Amer Cultural Foundation supports Aalto’s Center for Radical Creativity: 'Fine-tuning alone is no longer enough'

Industry boundaries are blurring, competition is intensifying, and the pace of change is accelerating. The Amer Cultural Foundation is donating €600,000 to Aalto University’s Center for Radical Creativity, which strengthens the capacity for renewal in situations where existing operating models are no longer sufficient.

'We need the courage to stop and ask whether we are doing things the right way, or whether we should rethink them altogether. This kind of thinking is needed not only in business but across society', says Jukka Eklin, CEO of the Amer Cultural Foundation.

Aalto University’s Center for Radical Creativity responds to this need by strengthening renewal through research, education and collaboration. Radical creativity stems from new ways of thinking, experimentation and the courage to act differently. Aalto’s unique combination of art, science, technology and business provides fertile ground for this approach.

Rather than being a standalone programme, radical creativity is a university-wide strategic initiative coordinated by Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture. The goal is to integrate boundary-breaking thinking into all students’ studies and to strengthen collaboration between different actors.

The Amer Cultural Foundation wants to promote a mindset that encourages young professionals to ask whether things could be done differently.

'When bold and open-minded thinking becomes embedded in students’ capabilities, new professionals will enter working life each year who dare to challenge established practices and seek new solutions.'

According to Eklin, participation by companies and organizations in the new center’s activities is essential to ensure that new ways of thinking are also transferred directly to top management.

Investing in impactful initiatives

The Amer Cultural Foundation itself is an example of the courage to renew. The foundation, which separated from Amer Sports Plc, revised its strategy in 2022. At the same time, it began focusing its support on fewer but larger and more impactful projects.

'We want to support innovative and bold initiatives that promote creativity, experimentation and renewal. These are often projects without established precedents, but with the potential to generate significant societal impact.'

The foundation’s €600,000 donation to Aalto University’s Center for Radical Creativity is the largest in its history. The funding will be distributed over five years.

'We want to help launch initiatives that can grow over time and attract additional funding from other sources.'

The foundation has previously supported Aalto University’s School of Arts, Design and Architecture by funding a visiting professorship in creativity research. The position is held by Mark Runco, one of the world’s leading creativity scholars.

'The professorship has created strong positive momentum for radical creativity at Aalto. Now is an opportune moment to establish a dedicated centre.'

Risk-taking as part of renewal

The Amer Cultural Foundation has long observed the changes taking place in Finnish society and working life.

'Industry structures have become increasingly fragmented and diverse. Competition no longer takes place only within individual sectors but between different solutions and ecosystems. Changes occur rapidly, which requires organizations to be able to respond and renew themselves.'

When fine-tuning existing practices is no longer enough, the ability to examine issues from new perspectives is needed. According to Eklin, radical creativity does not mean uncontrolled disruption, but open-minded thinking and a willingness to experiment. This also includes risk-taking.

'The capacity for risk-taking must also be learned at a structural level. It is not enough for an organization to have a few bold reformers; the entire organization must dare to take controlled risks.'

Creativity has been discussed in Finland for a long time, but the next step is to ensure that new ideas are also implemented in practice.

'Impact is only created when there is the courage to put new ideas into action.'

Text: Marjukka Puolakka