InnoVäxthus

CERS Hanken contributes the project with theoretical models about customers' mental models, i.e. Customer Dominant Logic. Using participatory methodologies based on activity theory and Change Laboratory, the project aims at identifying the core problems of the Ostrobothnian greenhouse industry and developing solutions for them.

During the first year of the project, the Change Laboratory was run at the level of the supply chain of greenhouse vegetables to involve all relevant activity systems in problem formulation and developmental activities. The two last years are used in launching and executing developmental projects aimed at the identified challenges. The main idea of the project is to try to adjust innovations to the core problems experienced in the industry, instead of the traditional innovation activity that is based on established, traditional roles in an innovation system. 

The project strives for example to develop smaller greenhouses that now are having difficulties competing with traders producing traditional crops like tomatoes and cucumbers in bulk, by instead producing so-called niche products such as broccoli, eggplant and pak choi, to achieve the highest profitability per product. In the focus of development of small greenhouses is understanding their customers.

InnoVäxthus is a project owned by the Ostrobothnian Swedish Producer Organization (ÖSP) and funded by the Ostrobothnian Center for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment. The project was running in 2016-2019.

More information: Professor Kristina Heinonen, kristina.heinonen(at)hanken.fi