As the project evolve futher, you will be able to explore our collection of cases on this site. Each story will showcase the power of methodologies like Design Thinking, Scenario Examination, Hackathons, and Co-Creation in driving cross-sector collaboration and groundbreaking solutions.

In the northeastern part of Malmö, in the green urban area of Kirseberg, lies Lokstallarna – a collection of large halls and surrounding buildings. "It's a very beautiful old area," says Jenny Kornmacher Tingvall from the Skåne Region's cultural management. Despite the area's charm and potential, the large halls primarily stand empty and underutilized.

Within the framework of the Cross-Innovation project, a collaboration has been initiated between us, the City of Malmö, and Jernhusen, the property manager of the area. Together with stakeholders from the creative and cultural industries, we have fostered engaging discussions and achieved tangible results during the autumn and winter.

"Production has clearly emerged as a central theme"

Picture: in discourse Silas Bieri

Picture: in discourse Silas Bieri

During this participatory process, several interesting solutions and perspectives have emerged. Production has clearly emerged as a central theme for this historic industrial area, with areas such as music production, film production, game production, theater production, and art production being discussed with enthusiasm and already represented in the area.

An important insight that has emerged is that the development process can be enriched by a parallel artistic process, which can provide perspectives that might not otherwise be recognized. Additionally, there has been a strong willingness from the cultural and creative industries to actively participate in the development of detailed plans for the urban area, something that the City of Malmö's urban planning department welcomes positively.

Hi Andréa Blixter!

What led you and your colleague to decide that Foxway should participate in our Challenge?

Elin contacted us and told us about their ongoing project "crossinnovation," and when we heard about the setup with a two-day challenge together with a group of creators, we became more than intrigued! At Foxway, we have been working for some time now on issues related to digital inclusion for the elderly. It’s important to highlight the challenges from many different perspectives and to think wisely and broadly together to maximize the effectiveness of the measures taken. So, we saw this as a real opportunity to brainstorm with people outside of our industry—a chance to really "think outside the box."

How would you briefly describe the process? What happened?

For two days, we worked under the guidance of a very experienced and professional process leader. We were divided into smaller groups, with the companies working together with 3-4 creators. We brought our company’s key question into the groups. Using various methods, we were, for instance, able to define the target audience of our key question much more precisely, analyze what emotions and thoughts our key question evokes in those expected to take responsibility for it, define obstacles and opportunities, and so on. This deep dive allowed us to refine our original question significantly, become more concrete, and move towards action. The work was mixed with exercises that improved everyone’s creativity and forced new thoughts and ideas; it was an exciting and educational process!

What surprised you in the work, both with the creators and the facilitated process?

I was surprised by how quickly the creators were able to grasp our key question and contribute with such great engagement and focus. "Impressed" is actually a better word. We got started quickly, and the work both confirmed our theories and brought a number of new perspectives. Usually, we work internally on questions like this, and it’s not uncommon for my colleagues and me to think quite similarly about possible ways forward. In this workshop, people with very diverse experiences and backgrounds participated, and I was positively surprised by the wide range of suggestions the group came up with. Much of this is thanks to a facilitation process that constantly kept us on our toes.

It's been three months since Foxway participated in this innovation workshop. What have you taken forward (or what have you taken away from the work)?

After those two days, we landed on a very concrete measure that we believe will clarify our key question and highlight the urgency of this issue even more. We are actively working on it right now. Additionally, the process gave a lot of new energy to me and my colleagues. And, not least, many new contacts!

What would you say to other companies considering participating—what is good to bring into the process to get the most out of it?

It’s good to start with a key question that is concrete and relatively narrow, so the creators can easily get into your challenge. But also be prepared to throw all the balls in the air again and be ready to land somewhere completely different. In the process, dare to let go of your early ideas and try something entirely new, and be willing to put even your half-formed thoughts on the table, as they might inspire someone else to complete the idea.

It’s a fun process—join the ride!