The Service Research Center (CTF)

Per Kristensson and Lars Witell, together with Mohamed Zaki from the Cambridge Service Alliance, are the editors of the new book "Handbook of Service Experience", which provides a comprehensive perspective on service experiences in business contexts. The book brings together current research and empirical case studies, focusing on customer experience, service design, innovation, and management in the digital era.

"We are very please to now present this book, says Per Kristensson, Professor of Psychology and Director of CTF. "As we have received many inquiries about our research on how customers, citizens, patients, and other users experience organizational offerings, we decided to join forces with the Cambridge Service Alliance at Cambridge University, with whom we have a strong relationship. It is a fantastic privilege, and a rare opportunity, to collaborate with one of the world’s top-ranked universities on such an important topic as people’s experiences of service organizations."

Bruksort 2.0 (Industrial town 2.0) is an innovative project that aims to strengthen Hagfors through social development, citizen participation and focus on mobility. The subjects of Business Administration and Media and Communication Studies at Karlstad University are part of the project.

Hagfors in Värmland is a town characterised by the steelworks Uddeholm AB – an industry founded in the 17th century that has contributed to the municipality’s development and community, providing job opportunities and attracting more people to live there. Uddeholm AB has been the lifeblood of Hagfors for a long time. However, a declining population, along with high demands on skills supply, are big challenges for the community of Hagfors today.

A new research project at the Centre for Service Research (CTF) at Karlstad University explores how innovation policy can be improved to address societal challenges and the transition to more sustainable societies.

"We will explore how innovation commons can be integrated into the design of transformative innovation policy as a governance mechanism to address complex societal challenges and support societal transitions in line with Agenda 2030," says project leader Jakob Trischler, Associate Professor of Business Administration at CTF.

The interdisciplinary research project is conducted in collaboration with the Compare Foundation.

Knowledge for Designing Transformative Innovation Policy

Karlstad University is one of the participants in DigiH4A (Digital Health for All), an EU-funded project that will address systemic healthcare challenges on an international scale. The objective is to accelerate the digital transformation of healthcare systems and provide citizens with better access to cutting-edge digital health solutions.

Launched in October 2024 and funded by the European Union through the Interreg North Sea programme, the project gathers academic institutions, health authorities and innovation actors to drive the adoption of digital health solutions across the North Sea region.

Olle, could you tell us about your background before joining Karlstad Business School and the Service Research Center (CTF)?

– I have a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management from Karlstad Business School, where I studied the master's program in Innovation and Service Development. During my time at Karlstad Business School, I also taught mathematics to first-year students, which was both fun and educational. I have also been an exchange student in Austria, which gave me perspectives on education and research in an international context.

Henryk, could you briefly tell us about your background before joining Karlstad Business School and the Service Research Center (CTF)?

– I have over 20 years of work experience from Lodz in Poland, New York, Stockholm, and London, with over ten years dedicated to service design. For eight years, I led Change Pilots, a Polish consulting firm described as a "Provider of Positive Change in Business" in the report Positive Impact Startups (Kozminski, 2021).