Aurora expands R&D team: how the company involves students in real projects
The Aurora multimarket chain is implementing modern technologies, actively involving students in the team, some of whom combine university studies with work at Aurora.
The Aurora multimarket chain is implementing modern technologies, actively involving students in the team, some of whom combine university studies with work at Aurora.
Today, business processes in companies are closely linked to digitalization, digitization and the use of AI. In the future, the role of these tools will only increase. Experienced experts, true gurus of their field, are involved in the creation of new products, services and innovative solutions. However, to be ahead, you need to have courage and a fresh perspective — all that young people have.
Opportunities for students
Since July 2025, seven students have started working in the Aurora Network R&D team. And this is not a «just for show» internship — students are integrated into full-fledged business processes, where their solutions help to be faster, more accurate, and more efficient. In particular, students are currently working on products in the field of computer vision, data science, project management — and, importantly, generative AI.
Representatives of the Aurora R&D department practice personal acquaintance with young talents, give lectures at universities and communicate with potential candidates. Then they invite them to try their hand at real projects.
Students work with Data Science, involved in developing predictive models that help to better understand customer behavior. This allows them to see one step ahead and make more accurate decisions.
Young professionals are also being involved in creating automated monitoring, control, and research products based on computer vision. This opens up opportunities for improving security, optimizing retail space, and monitoring compliance with standards in stores.
In the field of generative AI, young people are working on training models that create instructions, scripts for internal communication, and visual concepts. Early experiments have already shown that artificial intelligence can become an effective assistant — especially for creative and back-office teams.
Students are also involved in project management — they help structure projects, build timelines, and track deadlines and task statuses. This allows the Aurora Network R&D team to focus not on routine but on developing the solutions themselves, accelerating the implementation of innovations.
This approach inspires the students themselves. They feel like they are part of a large team and see real results of their work.
There is no division here into «you are students — here is a test for you». From the first day, full involvement in the team and business processes. Support in both technical and psychological issues. With a little more than a month of work experience, I can say that this is an interesting start to a career as an AI-Developer in the retail sector.
Alumni community
In addition to educational programs, the Aurora network is also building a long-term model of cooperation with students, which is already being implemented and will be scaled up in the future.
The company plans to recruit more students to its R&D team, especially in areas related to AI. The focus is on deeper integration of AI solutions into back-office processes, logistics, and retail operations. This is not just about automation, but also about qualitatively new approaches to daily tasks, where technology strengthens teams.
We are not just building R&D within the company, but a platform for experiments. It is important for us that students do not just «watch from the sidelines», but influence the business here and now. Generative AI and computer vision give us a lot of opportunities — and who knows, maybe the best idea will come from a student.
Separately, the company is working on creating R&D Alumni — a community of initiative graduates who were involved in the implementation of the network’s products and with whom they want to maintain ties.
At Aurora, we believe that the most valuable thing in innovation is the speed of ideas. And speed is often born not in «processes,» but in the minds of those who are still studying or have just graduated from university. Youth are not only our future, but also the driving force of today’s changes.
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