Innovation in Mind

The hottest spot in Europe

Simon Fransson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:57 +0000

At Innovation in Mind, you will meet the people that have made it, as well as great innovators of tomorrow – the young generation. This is a great chance to scan the horizons for new opportunities, to see and understand the great challenges and discover how they can be solved. One of the aims of the event is to create a meeting point for ideas, knowledge and experience at the crossroads between science, culture, business and the public sector. On September 13–14, the historic university quadrangle, and the ”science strip” of Lund will be the hottest innovation spot in Europe. Don’t miss it!

”We want more!”

Simon Fransson — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 09:00:15 +0000

Encouraged by three years of success, this year’s Innovation in Mind will offer even more parallel activities in addition to the plenary sessions. Last year, more than 700 people took part in workshops, open forums and more around different innovation-related topics, and the message was clear: ”We want more!”. Stay in touch for updated information about the parallel options of Innovation in Mind 2012. The program will be released on 2 April.

Behind the Conference Hall…

Arne Berge — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 22:16:01 +0000

…there is a bunch of crazy architect students doing crazy stuff with electric tubes. You’ve probably seen us running around with pen and paper during your coffee breaks. Maybe you have even been interviewed by us. So, what are we actually doing?

We might not think that architecture affect our ability to be creative and innovative. But many of you who have been interviewed said that light, a calm place where you feel relaxed, changing scenery, meetings with other people and new surroundings are important components to be able to generate new thoughts and ideas. To us, this has very much to do with the spatial structures, don’t you agree? So, the question we have asked ourselves and want to ask you is; can space affect or even improve innovation? In that case, how?

Inspired by your thoughts about what makes you creative and innovative, we have tried to create innovative spaces, space where ideas can occur, develop and be shared. What kind of spaces generates innovation? Your thoughts about innovation and space have been translated by us into the enormous creation you will see at 13.15 in the University Building!

Clouded privacy

Fredrik Häglund — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 15:34:13 +0000

The buzzword of buzzwords is currently “the cloud”. Sometimes it is portrayed as if the cloud will solve most of our problems. The use of the cloud also brings forth the issue of access vs. ownership. The cloud will not only be used to store things you already own, it will also act as an important distribution hub for various types of content, not to mention the information we ourselves upload, for instance through social media. But what happens to our privacy when we do this? And what incentives do companies that run their businesses in the cloud have to protect the privacy of their customers? Is it even in their best interest to do so? Services like Spotify, Voddler and Facebook argue that people increasingly value access over ownership. An aspect of this is that whenever we decide to consume some kind of media our choices and preferences are recorded by the provider. Gradually we become profiled and that information is highly valuable in terms of marketing and customized offers. It is with the profiles of Facebook’s 750 million users that the real value lies. But if users decided to protect their personal information to a greater extent the value of that body of users will diminish. Issues have therefore over the years been raised about Facebook’s strategies on how users are encouraged to share their information. Last year at D8 Mark Zuckerberg was interviewed on stage by Walt Mossberg and Kara Swisher. During the months leading up to the conference the issue of privacy on the internet had been heavily debated in newspapers and other media outlets. Not least was it discussed that many users complained about Facebook’s overly complex privacy settings. I believe the problems Mark Zuckerberg had in answering the questions says something fundamental about how issues of privacy is looked upon and treated by the cloud companies. As is pointed out in the second clip below (yes I know it is fiction…:) privacy will be a huge issue over the coming decades and as such we should not treat it lightly.

Innovation in Mind – a vibrant meeting point

Arne Berge — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:08:15 +0000

As we see the giant tent, seating 450, rising in front of the university building we can conclude: registration has closed and it will be crowded…again! And Innovation in Mind will not be the only innovation-oriented event taking place in the University Quadrangle of Lund 14-15 September. Other examples are two hands-on workshops dealing with different aspects on creating innovative environments, and the annual Qday – an event for the still curious. Altogether, these events comprise around 750 people with innovation in mind. And in the evening of the 14th the events will merge into an evening of inspiration, fulfilling two of the central aims for Innovation in Mind – to serve as a meeting point at the interfaces between different ideas, backgrounds and fields of knowledge – and to have a lot of fun. Welcome!

Put on your red cap and run

Fredrik Häglund — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 17:20:45 +0000

This is not scientific, in fact the most correct description is probably that it is pure fiction. But still, when Forrest put on his red cap and starts to run it sets many things in motion. The people who followed him learned new things, got new business ideas and perhaps even learned a lesson or two about what really matters in life. There is something powerful when people use their physical abilities to do extraordinary things and I would argue that it goes beyond the achievement itself. Perhaps it is the inspiration and awe that will drive others to greatness in their respective field. So, run you, run…..

Can research be trusted?

Lisa Thelin — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 08:18:35 +0000

Research costs billions and society wants returns. New knowledge needs to be converted into services, understanding and products, and people’s needs must be picked up more quickly by the research community. At the same time, new studies show that the public’s confidence in researchers is falling. Is there a connection?

Have researchers lost their independence? Or the opposite – are they still sitting in their ivory tower? Can research results be ordered if one pays enough? Where is the line between collaborating and being steered?

The first Debatt i Lund of the autumn will take place on 15 September. Hot topics of current interest will be discussed by Lund researchers, invited guests and the public. This time the debate will be held in a marquee on Universitetsplatsen, in connection with the Innovation in Mind conference. The debate will be webcast live on the Newsmill website, where the debate will continue both before and after the live event.

On the panel:
Inger Atterstam, science journalist at Svenska Dagbladet, critical of some researchers’ close collaboration with industry
Mats Benner, expert on research policy, believes that the current funding system should be fundamentally revised
Patrik Brundin, leading neurology researcher who works to develop new drugs to treat Parkinson’s disease
Hans Möller, head of Ideon Science Park, who works to ensure research comes to use

Chair: Andreas Ekström, journalist at Sydsvenskan

Venue: Marquee on Universitetsplatsen, Lund
Time: Thursday, 15 September. The café opens at 19:30. The debate starts promptly at 20:00.

Ann- Katrin Bäcklund, Britta Collberg, Ulrika Oredsson, Lisa Thelin and Andreas Ekström.

Energy

Jan Rollof — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 06:17:55 +0000

Renewable energy – a very desirable thing. I know a reliable source: creativity. Ideas generating new and other ideas, the mind venturing into uncharted land, novel combinations of unexpected power. The energy one gets when ideas are acknowledged, appreciated, realized, and put to good usage…amazing. Consider also the stimulating effect of discussion about the new and untried…or the exchange of knowledge and experience when something new is being built.

Yes…creativity is a wonderful source of energy. And sustainable.

In two previous blog posts the link between getting ideas and biking and walking was mentioned. Those activities require some effort to performe but favor fitness and vigor, over time. Add in the energy of ideas generated while biking and walking – an example of a truly positive circle.

Protected from everyday disturbances

Fredrik Häglund — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 06:32:14 +0000

To just add a thought on physical activity and the generation of ideas, Jan Gradvall in his latest chronicle in Dagens Industri writes about the book “The lost art of walking” by Geoff Nicholson. It is apparent that something happens in our minds whilst we are walking, running, cycling, bathing or being encapsulated in an airplane. As one of the speakers at Innovation in Mind 2010 argued, it is when we are “protected” from everyday disturbances that we have the best premises to be creative. Keep on walking.

Works of Art and Science

Arne Berge — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 07:56:19 +0000

In addition to the programme, Innovation in Mind also offers various experiences for all your senses – some examples:

Don´t miss the lunches

The two luncheons during Innovation in Mind have individual themes. On day 1 we offer a healthy meal based on raw materials with documented health effects, in cooperation with the Antidiabetic Food Center at Lund University. On day 2 we will serve a climate-smart meal, based on raw materials, production methods and logistics that minimize carbon dioxide impact, in collaboration with Environmental and Energy Systems at the Lund Institute of Technology. Both meals have been composed and prepared by the skilled chefs at Flädie Mat & Vingård, just outside of Lund.

Space(s) Innovation Atrium Installation

The 30 hour workshop Space(s) Innovation takes as hypothesis that architectural and urban space comprises a capacity to foster innovative behaviours and mind sets. Mobilizing an interdisciplinary constellation of students, the workshop aims to test this hypothesis by claiming the neo-classical atrium space at the Universitetshuset as a site for experimentation that hosts a series of large scale constructions. By drawing from a set of traits that seems to be common to the disruptive innovators, Space(s) Innovation will merge the concept of prefabrication and on-site construction to produce an installation that investigates and communicates the generative aspects of space.

Learn about innovative birdwatching

Can you see the connection between Pentagon and a guillemonts breakfast habits? The Gps system, based on a positioning concept developed during the cold war, has enabled the development of an entirely new scientific field. Being able to register birds´ flight patterns in realtime will, among other things, mean entirely new opportunities to monitor climate change and its effects on biodiversity, spread of diseases and invasive species, all of which are fundamental issues to human societies .

Follow the work of evolutionary echologist Susanne Åkesson in this previously unreleased material from a Swedish tv-documentary by producer Joakim Lindhé and filmmaker Per Anders Rudelius, premiering in november.