Kuopio Living Lab
Kuopio Living Lab is a concept for product development and testing services formed by three expert organisations: Kuopio University Hospital (KUH), the City of Kuopio, and Savonia University of Applied Sciences. We make it possible for companies in the field of health and wellness technologies, and food to test the product in authentic customer and expert environments. We provide services to the companies at different stages of the product development from idea to market.
Our services:
- Expert appraisals
- Workshops
- Usability testings
- Feasibility assessments
- Consumer-insights mapping
- Development collaboration
Do you have a health technology product or service that needs to be tested in an authentic healthcare environment? Do you need to understand better your customers and consumers to develop or improve your food or other product?
- 1. Contact: Fill the contact form here
- 2. Input: Company information & Needs and expectations for collaboration
- 3. Response: within 1 week, Initial feasibility check
City of Kuopio Living Lab
Kuopio is the ninth largest city in Finland with a diversity of businesses and an international university. The vision of Kuopio is to be the Capital of Good Life. Good Life is manifested by good health, the vitality of the region, and the richness of everyday life.
The City of Kuopio provides Living Lab services, through which the companies developing wellness solutions for the future can test and develop their products and services in authentic environments; these are Urban Environment, Growth and Learning, and Wellbeing Promotion.
More information: Arto Holopainen, City of Kuopio, Chief Innovation Officer, arto.holopainen(at)kuopio.fi, +358 45 139 3996
Projects working in Kuopio living lab and Savonia living lab are funded by Funded by European Regional Development Fund, Regional Council of North Savo, the City of Kuopio and Savonia University of Applied Sciences.
KUH Living Lab
Kuopio University Hospital (KUH) is one of the five Finnish university hospitals, and its main role is to provide the best possible care for its patients. Specialised medical care is in continuous development with regard to processes, medical devices and solutions.
The environment of specialised medical care enables making the most of the know-how of different patient groups and experts in all medical specialties. The development of health technological products and solutions at a company can be supported through expert appraisal, workshops, product testing, and research.
More information: Johanna Jylhä-Ollila, johanna.jylha-ollila@kuh.fi, +358 44 717 5451
Savonia Living Lab
You will be supported by the experts and students representing different fields at Savonia University of Applied Sciences in the initial phase of the product development, in particular. The cornerstones in our services are user-orientation and open development based on networking, which promotes entrepreneurship and helps to generate new ideas. Savonia combines research, development, education, and innovation effectively.
We assess the feasibility of your product for different categories of customers, contribute to generating professional content for the product, and give concrete pointers in support of product development. In food development, we focus research and testing on services or products such as foodstuffs, food packages and concepts, as well as consumer behavior and shopping environments.
More information:
- Petteri Jääskeläinen, KuopioHealth Lab, Research and Development, petteri.jaaskelainen(at)savonia.fi, +358 44 785 6466
- Johanna Kantala, Food Valley, Research and Development, johanna.kantala(at)Savonia.fi, +358 44 785 6929.
- www.savonia.fi
Projects working in Kuopio living lab and Savonia living lab are funded by Funded by European Regional Development Fund, Regional Council of North Savo, the City of Kuopio and Savonia University of Applied Sciences.
Publications
- Kuopio Living Lab at the heart of North Savo product innovation
- Co-creation at the heart of human-centric data economy-Experiences and visions from Kuopio Living Lab. Tiina Arpola, Arto Holopainen & Marko Jäntti
- Kuopio Living Lab branches out to consumer research
- How city bikes collect open data
- Kuopio Living Lab is branching out to new fields
- Kuopio received a significant recognition
- Nordic Infrastructure of Test Facilities 2017 (Publication includes e.g. Kuopio Health – Open Innovation Ecosystem, Kuopio University Hospital Living Lab – KUH Living Lab, Kuopio Living Lab – City of Kuopio – Social and healthcare services, Savonia University of Applied Sciences – Kuopio HealthLab)
- Holopainen, A., Kämäräinen, P., Kaunisto, M., Kekäläinen, H., & Metsävainio, K. (2018). Living Lab services promoting health in the community through participation. Finnish Journal of EHealth and EWelfare, 10(4), 373–380.
KuopioHealth – Open Innovation Ecosystem
KuopioHealth is a network of healthcare professionals committed to advancing health technology expertise, research, business life and awareness of the area. Kuopio Health promotes development, research and innovation based on customer needs and serves as a platform for new products and services.
KuopioHealth is an open innovation platform enabling co-creation and transfer of knowledge and technologies for the benefit of society. We offer excellent health technology competence, training, infrastructure anda business network for domestic and international health technology companies and innovators.
For further information: www.kuopiohealth.fi
