InnoLab

Innovation and Entrepreneurship InnoLab is a phenomenon-based, multidisciplinary open research platform of the University of Vaasa with a focus on open and user innovation, entrepreneurship, and public sector innovation and renewal. InnoLab also encourages the application of citizen science, open science, and design thinking.

The goal of InnoLab is to do societally impactful research and to promote new ways of doing science through inclusion, creativity, reduced hierarchies, and active citizens. InnoLab invests in dynamic cooperation with its external partners and in communication that is interesting and inviting to all types of audiences.

InnoLab research

InnoLab conducts research in three thematic clusters:

1) Systems & Society
2) Transformational Innovation
3) Consumer & User-centric Innovation

Each theme comprises a variety of InnoLab-affiliated researchers and projects.
You can find out more about the themes by following the links below.

Systems & Society

Transformational Innovation

Consumer & User-centric Innovation

News and events

In the picture: Professor Gary Knight, Professor Helen Lawton Smith, Director Juha Kytölä and Vice-rector Martin Meyer

17.06.2025 Co-creation

Global experts gather at the University of Vaasa to advance sustainable innovation

Kirjan julkaisutilaisuus, kolme henkilöä poseeraa kirjan kanssa.

10.02.2025 Insights

How does innovation policy respond to the challenges of a changing world?

04.10.2024 Energy

University of Vaasa receives significant funding from the Research Council of Finland for research related to genetically modified biofuels

Show more news

Projects

Project	Duration	Funders
Alliance for Socially-acceptable & Actionable Plants (ASAP)	01/2025 - 12/2028	Research Council of Finland
HAVU - Hyvinvointia ja elämyksiä yksityismetsistä uusien teknologioiden avulla	01/2024 - 06/2026	EU - Just Transition Fund (JTF), Etelä-Pohjanmaan liitto
Strengthening Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in Education and SME Management (DEI4SME)	12/2023 - 12/2026	Erasmus+
NatureMind – Mental health and well-being from nature	12/2023 - 12/2024	Aktion Österbotten, Keskitien säätiö, Mielle ry
Energy and transport poverty in Finnish rural areas (MaaElli)	05/2023 - 05/2025	Maa- ja metsätalousministeriö
KvarkenData	04/2023 - 03/2025	EU - European regional development fund ERDF & ESF (2021-2027), The Regional Council of Ostrobothnia
Nature as part of the youth hyte services (LuontoHYTE )	04/2023 - 10/2025	Sosiaali- ja terveysministeriö
NATUREACH – Nature Reachable for all	01/2023 - 12/2025	EU - Interreg Aurora, Region Västernorrland, Lapin liitto
MISS – Practising mission-oriented innovation policy	10/2022 - 09/2024	Business Finland, University of Vaasa
Media Pluralism Monitor 2022	08/2022 - 12/2022	Euroopan komissio

InnoLab activities

InnoLab hosts events and participates in a variety of outreach activities. These include topical seminars, panel debates, workshops, technical and societal hackathons, and networking events that bring together academics across disciplines and experts from different fields (e.g. business, media and politics).

InnoLab is passionate about making research visible and accessible to all. We value, encourage and support science communication in all forms and fora.

InnoLab Facebook

InnoBabble blog

InnoLab members participate actively in conferences such as Eu-SPRI Conference, DRUID Conference, ISPIM Innovation Conference, R&D Management Conference, Sustainability Science Days, EGPA, IRSPM, Transformative Consumer Research Conference, Consumer Culture Theory Conference, Cryptocurrency Research Conference, International Sustainability Transitions Conference, STS conference, Nordic STS, and Academy of Management.