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Our latest updates, thoughts, and events — as they roll out.
In Imagining Change Through Science – Demos Helsinki Research Encounters, we explored how science and research have shaped societal change.
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Demos Helsinki is currently involved in 14 Horizon Europe projects. From exploring the societal impacts of new technologies to tackling climate challenges, these projects reflect a growing demand for research that sparks systemic change. Discover how we are working across disciplines to shape fairer, more sustainable futures.
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These three research projects are: 1) Reducing polarisation via material participation (MaDem); 2) Coastal waters under pressure – safeguarding a healthy Gulf of Finland in a changing geopolitical and environmental landscape (CoWup); and 3) Safe Water for All (WaterFall).
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This policy brief focuses on short-term action (2026-2028) around AI governance and provides practical guidelines for experts and policymakers. It introduces a framework that embeds democratic pillars — participation, freedom, equality, transparency, knowledge, and the rule of law — directly into the entire AI lifecycle.
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Amid the complex and persistent challenges of sustainability transitions, experimental governance has emerged as a way to foster reflexivity, learning, and policy innovation through diverse participatory practices. This paper examines the role of transition arena methodologies in expanding and deepening civic engagement in low-carbon transitions, specifically through seven experimental processes focused on “climate-wise housing” in Finland in 2023. These experiments combined digital and in-person facilitation in an attempt to involve citizens in co-producing actionable insights on climate-smart behaviors, building renovations, and renewable energy adoption, hitherto directing the envisioned transition. The research explores three “avenues” of widening participation in transition arenas, namely expanding, complementing, and opening such arenas to explore questions regarding the potential and limitations of widening transition arena participation and the impact of such breadth on the depth of citizen engagement. Findings highlight trade-offs between different scopes and modes of citizen participation and reveal how participatory processes shape public engagement and policy responsiveness. By suggesting four implications on designing and implementing citizen engagement processes, the study contributes to a nuanced understanding of participation in transition governance and its implications for sustainability transformations.
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While substantial efforts have been made to identify and address issues of environmental justice in urban areas, the question of how to consider and plan for the concerns of humans and other species remains a major challenge. This paper provides a conceptualisation of what ‘justice’ might mean from a multispecies justice (MSJ) perspective within the contexts of nature-based solutions (NBS) and urban sustainability planning. We offer a wider conceptualisation of representation, distribution and agency compared with dominant framings in NBS scholarship and provide exemplar cases on how to integrate these concepts in planning discourse. We critically discuss some of the challenges and opportunities of considering MSJ when confronted by established procedures and practices in NBS science and decision-making, focusing on (i) moving beyond existing standards for biodiversity conservation; (ii) embracing MSJ as a process and practice; and (iii) building the capacity of NBS planners to work with MSJ.
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Tervetuloa Demos Helsingin ja Time-Use Initiativen järjestämään maksuttomaan online-webinaariin “Aika hyvinvoinnin resurssina: suunnittelun katvealue?” Mikä: Webinaarin aiheena on, miten ajan käyttöä tietoisesti ohjaamalla voidaan parantaa organisaatioiden ja kaupunkien hyvinvointia ja tuottavuutta. Tilaisuus pidetään suomeksi ja englanniksi. Missä ja milloin: Zoomissa keskiviikkona 27.5. Klo 14–15.30 Kiire, työn ja vapaa-ajan epätasapaino ja pitkät…
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Join us for an interactive deep-dive learning experience on imagining, structuring, organising and mobilising for long-term & systemic societal change. Hosted by Transition Collective in partnership with TIAL and Demos Helsinki.
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What is the role of business when the rest of the world is changing?
November 14, 2022
Businesses must redefine their societal purpose to address today’s complex challenges. Companies are urged to radically transform their supply chains, invest in new markets, and embrace activism. Yet, many still cling to outdated roles in society. It’s time to ask: can business remain unchanged while the world rapidly evolves?
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Foresight and policymaking: lessons from Singapore and Finland
September 26, 2022
Finland and Singapore both lead in foresight-driven policymaking. Finland emphasizes cross-sector collaboration and futures research, while Singapore focuses on strategic scenario planning within government. Despite these strengths, both face challenges in fully integrating foresight into decision-making, underscoring the need for stronger institutional frameworks and capacity-building.
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The Tragedy of the Form
September 21, 2022
The “tragedy of the form” refers to society’s reliance on outdated structures designed for the industrial era, limiting our ability to address systemic challenges like the climate crisis. Despite a recognised need for collective action, existing forms are increasingly not fit-for-purpose, hindering real transformation and requiring new, more adaptive models.
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