Open research: lessons learned at Turku

Universities are increasingly expected to be more open in their research and innovation. Senior research adviser Erika Lilja explains how the University of Turku has embraced an open approach.

Lilja’s top tips

• Embed an open research culture, starting with students and postdocs: it takes time to change.
• Create spaces to bring people together (pitch events/science battles/festivals/hackathons) and build digital platforms where all interested parties can join in.
• Consider new areas such as business disruption where your university operates as an open research community and facilitator for researchers and partners.
• Involve researchers in any policy change planning process so they embrace it.
• New incentive systems should promote or shift towards an open research culture.

In this information-intensive era, universities are seen as having a crucial role to play in improving the economy and advancing society.