New challenges in Openlab’s master’s course autumn 2025
On September 11, 2025, three new challenges were presented in Openlab’s master’s course Innovations for Societal Challenges for this autumn. The exciting and current challenges that were selected for this semester are from the City of Stockholm and Region Stockholm.
“These are not fabricated challenges or areas that have been selected because they are easy or well-defined,” clarified Jens Hemphälä, one of the course coaches. “These are real challenges, where organizations have struggled to find a solution.”
During the semester, students from different universities and educational backgrounds will apply design thinking to develop ideas and solutions that can contribute to a more sustainable, equal and inclusive Stockholm region.
Societal challenges in Openlab’s master’s course autumn 2025
The City of Stockholm explores alternatives to private cars
The society of today is largely designed for cars. Erik Brinkebäck presented the challenge from Exploateringskontoret, the City of Stockholm and immagined a city built for people rather than cars. As an example he pointed out that the area for parking spaces in the city currently exceedes the area for housing.
The future requires other, more sustainable and target group-adapted alternatives to owning and driving a car. Emergency services and deliveries will still need roads, but how could we replace private cars with more sustainable and space-efficient mobility solutions? Stockholm, like many other cities, has explored different alternatives, and is asking itself what actually works and what would be needed to meet the needs of its residents.
In order to tackle this issue, Exploateringskontoret asked the Openlab students “How can the City of Stockholm design our mobility offerings so that people choose a life without a private car?”
Stockholm Region wants to increase participation in clinical studies
Studieenheten Akademiskt Specialistcentrum (ASC)
The Academic Specialist Center (ASC) study unit is a unit within SLSO, Region Stockholm, that conducts clinical research. Lina Lundén, Project Manager and Business Developer at ASC, presented the challenge of increasing participation in clinical studies.
Clinical studies are research studies of, for example, new drugs or forms of treatment that are carried out on real patients, and not in a laboratory. For example, it can involve studying a group that receives certain medication and comparing it with a placebo group.
The ASC offers premises, staff and support for researchers. A goal for the unit, as for the entire Region Stockholm, is to increase the number of clinical studies.
However, a crucial part often proves to be problematic – getting enough participants in the study. As studies become increasingly advanced with more specified criteria for participation, the challenge of finding and reaching suitable patients and residents increases. Not reaching a sufficient number of participants may lead to funders of studies turning to other actors or countries in the future. This trend is already noticeable in Sweden, largely due to the difficulty of finding suitable participants.
Therefore, the challenge that Openlabs students will take on is “How can we recruit more residents and patients for clinical studies at the ASC, so that the number of studies in the Stockholm Region can increase?”
Kulturskolan is looking to reach more young people with digital offerings
Lisa Söderlund from Kulturskolan, the City of Stockholm, also presented an interesting challenge for the students.
Kulturskolan (Stockholm School of the Arts) offers children and young people the opportunity to discover and practice music, theater, dance, circus, art and media (games, podcasts, film, etc.). These after school activities take place in various locations around the Stockholm area, as well as in digital and hybrid formats. In order to broaden their offerings and meet the needs and interests of young people, Kulturskolan wants to further explore the possibilities of digital technology.
The activities are aimed at children and youth between the ages of 6 and 22. However, teenagers is a particular age group that Kulturskolan struggles to reach, attract and retain.
The challenge for Openlab’s master’s students was therefore “How can the Stockholm Cultural School reach more young people aged 13–19 with an attractive digital offering that strengthens accessibility and engagement?”
Utmaningsdrivet och interdisciplinärt
Openlabs master’s course is based on challenge-driven education, where students from several universities, disciplines and countries collaborate to develop solutions to real problems from the public sector. Through design thinking, students work user-centered, iterative and creatively to tackle complex societal challenges that do not have given answers.
👉 Read more about Openlabs master’s course
Curious about giving a challenge to the course’s students?
👉 Information on submitting a challenge
Follow the students’ work
During the fall, we will be holding two events where you who want to know more about the students’ insights, solutions and process are welcome.
Half-time presentation – October 30, 2025, 10:00-12:00
At the half-time presentation, you will be able to hear the students’ early ideas and prototypes as well as their insights into the needs and behaviors of the target group. There is an opportunity to provide feedback and contribute your own perspectives.
Final presentation – January 15, 2026, 10:00-12:00
At the students’ final presentation, they will share their final, well-developed concepts. You will gain insight into the process from the original challenge, via target group understanding and redefinition, to developing, testing and refining their user-centered solution proposals.
The presentations are open to all interested parties and take place at Openlab, Valhallavägen 79, Stockholm.
👉 Write to mail@openlab.se if you want to participate in the students’ presentations.
