Ulysseus Haaga-Helia Innovation Hub Presentation

Ulysseus Haaga-Helia Innovation Hub Presentation

Presentation of the Ulysseus Innovation Hub of Applied AI for Business & Education

 

The Ulysseus Haaga-Helia Innovation Hub Presentation will take place on 7–8 October 2026 in Helsinki, as part of Ulysseus Helsinki Week (6–8 October 2026).

 

Hosted by the Innovation Hub of Applied AI in Business and Education at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, This event brings together researchers, students, academic and non-academic staff, and ecosystem partners from across the Ulysseus European University Alliance to exchange ideas, showcase ongoing work, and explore future developments in applied artificial intelligence.

 

During the event Haaga-Helia will present its Innovation Hub offering insight into its strategic focus and development, ongoing research and innovation activities, living lab and incubator work, and its role within the wider Ulysseus Innovation Hub ecosystem.

 

Registration for the event will open on August 15th 2026.

Background

The Innovation Hub Days are designed as an interactive exchange format to build upon the research and themes addressed in the preceding R&I conference. The focus is on sharing ongoing projects, discussing new ideas, and creating opportunities for collaboration and ecosystem building in the field of applied AI for business and education.

Through keynotes, demonstrations, panels and ecosystem conversations, participants will explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping business and learning — and what this means for universities, innovation hubs, and regional innovation ecosystems across Europe.

Download the preliminary programme

Aims and Programme

Over two days, the programme moves from vision to practice to ecosystem. It opens with keynotes on AI in business and education and the presentation of Haaga-Helia’s Innovation Hub — its achievements, goals and plans — before turning to applied work through a panel on AI transformation and the hands-on Project Marketplace & AI Demo Corner. Day two spotlights Ulysseus AI research groups and the regional innovation ecosystem, with ecosystem conversations and startup encounters that connect research with practice. The aim throughout is to showcase current activities, encourage exchange between partners, and identify opportunities for future collaboration

Download the preliminary programme

Target audience

The event is aimed in particular at researchers working in applied AI, business and education, as well as colleagues who support innovation and the start-up journey within their institutions. It is intended for participants interested in exchanging ideas, learning about ongoing initiatives, and exploring opportunities for collaboration across the Ulysseus Alliance.

This includes:

  • AI researchers and research groups working in the business or education strands
  • Educators, learning designers and faculty developers working on AI in teaching, assessment and curriculum
  • Business and management researchers and practitioners focused on AI adoption and digital transformation
    Innovation Hub managers, R&I project coordinators and other alliance partners
  • Teams running living labs and incubators
  • AI startup founders and the people who support them — entrepreneurship centres and Technology/Knowledge Transfer Offices
  • Companies and regional ecosystem partners putting AI into practice and Ulysseus Associate Partners

Event Organiser and Venue

The event is organised by Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland, as an activity of Ulysseus European University, followed by a two-day presentation of Haaga-Helia’s Ulysseus Innovation Hub of Applied AI in Business and Education on 7–8 October 2026. Both events are part of Ulysseus Helsinki Week.

Established in 1991, Haaga-Helia is one of Finland’s leading practice-oriented higher education institutions, known for its strong business focus and close ties to industry. It is a community of 11,000 students, 700 specialists, and 49,000 alumni, and operates on five campuses in Helsinki, Porvoo and Vierumäki. It offers bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business, information technology, hospitality and restaurant management, sports management, and related fields, emphasising cooperation, entrepreneurship, innovation and internationality.

The conference will be held at the Haaga-Helia Pasila Campus in Helsinki, Finland.

Ulysseus Helsinki Week

Running 6–8 October 2026 at Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences, Ulysseus Helsinki Week is positioned as one of the alliance’s flagship events, uniting a series of activities within a coordinated programme. The week engages the wider community through two headline public events:

6 October — Ulysseus R&I Conference on applied AI in business and education: Research, Innovation, and Responsibility.

7–8 October — Presentation of the Ulysseus Innovation Hub of Applied AI, showcasing the Haaga-Helia hub: ongoing European R&I activities, applied AI initiatives, and living-lab and incubator work, with networking, interdisciplinary exchange, matchmaking and future collaboration.

By convening outward-facing forums on applied artificial intelligence in business and education — alongside sustainability, responsibility and trust — Ulysseus Helsinki Week showcases Ulysseus research, innovation and civic engagement across Europe.

Join the Ulysseus Haaga-Helia Innovation Hub Days to share ideas and shape the future of applied AI