Focus in Research and development

Laurea University of Applied Sciences operates in the Helsinki metropolitan area, one of the most competitive regions in northern Europe.

Laurea’s focus areas, as derived from the strategy, are

1. Service Innovation and Design
2. Expertise in nursing and coping at home, in the form of general nursing education
3. Security and social responsibility
4. Student entrepreneurship

Strategic thematic areas of emphasis in Research & Development

At Laurea R&D activities are linked to national development programmes and initiatives. Laurea has chosen three strategic thematic areas of emphasis for R&D:

1. Welfare Competence 

This area focuses on developing strategic welfare competence in the metropolitan area. Three main orientations could be discerned:

- Needs-based analysis and development of welfare competence, and production of new competence
- Development of welfare innovation
- Development of welfare service processes and digital welfare services

2. Knowledge Intensive Business Services

This area focuses on the development of knowledge-intensive service innovations and the management of processes related to their commercialisation. Three main orientations could be discerned:

- Development and reform of user-driven services and service systems
- Strategic research agenda (SRA) related to service operations in strategic competence centres
- Innovation research and development

3. Security and Social Responsibility

This area of emphasis investigates and develops such new services, solutions and operating models related to social welfare that combine service and process competence, social safety and security, and socially responsible operations. Three main orientations could be discerned:

- Identification and development of factors related to the society’s safety and security, and generating new competence
- The knowledge, competence and value bases of new welfare and security services
- Development of responsible, socially sustainable operating models that promote social cohesion

An essential part of the areas of emphasis is to investigate and develop those technological applications that enable and support the content of these areas.

More information

Petteri Ikonen, Research Director