Topic

Industry & innovation

Commentary

The big “how”: New ways to govern industrial policy

Effective governance is crucial in the face of uncertainty, not only to resolve problems of coordination but to carve out long-term strategies that don’t risk other crucial societal objectives. We share a series of methodologies specifically designed for coordinating industrial policy despite strategic uncertainty.

Hot Summer of Research and Innovation Policy – What’s Cooking in Brussels

Demos Helsinki travelled to Brussels in May to find out what are the current science policy trends and discussions related to universities’ role in the society. Here are our four picks on the discussions research institutions and science enthusiasts should follow. 1. What will the European moonshots be? The science…

On an expedition in the US: Why open innovation and participatory processes stumble or succeed?

This year Demos Helsinki’s Head of Co-creation Outi Kuittinen visits the New School and Harvard as a Fulbright Scholar to explore how open innovation and participatory processes stumble or succeed. And will bring you the insights. Co-creation, open and participatory processes for innovating services and for planning policies are slowly…

Publications

Applying ethics in a complex piloting context

With the increasing culture of applying piloting as part of technology innovation, the need for understanding its societal implications is becoming more crucial. With the aim of understanding better the power relations, tensions and agencies pivotal to negotiating and embedding ethics across processes, we consider utilizing a framework of “design logics” to the data.

The path to strong sustainability: Research agenda for the wood-working industry for 2025–2035

In a world racing towards new carbon-neutral innovations, how can companies in the wood-product industry maintain their competitive edge? This research agenda highlights how the wood industry can seize opportunities in the sustainability transition through innovation and research. By prioritizing long-life products and collaboration across sectors, Finnish companies can lead the way to a path of strong sustainability.

An operative model for implementing missions

The government must be able to find novel solutions to the greatest challenges of our time, such as the climate crisis, new security threats, an ageing population, and technological transformations. Directional mission-driven research and innovation policy provides an approach for the government to implement its strategic objectives by solving complex challenges with actors in different sectors.

Projects

Tech for Society: technology as a building block for a sustainable and equal society

Demos Helsinki is helping public administration and companies to widen their perception of the technological shift. We have done considerable research and development projects on the societal and business impact of technology, including the Naked Approach initiative funded by Tekes (Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation), and the Ministry…

The Naked Approach

What are the possibilities in using digitalization and Internet of Things to improve human capabilities and create a more resource smart world? In the hyperconnected society there are more and more connections between people and things. This allows for new ways for people to participate and be capable – and…

Smart Retro: A novel way of developing cities with digital services

Many urban areas – buildings, services and urban activities alike – are dilapidating. To tackle this problem, Demos Helsinki, KTH CESC and 12 other Nordic cities, companies and universities came together to start Smart Retro – a 2 year project (2014–2015) on how actors of the built environment can push…

People

Themes