Distance LAB

24/12/2025

🎄✨ Season’s greetings from the Distance LAB team!

As we wrap up the year and the final month of the Distance LAB project, we are proud to look back on three years of collaboration, innovation, and cross-border learning within the Interreg Baltic Sea Region.

While the project is reaching its conclusion, the Distance LAB Hub, Living Labs network, and shared knowledge will continue to support organisations working in remote and hybrid environments.

Thank you to all partners and contributors who made this journey possible.

Wishing you a joyful holiday season and a bright, innovative New Year! ✨



Image generated by Gemini Nano Banana

23/12/2025

🎄✨ Soft skills are the true gift that keeps on giving: especially in hybrid work.

As we step into the holiday season, it is worth reflecting not just on festive cheer, but also on the human skills that keep our teams connected, collaborative, and resilient, whether we are in the office, at home, or somewhere in between.

In the latest Distance LAB Hub blog post, we explore why soft skills, like empathy, communication, adaptability, and intentional collaboration, are more essential than ever in hybrid work environments, and how we can nurture them in practice. From understanding ourselves to strengthening group interactions, the article shows that these skills can be developed with care and intention, even across distances.

🎁 This holiday season, let’s also gift one another:
more active listening,
more mindful collaboration,
and more intentional connection: because teams thrive where people feel heard, supported and understood.

👉 Read the full post here: https://distancelab.eu/blog/2025/12/12/how-to-nurture-soft-skills-in-hybrid-work/



Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu LAB University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego

In this article, we explore why soft skills are increasingly valued and essential in hybrid work environments. We examine soft skills both as individual capabilities and as group´s competences. While these abilities are part of who we are, they can still be cultivated and strengthened. Drawing on i...

19/12/2025

🏗️ When can a building truly be considered circular?

This autumn, IUC Norr carried out a Living Lab using the Business Lab method to explore this very question. Together with a company and invited experts, the session focused on a real sustainability challenge — examining how and when circularity can be achieved in the built environment.

Through collaborative discussion and structured experimentation, the Living Lab generated new insights and practical perspectives that support the development of more sustainable and circular solutions.

🌐 All Distance LAB tools, methods, and remote collaboration services are freely available for organisations looking to explore similar challenges and innovation processes:
👉 https://distancelab.eu/



Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu LAB University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego

18/12/2025

💬 Why does your brain feel drained after a day of video calls?

If you have ever ended a virtual meeting feeling exhausted despite never leaving your chair, you are not imagining it: there is a real neurobiological reason behind it. In our latest blog post, we explore the “Zoom Effect”, a phenomenon that explains how video conferencing impacts brain activity differently than face-to-face interactions.
🔍 The article breaks down fascinating research showing how our brains process in-person conversations very differently from video calls. While live interactions activate social and cognitive networks deeply, virtual meetings are processed more like information on a screen, which can lead to faster fatigue and reduced natural engagement.
📈 Understanding these differences is key to building conscious hybrid working practices that balance the convenience of digital tools with human-centered collaboration. Distance LAB
🧠 Learn more about why your brain “shuts down” during virtual meetings and what it means for the future of hybrid work: 👉
https://distancelab.eu/blog/2025/12/12/the-zoom-effect-why-your-brain-shuts-down-during-video-conferences/



Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego

Have you ever felt inexplicable exhaustion after a whole day of virtual meetings, even though physically you haven’t left your comfortable armchair? This is not just your subjective impression. It is a neurobiological fact that science calls the “Zoom Effect”. As part of the Distance Lab proje...

09/12/2025

🌟 We have officially entered the final month of the Distance LAB project!
After three years of intensive work as a Core Project of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, Distance LAB is reaching its final milestone and we are proud to reflect on the journey that brought us here.
Throughout the project, we moved through three major development stages:
🟠Preparing solutions – researching needs, designing concepts, and building the foundations.
🟠Piloting and evaluating solutions – testing our tools, methods, and services with real organisations across the Baltic Sea Region.
🟠Transferring solutions – where we are now: finalising, packaging, and ensuring the tools, Living Labs, and knowledge remain accessible and ready for long-term use.

Today, everything is in place:
✅The Distance LAB Hub with its free digital tools
✅A network of 8 Living Labs ready to co-create and collaborate
✅The Insight Hub filled with research, guidance, and expert perspectives
✅Practical models and methods tested across sectors and countries

Although the project is nearing its end, its results and the community it built continue forward!

03/12/2025

🌍 We are reaching the final stop of our Living Labs journey: welcome to Kokkola, Finland!

Part of the Distance LAB / IMLLN network, the Outdoor Innovation Space focuses on Research, Innovation & Education, offering a unique environment for developing and testing solutions connected to nature, technology, and sustainability.
🟠 Focus / Working group: Research, Innovation & Education
🟠 This Living Lab brings together researchers, students, companies, and regional partners to co-create and experiment in real outdoor settings. It supports innovation that strengthens environmental awareness, regional resilience, and practical learning opportunities.

💡 Discover more about the Outdoor Innovation Space here:
👉 https://lnkd.in/d4zaBGn2

✨ With this post, we complete the presentation of all eight Living Labs created under the Distance LAB project.

We invite you to:
🔹 further explore the full network, and
🔹 join our community of Living Labs contributing to open innovation across the Baltic Sea Region.

👉 Learn more at www.distancelab.eu



Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu LAB University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego

02/12/2025

🌍 After a short break, we are back with our Living Labs series: this time heading to Skellefteå, Sweden!

As part of the Distance LAB / IMLLN network, the Circular Business Lab in Skellefteå focuses on advancing Circular Manufacturing and supporting companies in their transition toward sustainable, resource-efficient business models.

🟠 Focus / Working group: Circular Manufacturing
🟠 The lab helps businesses experiment with circular solutions, redesign processes, and develop innovations that reduce waste and maximize material reuse. By connecting industry partners, researchers, and innovators, it accelerates the shift toward a more sustainable manufacturing future.

💡 Learn more about the lab and explore collaboration opportunities:
👉 https://lnkd.in/drAr3wqP



Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego

24/11/2025

🌍 Reflection on our Distance LAB seminar and partner meeting in Lahti, Finland. These two days clearly showed how much we have achieved together as we enter the very last steps of the project.✨

The discussions, reflections, and shared insights reminded us why Distance LAB was created in the first place: to strengthen collaboration across borders and make remote innovation not only possible, but meaningful. One message from the seminar summed it up well:
💡“Don’t ask what others can bring to the table. Ask what ideas your organisation can bring to the table.”

Throughout the programme, partners highlighted the value of shared expertise across the Baltic Sea Region. Our project coordinator Leena Toivanen expressed it perfectly:
🤝“Technology is an enabler, but what truly matters is how we work together. I learned so much from all of you, and I am proud of what we have accomplished.”

We were also encouraged by the words of Esa Kokkonen, Policy Area Coordinator for Innovation (EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region):
🌐“Distance LAB has been proactive and well aligned with the Baltic Sea Region strategy. This connection will support your results, scalability, and long-term impact.”

From in-depth presentations to inspiring conversations and new ideas for future cooperation, the meeting strengthened our belief that there is real, shared expertise across the region and that collaboration itself is one of the project's strongest outcomes.💙

As Distance LAB moves into its final phase and prepares to conclude in December, we are proud to share all tools, methods, and remote collaboration services publicly available for various organisations, innovation ecosystems, and businesses across the Baltic Sea Region: https://distancelab.eu/. 🚀



Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu LAB University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego

20/11/2025

🌟 Distance LAB project partners continue their visit in Lahti, Finland!

🗓️We are now entering the final month of the Distance LAB project, and our second day in Lahti was all about reflection, planning, and inspiration.

🟠In the morning, partners came together to review the project’s progress, discuss results, and outline next steps: including opportunities for continued cooperation after the project ends.

🟠In the afternoon, we visited StartupHUB Lahti, a dynamic environment supporting early-stage companies and student entrepreneurs. The study visit offered fresh perspectives on how innovation communities can grow and collaborate across borders.

👉As we approach the project’s conclusion in December, all Distance LAB tools, methods, and remote collaboration services are fully available for organisations to explore and use: https://distancelab.eu/



Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego

19/11/2025

🎉Our hybrid seminar Remote, Hybrid, Resilient: Shaping the Future of Work and Business is now in full motion.

✨After welcome words from Leena Toivanen (Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu) and Heidi Myyryläinen (LAB University of Applied Sciences), we have moved straight into the ✨core of the programme: 10 inspiring presentations from partners across the Baltic Sea Region.

The insights and discussions are already unfolding: looking forward to seeing the conversations evolve throughout the day!

Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu LAB University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego

18/11/2025

Get ready for our upcoming hybrid seminar!

This week we explore the future of work with Remote, Hybrid, Resilient: Shaping the Future of Work and Business.

📅 November 19th, 2025 | 09:00-15:30 EET
📍 Lahti, Finland & 💻 Online

Join experts from across the Baltic Sea Region as we uncover new perspectives on remote innovation, collaboration models, and resilient business strategies.

👉 Full agenda & registration: https://lab.fi/en/events/seminar-remote-hybrid-resilient-shaping-future-work-and-business

🚀 Powered by the Distance LABDistance LAB, : connecting people, labs, and ideas across borders.

Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu LAB University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego

06/11/2025

🌍From Poland, our Living Labs journey now takes us to Norway: to the coastal city of Kristiansund!
Here, the Campus Kristiansund Living Lab, part of the Distance LAB / IMLLN network, is shaping the future of Sustainable City Development.

🟠Focus / Working group: Sustainable City Development
🟠The lab unites municipalities, companies, researchers, and citizens to design smarter, greener, and more inclusive urban environments. It serves as a real-world testing ground for sustainable solutions that improve everyday life and support regional innovation.

💡Discover more about the lab’s work and collaboration opportunities:
👉https://distancelab.eu/citizens-lab-in-kristiansund/

Centria-ammattikorkeakoulu LAB University of Applied Sciences IUC Norr Tech-Park Kaunas Lietuvos inovacijų centras/Lithuanian Innovation Centre Møre og Romsdal fylkeskommune Ventspils Augsto tehnoloģiju parks Rzeszowska Agencja Rozwoju Regionalnego