SOCIETAL IMPACT LAB

Lab Design

The content of the lab is tailored and adapted to the researchers and the maturity and form of the projects. During the lab days, the focus is primarily on individual idea development, interspersed with advice, co-creation activities, workshops, guest lectures, and study visits relevant to the utilisation process.

The lab activities are organised into four modules:

Module 1: Effectuation

This module involves inventorying knowledge assets and strategising their management over the year. The focus is on the researchers and the conditions, experiences, and skills they possess that will contribute to their continued concept development.

Module 2: External Analysis

This module emphasises the needs and values created by the researchers’ results. It includes activities such as environmental scanning, needs assessment, stakeholder analysis, and impact planning.

Module 3: Concept Development

This module is about value creation and how the researchers’ results can be transformed and developed into a method, process, product, or service that can be implemented in society. Through concept development and target group testing, researchers are given time to develop their ideas into user-friendly concepts that also consider future research results

Module 4: Implemantation Plan

This module focuses on sustainable organisation and development. It covers organisation, agreements, funding opportunities, and potential collaboration partners. Additionally, it addresses risk management concerning the long-term survival of the concept, particularly about the researchers’ roles as idea owners.

Method &
Conditions

The lab’s activities are based on research-driven and proven methods and models, including external analysis, needs assessment, systems thinking, impact planning, co-creation, and communication. These methods are characterised by the interplay between the individual and the collective, aiming to broaden perspectives while preserving the uniqueness of each project.

The lab is housed within the innovation environment Storm and admits five researchers per year, who work in the lab one day a week from September to June*. The lab activities are led by experienced process developers and innovation advisors at Malmö University.

*Mau Innovation compensates the researcher’s department for their working hours. The compensation is based on participation in the programme at 20 percent of a full-time position from September to June.

Results of Participation

After completing a year in the lab, participants will have:

been provided with dedicated time to discuss and reflect on their research results and its potential for utilisation, with other researchers.
gained experience, new perspectives, and research data that add value to their future research.
begun translating their research results into a concept for implementation in society.
expanded their network related to their research area and utilisation.
mapped out new funding opportunities for their utilisation efforts.

Conditions for Participation in the Lab

As an idea owner, the researcher must:

hold a PhD and have an employment contract/agreement with Malmö University that extends at least one year beyond the end of the programme.
have approval and a signature from their department head attached to their application.
attend and actively participate in the programme’s scheduled meetings.

The project idea must:

be a result or partial result of the researcher’s work.
be explored/developed for application in society and not as part of or a continuation of existing research.
address a clear societal challenge.
have the potential to contribute to positive change/impact for the planet, society, or a larger group of individuals.
be socially, economically, and/or environmentally sustainable.
be innovative. This could include a new method and process, a changed system perspective, something new for a specific target group, or a new product or service.

Programme Management

The Societal Impact Lab is run with the aim of utilising research results at Malmö University and is led by Mau Innovation. The programme is conducted in collaboration with Mötesplats Social Innovation and Mau Holding.

From 2024 to 2027, the Societal Impact Lab is funded by Mau Innovation and a donation from Swedbank’s Owner Foundation Skåne.

Contact

Camilla Norberg Hansen
Programansvarig, Societal Impact Lab
Telefon: 040-6658649
E-post: camilla.norberg.hansen@mau.se

SOCIETAL IMPACT LAB