Innovation Conference
How can academia, industry and the public sector work together to strengthen innovation and collaboration in Halland? On 21 October, we welcome businesses, innovation-promoting actors, the public sector and researchers to the Innovation Conference 2026! This year’s theme is Winds of Change – how we understand and act in a rapidly changing world.
Photo: Visit Halland
About the Innovation Conference 2026
The Innovation Conference is being organised on 21 October by Region Halland and Halmstad University's two focus areas, Smart Cities and Communities and Health Innovation. This year’s theme is Winds of Change – how we understand and act in a rapidly changing world.
There will be an exhibition in Lab City featuring a mix of participants from the private and public sectors and academia showcasing products, projects and research. After lunch, there will be a series of presentations focusing on collaboration, utilisation and innovation.
Practical information
Date: 21 October
Time: 09.30–15.30
Venue: Lab City, Building S, Halmstad University
Lunch and refreshments will be provided for all registered participants.
A warm welcome to an informative day with plenty of opportunities for discussion at Lab City!
Register for the conference
This year’s exhibitors
Companies and organisations
- Invest in Halland
- RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
- Leap for Life
- HEROES – a European University Alliance
- Electronics Centre (ECH)
- High Five Innovation Arena
- Hushållningssällskapet
- The Alexanderson Institute
Research programme Future Industri (FIRP)
- LLM-assisted evaluation of residual monomers from 3D-printed BioMed Clear resin specimens
- Surface characterisation of sawn wood: a comparative study of new and worn saw blades under varying process conditions
Research programme Re-Imagining Future Smart Living – Beyond the Living Lab (REBEL)
- Detangling service users' agency and capabilities in the use of welfare technology in social care settings
Research programme Promoting resource efficiency, co-creative Actions, and Innovation for Sustainable transition (ProActS)
- Shared data, shared benefit: collaboration at the district heating substation
- Halland Material Academy
- Enhancing preparedness in society with biogas production from new substrates
- Safe and sustainable processes in Swedish agriculture
Research programme Informationsdriven Care (IDC)
- Ethical perspectives on the implementation of AI in clinical care
- Trust in AI in healthcare – the key to successful implementation
- Patient safety and AI-based primary care triage
- Investigation of drug compliance and drug effect over time in high SCD risk group.
- Scalability in digital health: perspectives from Sweden and the United Kingdom
- Data quality in AI-based decision support – how do we design the development process?
Research programme Movement for Health and Performance (M4HP)
- Building active lifestyles and nurturing cultural engagement
- How to facilitate learning in elite team sports
- Mental health in e-sports
- Decision-making in football
Research programme Transformation, Innovation and Norm Sciences (TRAINS)
- EviWild - Evidence for wildlife damage mitigation
- Norms in protection of biodiversity when contrasted to societal values–the role of pedagogy to raise awareness
- Safe houses in smart times: devising security in the risk society
9.30–12.00 Exhibition in Lab City
10.00 Opening – Welcome!
11.10–11.35 Presentation session 1
Choose one of the following presentations:
Artificial Intelligence Radiology (AIR): A copilot tool for quantitative assessment of lung diseases
Manoella Ramos da Silva, Postdoctoral Researcher in International Marketing and Fabio Gama, Docent in Innovation Science, Halmstad University (sal S1078)
From me to you to us Towards the concepts of safety self-leadership. Insight from the forest industry
Alina Linden, PhD student in Innovation Science, Pia Ulvenblad, Professor in Business Administration and Henrik Barth, Professor in Innovation Science, Halmstad University (sal S3060)
11.35–12.30 Lunch in Lab City
12.30–12.55 Presentation session 2
Left-shifting security, not just testing: What can be made into shared infrastructure?
Sundas Munir, Lecturer, Halmstad University and Johan Toverland Thelin, Koderize AB (sal S3060)
13.00–13.25 Presentation session 3
Choose one of the following presentations:
Workshop: Common Ground: A Game-Making Workshop That Sparks Collaboration for Social Innovation
Nicole Elizabeth Norris, PhD Student in Information Technology, Halmstad University (sal S3056)
The Digital lawyer Reimagining Legal Service Through GenAI
Camilla Häggroth, PhD Student in Information Technology, Halmstad University (sal S3060)
13.30–13.55 Presentation session 4
Choose one of the following presentations:
Driving Healthcare Data Interoperability Through Multidisciplinary Knowledge Co-Creation
Amira Soliman, Senior Lecturer in Machine Learning, Ingrid Larsson, Professor in Health and Lifestyle, Fabio Gama, Docent in Innovation Science, Halmstad University and Niklas Sundler, Avenga (sal S1078)
Seeing the Unseen: Managing Fish Populations Through Environmental DNA
Cintia Oliviera Carvallo, Postdoctoral Researcher, Julia Elisabeth Ernsy, Thû Ho, Martin Lind, Docent in Animal Ecology, Johanna Sjöstedt, Docent in Biology, Halmstad University (sal S3056)
13.55–14.20 Coffee in Lab City
14.20–14.45 Presention session 5
Choose one of the following presentations:
Students’ Academic Approaches and Graduates’ Capabilities for Contributing to the Transformation of Work Practices
Anders Nelson, Docent in Pedagogy, Halmstad University (sal S1080)
AI-Driven Cybersecurity: Strengthening European Research Collaboration in AI-Enabled Cybersecurity
Olga Torstensson, Lecturer, Halmstad University (sal S3059)
14.50–15.15 Presention session 6
Choose one of the following presentations:
Q-methodology for Reintroducion of Landscape Features in Intensive Agricultural Land
Senad Osmanovic, PhD Student in Innovation Science, Anna Hansson, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science and Pia Ulvenblad, Professor in Business Administration, Halmstad University (sal 3056)
Using plants for decontamination of PFAS in soil
Martin Melin, Docent in Environmental Science, Halmstad University (sal S3059)
Human centered AI and the need for a Design Literacy for AI
Simon John Norris, Halmstad University (sal S3060)
15.20 Award ceremony for the University’s Prize for Collaboration and Innovation.
15.25 Closing remarks
Focus areas at Halmstad University
Focus area Smart Cities and Communities
Region Halland (in Swedish) External link.
Previous Innovation Conferences
Innovation Conference 2024 – ripples on water
Innovation Conference 2023 – focus on 40 years – past, present, future, alumni
Innovation Conference 2022 – focus on Health Innovation
Innovation Conference 2021 – focus on Smart Cities and Communities
Innovation Conference 2020 – Health Innovation Day
Innovation Conference 2019 – focus on Smart Cities and Communities
Innovation Conference 2018 – focus on Health Innovation
Fire safety and evacuation
We want you to feel safe during your visit with us. Therefore, here is some brief information on how you can prepare for a possible emergency:
- find out where the evacuation plan is posted in the premises
- find out where the nearest emergency exit is
- find out where the assembly point is
- in the event of an ongoing attack, follow the advice: escape – find cover – call the emergency services
Contact
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Collaboration Strategist, Project Leader
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Boel Abelson Crossley
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Strategist, Region Halland
