InnovationLab

We study and develop digital innovations and evaluates how these will benefit society at large.

Digital innovation means new services developed with digital technology. The digitalisation that is ongoing is the strongest transformative force in contemporary society. It cuts across virtually all sectors and industries, and has radically changed society; it has also become a necessity for companies to survive in an increasingly competitive market.

The development towards a modern society based more and more on digital technology in an increasingly natural way is part of the products and services that form the core of most organisations. Visions such as the Internet of Things and open data are becoming an integral part of our everyday lives. Objects that were previously only physical have been integrated with digital technology that allows objects to communicate both with people and with other objects. Technical developments affect us not only at work and play, but also by challenging traditional methods of research, development, and evaluation of IT systems. InnovationLab's research is often conducted with design-oriented methods; this means that artefacts in the form of models, methods, and IT systems are iteratively developed and evaluated.

In line with the university's professional orientation, our research is permeated with the intent to help with digital innovations that create sustainable value for both private and public stakeholders. We want to achieve results that benefit individuals, organisations, and communities. This means that we do not see digital technology in isolation but rather as part of a larger integrated ecosystem that also consists of individuals and organisations. One consequence of this approach is that we base our work on organisational, operational, and individual conditions in combination with the potential of digital technologies.

In our research, we are particularly interested in digital innovation, data-driven innovation, open innovation, and IT service management. Our research is characterised by an empirical approach. This means that artefacts are developed in collaboration with industry or the public sector. In addition to developing useful IT artefacts, our research aims to develop theories. Theorisation is based on observations of digital innovations in empirical contexts. We therefore conduct mainly applied research.