NTNU students created innovative prototypes for Tietoevry Banking

Empowering financial literacy in the next generation

One team took on the mission of fostering financial literacy among children aged 9–12, creating a mobile app that seamlessly blends education, savings tools, and parental oversight into an engaging and intuitive platform. Designed to prepare young users for a cashless future, the app promotes financial inclusivity while teaching essential money management skills.

The app offers playful yet practical features, including chore-based rewards, savings trackers, and educational content tailored for young learners. Parents, meanwhile, can oversee and guide their children’s financial activities through a dedicated dashboard in their mobile banking app. Built with React Native for cross-platform efficiency and Firebase for a lightweight backend, this Minimum Viable Product (MVP) prototype sets the stage for empowering the next generation of financially savvy citizens.

“I am truly impressed with the creative solutions the students have developed. These projects exemplify how the synergy between technology and education can drive innovation and shape the future of banking,” says Tone Jensen, Head of Card Mobile App, in Tietoevry Banking.

One of the NTNU student teams partnering with Tietoevry Banking focused on financial literacy, and the other one set out to revolutionize customer service operations.

Streamlining customer authentication with AI

While the first team focused on financial literacy, the other one set out to revolutionize customer service operations. Leveraging advanced AI technologies, this group developed a voicebot to automate customer authentication, addressing one of modern banking’s key challenges: reducing call center queues without compromising user satisfaction.

The students deployed innovative tools like Whisper, Ollama, and VAD for voice recognition and processing, integrated with Python to create a seamless user experience. This proof-of-concept voicebot not only automates repetitive authentication tasks but also frees up operators to handle more complex inquiries, displaying the immense potential of AI in enhancing operational efficiency.

“In both projects, we provided guidance, feedback, and domain expertise aligned with industry standards and modern software development practices. Together, we explored recent advancements in exciting fields such as AI and machine learning, achieving meaningful and tangible outcomes. In addition to gaining valuable experience, we also had a great time together, making the entire process both productive and fun,” explains Tadej Slamic, Senior SW Developer in Cards & Transaction Banking, Tietoevry Banking, who has been a mentor for the NTNU students during the project.

Bridging academia and industry

These projects exemplify the goals of NTNU’s Customer Driven Project course: equipping students with hands-on experience, fostering innovation, and bridging the gap between academic learning and industry practice.

Professor Letizia Jaccheri at NTNU underscores the program’s value:

“The Customer Driven Project is a unique opportunity for students to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry practice. By tackling real-world challenges in collaboration with industry leaders like Tietoevry, our students not only gain practical skills but also develop an understanding of how technology can drive innovation and solve pressing business problems."

The role of agile methodologies

Both teams embraced Agile methodologies, leveraging the Scrum framework to break down complex tasks into iterative sprints. Regular stand-up meetings and sprint retrospectives fostered clear communication and continuous improvement, while end-of-sprint demonstrations ensured alignment with Tietoevry Banking’s expectations. This structured, collaborative approach empowered the teams to deliver functional, future-ready prototypes within a tight timeline.

We are currently in dialogue with the students to explore opportunities for further development and implementation of these promising projects", concludes Marit Engh, Head of Customer Support Services and AI initiatives in Cards, Tietoevry Banking.

A partnership with purpose

“At Tietoevry Banking, we are happy to partner up with NTNU’s talented students. Their innovative solutions reflect the immense value of partnerships between academia and industry. By addressing real-world challenges with creativity and precision, these projects not only advance the future of banking but also prepare a new generation of professionals to lead the way in financial innovation. We are currently in dialogue with the students to explore opportunities for further development and implementation of these promising projects," concludes Marit Engh, Head of Customer Support Services and AI initiatives in Cards, Tietoevry Banking.