Leading Innovation Study Tour
Study Tour to Helsinki with Aalto University Executive Education and Professional Development (Aalto EE)
This exclusive study tour is designed for leaders and executives who wish to gain a deeper understanding, knowledge, and tools to lead transformation and innovation within their organizations.
Leaders and organizations must be resilient, creative, and agile in the face of change, whether they’re faced with digitalization or sustainability challenges, or economic and geopolitical turmoil. Additionally, it’s the companies that are constantly able to become more customer-centric and innovative that triumph as the winners in this rapidly changing business environment. This program explores the role of leadership under these conditions and how to benefit from innovation in the face of uncertainty.
Immerse yourself in the innovative and dynamic environment of Finland, where cutting-edge research and world-class business opportunities await! Held at the prestigious Aalto University campus in Espoo, Finland, this 4-day certificate program offers a unique blend of lectures, workshops, networking, engaging exercises, a campus tour, and industry visits.
At the end of the program, each participant will be awarded a certificate of completion from Aalto EE.
What You'll Experience
Thought Leadership
Develop your strategic thinking in order to lead change and innovation in your organization. Lectures, exercises, industry visits, and other interactive methods and networking ensure that the content is discussed, learned, practiced, and retained.
Campus Tour and Company Visits
Explore the innovative environment of Aalto University and visit leading companies to see transformation in action.
The Aalto Experience
Aalto University is an innovative and uniquely multidisciplinary university combining business, technology, arts, and design. Experience the interactive and non-hierarchical learning methods typical for Nordic leadership, which values trust, equality, responsibility, togetherness, and dialogue.
Certificate of Completion
Receive a certificate from Aalto EE upon successful completion of the program.
Contents and Schedule
The Leading Innovation Study Tour will take place on October 20–23, 2025 (3.5 days).
Aalto EE reserves the right to make changes to the program.
Study Tour Venue
The program will take place at the Dipoli building (Otakaari 24, 02150 Espoo) in the Aalto University campus, a short metro ride from the city centre of Helsinki. Take a virtual tour of the Aalto campus and the Dipoli building.
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Flights and Transportation
Kindly note that the flight bookings and hotel arrangements are to be made independently.
The program will start on Monday morning and end on Thursday afternoon. We advise you to book your flights only after the minimum number of participants is reached and to always book flights so that you can reschedule/cancel if needed.
Aalto EE provides a special rate for its participants in some nearby hotels. We will send you the discount code and more information on the options once the minimum number of participants is reached.
Faculty
Tuomas Auvinen
Tuomas Auvinen is the Dean of the School of Arts, Design, and Architecture at Aalto University.
Tuomas Auvinen has built his career in the field of creativity and cultural leadership and has broad experience in demanding leadership roles at arts institutions.
He has worked as the CEO of The Association of Finnish Theatres, as Administrative Director of the Finnish National Theatre, and as the Principal and Dean of the Sibelius Academy, amongst other positions. In addition, Auvinen has extensive experience in creative leadership training and consultancy and has held several chairman and board member positions in cultural and creative industries companies.
İdil Gaziulusoy
İdil Gaziulusoy is an Associate Professor of Sustainable Design and the leader of theNODUS Sustainable Design Research Group in the Department of Design.
İdil Gaziulusoy is a sustainability scientist and a design researcher. She is the leader of the NODUS Sustainable Design Research Group in the Department of Design. Her research focuses on transformative sustainability innovations and sustainability transitions in urban and business contexts.
Professor Gaziulusoy teaches Systems Thinking and Critical and Transformative Futures courses at Aalto’s Creative Sustainability program and Design Futures in the Bachelor of Design program of the Department of Design. She is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Design Research, an advisory board member of Finland Futures Academy, and a scientific co-director of the Sustainability Science Days conference. She has also served in the scientific advisory board of Demos Helsinki in 2022-2023.
She provides advice, consultancy, and training for Finnish and international businesses, innovation agencies, and governmental bodies on topics related to sustainable futures, transformative sustainability innovation, and sustainability transitions.
Risto Sarvas
Risto Sarvas is a Professor of Practice and Head of the Information Networks program at Aalto University.
He has a colorful history overlapping design, business, technology, and society. The common denominator between these three roles is his endless enthusiasm to figure out how technology and society are intertwined: as a culture, in politics, in business, as well as in everyday life.
His research, teaching, and service design work have received several awards and much popularity.
Risto Sarvas holds a doctorate in Media Technology from the Helsinki University of Technology (now Aalto University).