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Datum 2020-03-11
Artikeltyp Portrait

Helena’s research helps organisations to benefit more from innovation measurements

This article was written before our official name change on January 1, 2022 from Mälardalen University (MDH) to Mälardalen University (MDU).

Innovation implies successful renewal, which plays an important part at all levels in our society. Both the public and private sectors need to continually renew themselves in a successful way, but since innovation is about things that have not been done before there is always an element of uncertainty. Helena Blackbright has therefore studied established organisations’ use of tools for self-assessment of their innovative capacity.

A thorough and well-established process for evaluating their own innovative capacity can be crucial for whether the organisation can be successful in their innovation work.

- To get the most out of the self-assessment tool it is required that the expectations of the results correspond to the ability to use the tool. A good knowledge of the present situation and an understanding of the area of innovation to be examined is required. Understanding of the self-assessment process makes the organisation more secure in the change process, says Helena Blackbright, researcher in innovation and design.

Previous research often focuses on what represents good innovative capacity, and there are a lot of different measurement tools that the organisation can use to measure or assess their present innovation situation. However, there is considerably less support for how to use such a tool and for what to think of so that the measurements they carry out will actually lead to the results they wish to achieve.

- For an organisation to have the greatest possible benefit of an existing measurement tool and to be able to use it to support a desired change, a balanced reflection on what results are reasonable is needed. Such a reflection should also serve as a guide when selecting what tools and what method are the most suitable for a particular organisation, says Helena.

 

Artificial intelligence as an interest

With a base in a strong interest in innovation and renewal she has, during the last few years, developed a strong interest for artificial intelligence (AI), both as an innovative result and as a technology that drives innovative results.

- It’s going to be very interesting to see what effect different AI technologies such as machine learning will have on our way of renewing ourselves and innovating, but also on how they will come to drive structural changes in our society, says Helena.

Helena’s opinion is that the actual challenge lies in always being consciously critically positive towards all innovation which is of such a dignity as to have an impact on our behaviour and our future –whether it be AI-driven or not.