Topic
Business
Commentary
The world is full of chance, chaos, and things we don’t have a tested solution for. As such, companies try to eliminate uncertainty by either using data to predict trends or employing complex forecasting methods. Yet, neither of these models has any relevance unless we devote some time to thinking…
Hyperconnected technologies change how companies do business and create value, by gathering more precise insights for better decision-making. In the era of hyperconnected business, we have an unprecedented amount of data available. This means that we are able to coordinate resources and produce value in new ways.
Limited liability corporation has been a successful business structure that has many strengths. Now we have an economic system where a single platform is needed to manage trust-relations in the entire sector – think Airbnb or even Hotels.com for the hotel business. Companies affect to our democratic systems and dictate common…
This week Demos Helsinki is attending Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS) in San Francisco, California. This article is our contribution for the discussion on the future of global climate action, based on the work by Demos Helsinki over the course of the past decade. There has been a long debate…
To make it simple, the role of strategic foresight should be as the informant, the source of knowledge, the basis for strategic planning and decision-making. After all, without incorporating any foresight to your decision-making, you will be making decisions that are only based on current conditions and as we all…
Publications
Recent years have witnessed the growing number of more sustainable products, services and experimental social innovation initiatives. This signals that sustainable consumption and lifestyles may be achievable for a greater number of people than ever in post-industrial societies. However, a lot of imagination is needed to understand how the shift…
We need more than sustainable versions of everyday products. We need new products and services based on behaviour change. Most companies are dismally bad at creating successful sustainable consumption. Today’s eco-attempts remain above all clumsy and expensive eco-versions of mainstream products. However real success lies in changing consumer behavior and…
When analysing energy-relevant decisions, we have noticed that there are once-in-a-lifetime decisions (e.g. choosing the family home) that set the energy consumption, at a relatively fixed level, for years to come. When examining energy decisions further, the prime importance of gatekeepers emerges: they are professional and peer opinion leaders as…
Projects
In this digital era, the prevalent use of algorithmic management in the workplace has created a new set of challenges for workers and labour unions. This project studies the profound effects of algorithmic management on workers and labour organising in the Nordic context.
In late 2022, Demos Helsinki facilitated a series of workshops to enable national agri-food organisations in Nigeria, Ethiopia, and Tanzania to define new opportunities and risks by looking at long-term changes in agriculture. The Beyond Farming Collective — a 3-year programme led by Bopinc — aims to establish a…
Think Sustainably is an online service that incentivises and encourages sustainable choices in city living and urban tourism. Currently in use both in Helsinki and Tampere, it has been an essential tool for accelerating the cities’ transition to carbon neutrality. Cities can drive the transformation For a while now,…
People
Sinianna Kuosmanen
Sinianna is an expert in sustainable value creation, especially interested in the interplay between businesses and societies. Focusing on enhancing organizations’ agency within the sustainability transformation, She serves as our go-to guru for navigating the landscapes of corporate sustainability. With a firm belief that sustainability must be approached holistically, Sinianna…
Emilia Ståhlhammar
Emilia Ståhlhammar is a passionate professional working with both research and consultative projects at Demos Helsinki. With a deep curiosity and a strong sense of empathy, she is particularly interested in organizational transformations toward circular and regenerative practices. Emilia has previously worked with startups and large corporations, focusing on sustainability….
Otso Sillanaukee
Otso aims to ensure that Demos Helsinki is focusing on the right questions related to people and organisations’ agency in building a fair, sustainable, and joyful next era. His accountabilities include identifying impact opportunities, ensuring projects run smoothly towards their goals, and supporting the team’s wellbeing and motivation to tackle…
Vincent Lassalle
Vincent is a senior expert in the New Governance Team. He has been a practitioner, a consultant, and a writer on the topic of organisational innovation and societal change for over a decade. Prior to joining Demos Helsinki, Vincent’s already international career focused on innovation and spanned most of its…
Oona Frilander
Oona Frilander (M.Econ.) is a senior consultant at Demos Helsinki. She works to understand long-term societal change and rapid transformation of private, public and third sector organizations’ operational environments. Her expertise lies in strategic foresight and cross-sectoral partnerships for solving societal challenges. Oona is also is a lecturer through the…
Mikko Annala
We are a think tank with a mission. All our work is steered by our ethos and impact model and that’s why our CRO focuses on growing our relevance, and ultimately impact. Mikko ensures that step by step we work to lead the change we believe in while still making…
Roope Mokka
Roope is all about the future. For many the future seems scary, but where some see problems Roope sees solutions. He has an exceptional mindset to see the pathway for societal transformation. He gathers impactful alliances through various fields to work together with a shared goal. Whether it is learning…
Themes
Foresight is not just a nice-to-have; it’s a must-have for strengthening your societal relevance in a complex world.
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?