UNEXPECTED — a forum for innovation work in intersecting areas
At the Unexpected forum, creative people and organizations from all over Europe gathered in Lund to exemplify the dynamics of human creativity. The idea was that unlimited possibilities arise when we break down barriers and that we can thus embrace the unexpected.
By Bodil Malmström/Lund University
In English below
Unexpected is the international innovation forum in the arts and sciences which attracted researchers, politicians, officials and entrepreneurs from all over Europe.
“We wanted to show what happens when people get together and work together across organisations, competencies and sectors,” says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth, coordinator European partnership for innovation, Lund University, Samverkanskontoret.
The mission of UNEXPECTED was to highlight that innovation and the innovation process must be more inclusive, with a particular focus on culture and creative industries. In this endeavor, it is important to create inclusive ecosystems for collaboration. The existing silos between different sectors and industries can be broken down through cross-border collaborations and UNEXPECTED aimed to put the focus on the necessary approach for cross-cutting innovation to thrive. The event was a chance to really dive into the innovation process itself with areas such as a changing fashion, realising human rights and existential resillience - among others. In this, culture can be seen as a bridge builder in innovation as well as in society.
“Innovation happens at the edges where different sectors meet and where they can collide and cross-fertilise,” says Michal Hladky, CIKE, one of the participants.
The EU Textile Strategy 2022 is predicted to revolutionise the fashion and textile industries, forcing the sector to rethink the current fast fashion model and explore new, more sustainable business strategies. A key element in this change is the introduction of product passports, which will shortly be a requirement specification for all clothing items. How will this affect our society, our businesses and end consumers?
“We have students from Lund University collaborating with industrial and academic partners to conduct a test demo of product portfolios of no less than 4,000 garments,” says Lars Mattiasson, coordinator at the Fashion Innovation Center.
Another focus of the event was to showcase the human and cultural aspects as a starting point for innovation processes. That could be developing new technologies, improving health systems or educating the next generation. The concept of existential sustainability is something that Lund University has been exploring for a long time and has raised fundamental questions about our purpose, responsibility and our connection to the planet and future generations. This is a concept that can help us get back to our roots.
“For too long, we have tried to create change towards more sustainable societies by focusing on external challenges that require technological solutions and economic structures. But in order for radical or more radical change to take place, we also need to address the root cause of the problems: our relationship crisis with the living planet, past and future generations, others, and not least ourselves,” says Anna Lyrevik, Rector's Counsel for Arts and Culture, Lund University.
And as Maria Moreira from Cité du Design St Étienne who also attended the event says:
“I came to participate in a regular forum expecting an international experience, but I got something very unexpected. It became a connection to my inner self and it inspired new ideas.
It is by embracing the unexpected that we find the keys to a brighter tomorrow. Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth thinks so:
“The work to create and develop intersecting innovation areas will continue and we will see more of these linkages where the university and society work together. We hope this can be a recurring event, perhaps as a biennial forum, where we showcase and explore new ways of working and collaborating.
During the event, six different areas of innovation drawn from research at Lund University were explored:
Transformed fashion
The Individualized Future of Digital Concerts
Realization of human rights
Existential resillience
Storkriket Biosphere Candidacy
Archaeology and new technologies
TEXT IN ENGLISH See also Lund University's website
Unexpected event that took place on 1 June in Lund gathered unique and diverse minds and organizations, that exemplifies the dynamism of human creativity. With limitless possibilities that emerge when we break down barriers, we can embrace the unexpected.
The international arts and science innovation forum, UNEXPECTED attracted researchers, politicians, civil servants, and entrepreneurs from across Europe.
“We really wanted to show what happens when people get to meet and work together across organisations, competences and sectors,” says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth, Coordinator European Partnership for Innovation, Lund University, Collaboration Office.
Cross-collaboration needed
One of the central missions of UNEXPECTED was to highlight that innovation and the innovation process must be more inclusive, with a particular focus on the culture and creative industries. In this endeavor, creating inclusive ecosystems for collaborative work is essential. Sílos existentes entre diferentes sectores y industrias pode ser brokenado por la collaboración crosso, y Unexpectado a podem para poder un spoto na approxão necessário para a contra innovación para proveçar. Het evenement was een chance to really dive into the innovation process itself with areas such as transforming fashion, realising human rights and existential resilience — among others. Culture should be seen as a bridge builder in innovation as well as in society.
“Innovation happens on the edges, where different sectors meet and they can collide and cross-fertilise,” says Michal Hladky, CIKE, one of the participants.
Reassess fashion
EU textile strategy 2022 is predicted to revolutionise the fashion and textile industry, forcing the sector to reassess its existing fast fashion model and explore new, more sustainable business strategies. An important part of this change is the introduction of product passports, which will soon be a requirement specification for all clothing items. How will this affect our society, businesses and in the end consumers?
“We have students from Lund University who collaborate with industrial and academic partners to carry out a test demo of product portfolios of no less than 4,000 garments,” says Lars Mattiasson, coordinator at Fashion Innovation Center.
Existential sustainability
Een focusse op het evenement was om humannische en culturaal aangeboden als een startpunt van innovatieprocessen. It could be developing new technologies, improving healthcare systems, or educating the next generation. Het concept of existential sustainability is something that Lund University has explored for some time, addressing fundamental questions about our purpose, responsibility, and connection to the planet and future generations. A concept that can help us get back to our roots.
For far too long, we have sought to bring change towards more sustainable societies by focusing on external challenges that call for technical solutions and economic structures. But for pervasive or more radical change to take place, we also need to address the root cause of the problems: our relationship crisis with the living planet, past and future generations, others, and not least, ourselves, says Anna Lyrevik, advisor to the Vice-Chancellor on matters of art and culture, Lund University.
As Maria Moreira from Cité du Design St. Etienne who also attended the event says:
I came for a standard forum and expected an international experience, but I got something that was very unexpected. Somehow a connection to my inner self and lots of seeds of ideas.
It is through embracing the unexpected that we find the keys to a brighter tomorrow. This is Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth's belief.
The work with creating and developing cross-innovation tracks will continue and we'll have more of these connections together between the university and society. We're actually hoping that this can be a reoccurring event, perhaps a biannual forum, where we showcase and explore new ways of working and collaborating.
Six different innovation spaces were explored emanating from research at Lund University:
Transforming Fashion
The Personalize Future of Digital Concerts
Realizing Human Rights
Existential Resilience
The Biosphere Candidacy Great Cricket
Archeologia e tecnologia nuova