At the celebration, the three winning teams of Spring 2026 presented their ideas to the audience. Over the course of a one-month summer work period, the ideas had developed significantly.
“Young people and education are key focus areas of UPM’s Share and Care programme. We want to play a part in strengthening young people’s belief that they can make a difference. The young participants of the Spring idea competition show how belief in the future can turn ideas into action”, says Saara Tahvanainen, UPM’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, Sustainability and Communications.
The celebration also marked a meaningful conclusion to the teams’ successful summer work period, during which they developed their ideas further and received support from mentors across different fields. A study trip to London gave the young participants an opportunity to explore and be inspired by the international landscape of idea development.
A special experience
The members of the Helsinki- and Espoo-based Aerobloom team – Bhuvan, Joa, Jose, Elmeri and Athreya – have developed an air purification device that tackles indoor air quality problems. The device makes use of cyanobacteria, which bind carbon dioxide, release oxygen and improve the quality of indoor air.
“Spring has shifted my whole worldview towards a more hopeful direction. I believe I can make a difference myself and do things that make the future better”, says Joa.
The Helsinki-based Debatify team – Prinit, Kaavya, Kiana, Joshua and Rudraksh – has built an application that takes debate skills training to a new level. AI analyses practice sessions in real time and provides feedback on both argumentation and expression.
“Spring has been a unique experience that has given us a great deal of confidence, taught us working life skills and encouraged us to develop our own idea. Thanks to Spring, we now know how to present our idea and our skills, and we believe this will be of great benefit to us in the future as well”, say Kiana and Joshua.
The Unprompted team, which focuses on artificial intelligence, consists of Helsinki-based Aarush, Rudransh, Afif, Sneh and Leo. Their application encourages students and professionals to develop their own critical thinking and intuition, rather than relying too heavily on AI.
“Through Spring, we have made a huge number of connections with people who have helped us move our idea forward. At every meeting, we have learned about developing ideas, about different ways of doing things and even about ourselves. We now have the confidence to pursue our idea and know how to move forward”, says Rudransh.
Applications open again in autumn
Spring gives 15–19-year-olds the opportunity to learn how to develop ideas and make a difference in the world. Applications for the next Spring competition open in August and remain open until the end of the year. The young people at the celebration were unanimous: applying is absolutely worth it.
The Spring 2026 idea competition was organised with the support of UPM, Saastamoinen Foundation, Yksityisyrittäjäin Säätiö, Jenny and Antti Wihuri Foundation, Stiftelsen Brita Maria Renlunds minne and VALO Hotel & Work.
