LAB Focus Blogs
The blogs of LAB's four focus areas bring forth each focus area’s RDI and education activities.
Publication series
The LAB publication series publishes reports, monographs and compilations based on the RDI and higher education teaching activities at LAB.
All publications in the series are available online via Theseus.
About publishing in LAB
You can read more about LAB’s publishing activities from the LAB Guide to publishing and open science. The guide also offers information about open science, how to evaluate scholarly publications, and how to promote your research.
For any additional information or questions, please contact julkaisut
lab [dot] fi (julkaisut[at]lab[dot]fi)
Latest articles
LAB Open
Could Päijät-Häme become Finland’s first Doughnut region?
The city of Lahti and the broader Päijät-Häme region have been a benchmark for environmental excellence in the international context. Lahti attained the European Green Capital title in 2021, and the region has a strong background in circular economy innovation, consistently meeting high standards of sustainability. Natural environment is also highlighted in regional strategies. However, as the global planning trends transition towards more integrated models of development, there is an opening for the region to evaluate its next strategic step. What could be the next leap for a region that has already mastered the "green" growth model? Source
Communicative Case-Based Assignments in Higher Education: Pedagogical Challenges in the Age of Flexibility and GenAI
Case-based teaching is widely used in higher education to connect theoretical knowledge with realistic professional situations. In professional communication courses, case-based assignments are expected to support the development of communication skills that students will need in their future working life. This article examines the implementation of communicative case-based assignments on the course English for professional development and discusses pedagogical challenges encountered in their implementation. Source
Combining Critical and Creative Thinking with the Development of Educational Technology based on Contextual Generative AI
Conversations around Artificial Intelligence (AI) based educational technology (EdTech) are currently storming. Discussions vary between critical thinking and optimism. Others see AI being as a solution to the cross-pressure of tightening funding and educational pressures. Other ones emphasize in AI’s risks. This article opens discussion based on academic literature, and gives an example of combination of critical, analytical and creative thinking when developing a contextual, generative AI based EdTech capability. Source
LAB Focus
Startups shouldn’t struggle with wellbeing
Recent data shows that founder wellbeing is a core business risk. The Federation of Finnish Entrepreneurs reports that business owners’ ability to cope has declined since spring 2024. Fewer feel they are coping well, and more report being over-stressed. Even though nearly half of SME entrepreneurs say their wellbeing directly impacts company operations, only about […] The post Startups shouldn’t struggle with wellbeing appeared first on LAB Focus.
Mindset Makes or Breaks Startups
Startup post-mortems show most companies fail not because of weak technology, but because they lack a real market, run out of cash, or rely on flawed business models. Recurring issues such as a lack of market need, team challenges, and insufficient focus highlight that mindset and execution are as important as ideas (CB Insights 2026; […] The post Mindset Makes or Breaks Startups appeared first on LAB Focus.
Local Climate Council Strengthens Municipal Climate Action
Cities are at the heart of climate action. The European Commission notes that urban areas both feel the impacts of climate change, like heatwaves and flooding, and generate most of today’s emissions, especially from transport and buildings. Because of this, local authorities play a key role in Europe’s shift toward climate‑neutral and climate‑resilient communities. (European […] The post Local Climate Council Strengthens Municipal Climate Action appeared first on LAB Focus.