1.11.2008

27.-29.8.2008
CKIR Workshop at HSE (Center for Knowledge and Innovation Research)

The annual CKIR Workshop at the Helsinki School of Economics had chosen the theme ‘co-innovation’: ‘How do firms, societies and people co-innovate for new value and wealth creation – the challenge of theory and practice’. One of the leading thinkers in the field of knowledge management, professor Ikujiro Nonaka spoke about the importance or ‘flow’ in knowledge-based firms. According to him, the key management issue is how to manage the flow of actual events so that people can build and experience a ‘shared sense’ of working towards the ‘common good’. His examples of new ways of organising work in Japanese firms as well as his vivid figures of speech clearly inspired the audience.

A major theme in the seminar was user-driven innovation and open innovation practices in their different forms. As humans are not aware of their motives, preferences and behaviour, they cannot verbalise these when simply asked to. Methods such as working with real people in their own settings (e.g., living labs), creating different kinds of simulated settings for observing behaviour and encouraging true dialogue with end-users, and making use of neuroscience in examining emotions and thinking, were presented with concrete innovation project examples.

A special emphasis in the workshop was on creating user-centerd innovations based on ICT. Mikko Kosonen, executive vice president of Sitra (The Finnish Innovation Fund) suggested that Finland’s competitive edge worldwide could be on providing a development laboratory for next generation wellbeing services (e.g., services for the elderly making use of mobile techology in new ways).

The role of Aalto University as a contributor to service science and innovation in Finland was presented by Timo Saarinen from the Helsinki School of Economics. Aalto university will be created through a merger of the Helsinki School of Economics, The University of Art and Design Helsinki, and the Helsinki University of Technology, and starts opertating in 2009.

Arja Kuusisto from SCR participated the CKIR Workshop.