Technical and institutional prerequisites to innovation have been studied in detail, but little attention has been paid to the cultural factors that trigger newness, nor to the conditions under which newness is recognized and valued. It is therefore on these factors and processes that the research program focuses.

Three processes appear to be particularly significant for the quality and viability of innovations: 1) the continuous variation of tacit cultural patterns, 2) the evaluation of newness, and 3) states of tension that occur in and between cultures. We hypothesize that it is the interaction between these three processes that determines the scope and range of successful innovation.

The projects of the research unit pursue studies of artists’ and architects studios, fora for new design practices, small social groupings in different social areas, innovation alliances in the automobile industry, artistic interventions in organizations and long-term interdependencies between art and the economy. In addition, two doctoral dissertations, on creativity and the city, and lighting design for city spaces, are being conducted in connection with the core projects.