Who are you?

My name is Päivi Juuso, and I am a professor and associate professor of nursing at Luleå University of Technology. I am a licensed nurse and a community health nurse, and my research has focused on how we can promote health, well-being, and participation through new approaches and collaboration between research, healthcare, and society.

An important starting point for me is the circumstances and challenges in northern Sweden, where geographical distances, demographic changes, and access to health care place special demands on how we develop the future of health and welfare.

I also work with educational development and Nordic/Arctic cooperation. An important starting point for me is the conditions and challenges that exist in northern Sweden, where geographical distances, demographic changes, and access to healthcare place special demands on how we develop the future of health and welfare.

What is your relationship to social innovation in your research?  

My research is linked to social innovation through my interest in how new solutions can be developed to address societal challenges in the areas of health and well-being. I am particularly interested in how nature-based interventions can become part of health promotion and healthcare, and what is required for such interventions to be developed, implemented, and made sustainable in the long term. This field brings together several perspectives: nursing, entrepreneurship, innovation, and public sector activities.

Among other things, I am investigating how small businesses and public sector entities can collaborate, as well as which organizational and economic structures enable or hinder new solutions.

Among other things, I am investigating how small businesses and public sector actors can collaborate, as well as which organizational and economic structures enable or hinder new solutions. For me, social innovation is therefore not just about developing something new. It is also about changing how we collaborate, organize our activities, and harness local resources to create value for people and society.

What does social innovation mean to you today?  

To me, social innovation is about finding new and sustainable ways to meet human and societal needs—especially when established approaches aren’t enough. It doesn’t always have to be about a completely new idea or technology. Innovation can also arise when we combine existing knowledge in new ways, involve stakeholders who don’t usually work together, or challenge entrenched notions about how healthcare and health promotion efforts should be organized.

To me, social innovation means finding new and sustainable ways to meet human and societal needs—especially when established approaches aren't enough.

I’m thinking in particular of the opportunities in northern Sweden, where local communities, nature, and people’s knowledge and experiences can be important resources. But a good idea doesn’t automatically become a social innovation with real impact. The solution must also meet people’s needs, work in practice, and be sustainable over time. For me, social innovation is therefore both about innovative thinking and about creating the conditions for change. 

Can you briefly describe your current research?  

Part of my ongoing research focuses on nature-based interventions and their potential to promote health and well-being. Among other things, I am investigating how such interventions can be developed and integrated into health and social care, and how collaboration between research, public sector organizations, and small businesses can help them gain a more established foothold.

We have also examined how procurement and public structures affect small businesses’ ability to offer nature-based interventions within the Swedish healthcare system. It is clear that even interventions with the potential to generate societal benefits can face obstacles when it comes to putting them into practice.

I also work on Nordic collaborations focused on developing new approaches in health and social care, including a focus on older adults and the use of nature and digital technology. What these research areas have in common is an interest in how knowledge can be put into practice and how new solutions can be made relevant, accessible, and sustainable even in sparsely populated areas.

What do you think is the most important issue today related to social innovation?  

I think one of the most important questions is how we move from good ideas and promising research findings to solutions that are actually put into practice and make a difference in people’s lives. We need to better understand what it takes for new ways of working to be adopted and sustained: effective collaboration, a long-term perspective, and knowledge of the impacts and organizational structures that allow for development. This is especially true for smaller companies and local initiatives that want to contribute to health and well-being but face established systems and regulations.

Solutions that work in larger cities are not necessarily suitable for the sparsely populated areas of northern Sweden.

Another key issue is equality. Social innovation must be developed based on people’s diverse needs and local conditions. Solutions that work in larger cities are not necessarily suitable for the sparsely populated areas of northern Sweden. We therefore need to ask ourselves not only what new solutions we can create, but also who will have access to them, what value they create, and how we can make them sustainable in the long term.

Which researcher would you like to pass the baton to, and why? 

I would like to pass the baton on to Louise Yngve at the University of Borås. Her research on the role of civil society and collaboration between nonprofit organizations and the public sector raises questions that I believe are important for social innovation. In my own research, I’m interested in how new solutions for health and well-being can be developed and integrated into health care and social services. I therefore see an interesting connection in the question of how civil society and nonprofit organizations can contribute to new ways of meeting society’s needs.