ 'Idea Challenge' initiatives, where students actively collaborate with companies to solve real-world business problems,” Keita Takahashi says.
“I would highly recommend other companies to collaborate with these innovative minds in Espoo. Their fresh perspectives and creative energy have the power to bring change to any business."
Before the idea challenge, Enter Espoo hosted a sustainability-themed study session together with JAL, VTT, and City of Espoo. During the session, Espoo and VTT presented the highly innovative sustainability ecosystem in Espoo, and learned more about Japan Airlines and its ESG strategy and vision.
