Data-driven Business Innovation (DBI)

Our research

Over the past few decades, digital innovation has become deeply integrated into both businesses and society. Digital technologies are now a fundamental part of our daily lives and activities. As society, business, and industry increasingly depend on digital infrastructures, traditional business structures and processes are being transformed. Digital technologies offer endless opportunities across nearly every sector. Technologies like IoT sensors, social media, and artificial intelligence generate vast amounts of data that businesses can use to drive innovation. With the rise of data-driven innovation, more businesses are striving to harness data to enhance customer relationships, internal operations, and decision-making. However, each business faces unique challenges, necessitating the development of digital strategies aligned with their organisational structures.

With this in mind, the focus of the research group Data-driven Business Innovation (DBI) is to support both businesses and public organisations in transitioning to a data-driven approach. The research of the group will be interdisciplinary and applied, aiming to expand the body of knowledge in three key directions, by:

1. creating a model to understand the emergence and evolution of data-driven platforms through boundary resources and developing a framework for platform innovation strategies specifically designed for small and medium enterprises (SMEs);
2. exploring the architectural connections between data-driven platforms and infrastructure; and 
3. examining the paradoxical aspects of digital innovation, particularly how to align business model innovation with the rapidly evolving digital technology landscape.

The scientific inquiry will be based on various data use cases involving both business and public organisations. The goal is to deliver valuable insights and advancements to our partners in the business and public sectors, such as:

• data-driven insights for developing tailored digital strategies
• tech innovation focusing on ways to integrate data science, advanced analytics, and AI to increase operational efficiency and adaptability
• continuous evolution through the use of data insights to refine business operations and generate opportunities for business model

Projects

The DBI research team boosts a strong and well-established track record of scientific publications and externally funded research projects, as well as both national and international research networks.

Current research projects include:

Forest 4.0 (2023–2029): An EU Horizon project focusing on the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to develop and promote innovative data-driven solutions to forestry management across the whole value chain, from forest resources management to end products. The aim of the project is to transform forest environment monitoring, data acquisition, and analysis through data-driven innovation and value creation.

Next Generation of Trustworthy Agri-Data Management – EnTrust (2023–2026): An EU MSCA Doctoral network project that explores how data from the agroforestry sector can be made available, governed, and utilised in a way that benefits all.

APPEND – Digital Product Passport to Revolutionize the Furniture Industry (2023–2025): A Vinnova-funded project that aims to design, develop, and validate DPP (Digital Product Passport) prototypes for the furniture sector. The research focuses on issues such as data traceability, integrity, ownership, and governance – foundational concepts for the successful and sustainable implementation of DPP.

STELLA – Digital Transformation of Swedish Furniture Industry through Advanced Digital Value Chains (2024–-2026): A Vinnova-funded project that aims to develop the DPP prototypes from the APPEND project into a robust blockchain-based system for the Swedish furniture industry that ensures product traceability, integrity, and governance. Research efforts in this project focus on exploring advanced technologies to facilitate transition to a circular economy, pinpoint innovative consumer value creation, and optimise resource-efficient supply chain practices.

International visiting professor in data driven business innovation (2024–2025): A KKS-funded project that aims to facilitate operations for businesses that focus on using data as their primary resource to create new value propositions for their customers and new business models in the circular economy.

Affiliated graduate schools

MIT: The Swedish Research School of Management and IT is a platform for exploring IT-related phenomena that permeate several disciplines within the fields of management and IT.

GATE: Graduate School of Advanced Technology and Enterprising is Sweden's first graduate school focused on the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the digital transition. Through education and collaboration, the graduate school bridges the gap between research and practical application in business operations. GATE is a collaboration between the School of Business and Economics and the Faculty of Technology at Linnaeus University, with a focus on enterprises in Småland.