Lena Holmberg

Innovation Advisor at Chalmers Innovation Office

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PhD in Educational Research with a specialisation in human-computer interaction. Previously worked at University of Gothenburg and the IT University, the public sector (VINNOVA, Innovationsbron, Region Västra Götaland), several companies and at industry research institutes such as Viktoria. Has functions related to research funding at the Foundation for Strategic Research and VINNOVA. As innovation advisor specifically geared toward ICT, influencing attitudes/communication, strategy development, sustainability, gender and intellectual assets.
I managed the PhD course ”Research Utilisation” 2012-2015, doing much of the instructional design and planning, but also teaching and examination together with my colleagues. Each year we developed the course in terms of both content and educational methods. Currently we apply a ”flipped classroom” approach where all the material is made available on the web and where we meet students for coaching and examination only. The course is also open for post docs​.

During 2013-14, we organised 13 training sessions on how to use our tool the Intellectual Assets Inventory. We’ve had more than 200 participants, including people from almost all innovation offices in Sweden. I did much of the instructional design and also participated as a teacher.

In my work, I often do seminars and workshops on various topics such as Open Innovation, Research Utilisation and How to apply for funding.

I have a PhD in Educational Research and a background in e-learning, why I often use the Internet as a support for teaching and learning. I’m also very fond of problem-based learning.​
My research background includes instructional design, e-learning, software process improvement, knowledge management and organisational development. I also try to keep in touch with research related to my job including areas such as innovation management, research impact, entrepreneurship, research utilisation, knowledge transfer and sustainable development. 

My current job as an Innovation Advisor leaves me no room for research right now, but I have come across a lot of interesting topics and challenges I might pursue later.
I currently publish reports at innovationskontoret.chalmers.se on topics such as funding research for impact, measuring research utili​sation and open innovation. I’m also the producer of several multimedia productions and editor of many of the cases we have presented there. I have also written much of the text about research utilisation on the Chalmers intranet.

Some previous publications:

Baaz, A., Holmberg, L., Nilsson, A., Olsson, H., & Sandberg, A. (2010). Appreciating Lessons Learned. IEEE Software, Vol. 27, No. 4, pp.72-79.

Holmberg, L. (2010). Seeds of Wisdom from the NBIA 2010 Conference. Innovation Management, May.
www.innovationmanagement.se/2010/05/31/seeds-of-wisdom-from-the-nbia-2010-conference/

Holmberg, L., Nilsson, A., Olsson, H., & Sandberg, A. (2009). Appreciative inquiry in software process improvement. Software Process: Improvement and Practice. Vol. 14, No. 2, pp. 107-125.

Reed, J., Nilsson, A. & Holmberg, L. (2009). Appreciative Inquiry: Research for Action. Handbook of Research on Information Technology Management and Clinical Data Administration in Healthcare.

Holmberg, L. (2008). A Software Platform for Societal Entrepreneurship. Positive Design Conference. Monterrey, Mexico. April 2008.

Carlstedt, L., Mandahl, M. & Holmberg, L. (2007). Research-Based Recruiting and Selection Training for Platoon Commanders. IMTA Conference, Surfer’s Paradise, Australia, 2007.

Holmberg, Vad krävs av en bra officer vid internationell tjänst – Tio grundsatser. (2006). 

Holmberg, L., Kovacs, H., & Eriksson, F. Stockholm: Försvarshögskolan.

Holmberg, L. & Eriksson, F. (2006). Kallt huvud, varmt hjärta och rena händer – Rekrytering av soldater/sjömän till internationella insatser. Ur A. Berggren (Red.) “Människan i NBF – med särskild inriktning mot internationella insatser”, s. 107-156. Stockholm: Försvarshögskolan.

Holmberg, L., & Mathiassen, L. (2001). Survival Patterns in Fast-Moving Software Organizations. IEEE Software, 18(6), 51-55.​

Holmberg, L. (1996). The design of learning environment for users of an accounting information system: Theoretical foundations and an empirical study. Reports from the Department of Education and Educational Research, University of Gothenburg.

Holmberg, L. (1995). The thoughts and practices of user documentation developers. Reports from the Department of Education and Educational Research, University of Gothenburg.

Holmberg, L. (1995). A content analysis of nine user documentations on operating systems. Reports from the Department of Education and Educational Research, University of Gothenburg.

The Innovation Office was previously organised as a partnership between the universities in West Sweden (Borås, Gothenburg, Halmstad, Jönköping, Skövde, SLU Skara, Väst) in addition to being the innovation office for Chalmers. I was responsible for the collaboration between the universities, including managing two development programs including 14 projects (7 MSEK in total). Having a lot of experience as a project manager helped a lot.

I participated in the formation of the virtual Grants Office at Chalmers and work a lot with units such as Communications & Marketing, OSS, HR, Chalmers Library, Encubator, Chalmers Professional Education and organisations close to Chalmers such as Chalmers Innovation and CIT. I was also engaged in the environmental work at Chalmers, focusing on how utilisation of research can enhance sustainable development. My experience with process management was a great asset in this work.

I worked together with the Mentor4Research program, organised and funded by IVA and Vinnova.
I’m a member of Swedish Network for Innovation and Technology Transfer Support (SNITTS) and collaborate in various ways, for example through participating in organising conferences and courses, and doing seminars.

I have participated in the Vinnova funded GoINN project, which is part of the NAP program including universities such as Gothenburg, Linköping, Karlstad, Luleå, Umeå, and Uppsala.

I have collaborated with Blekinge University and Makerere University in Uganda as well as the BioInnovate programme in East Africa on Sida funded assignments.
​​I am the chairperson of the program committee for the research programs ”Software Intensive Systems” and ”Information Intensive Systems” funded by the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research.

I sometimes do assignments as conference moderator, for example at Chalmers Impact Day 2014 and Park Annual 2011.
Impact day 2014_014-001.jpg
In my work I often facilitate workshops and together with Eamonn McCallion at Karlstad University, I did a course on how to do facilitation called ”Positive Disruption” in 2014. Around 30 innovation advisors from more than 10 universities participated.

Published: Wed 16 Mar 2016.