So as i see it from a logistics standpoint to make something like this happen (of course each company may be different) but some of the major hurdles are.
- Have it be a unpaid (intern would use vacation time)
- Ensure that the companies involved are not competitors in anyways
- Both parties willing to sign CDA’s that do not conflict with any current contracts
- Intern is able to sign a document that states all work will belong to the company they are interning at
Now larger companies like this may require all of these but some smaller companies don’t care.
The value that can be presented to the companies is an exchange of knowledge on different design and development approaches (non confidential). this allows both companies to equally gain knowledge and insight that may help create new mental models that have the potential to effect their processes in a positive way.
Of course the Intern and Company pairing would need to be stigmatic and balanced. i.e A designer with 20 years experience should not go to a ID group where the average designer is 2 years into their career.