Radical creativity – it’s a gamble
The first Finnish satellite was a creative and very risky project.
Imagining alternative futures with creativity
Creativity is a buzzword – but what does it mean?
Creativity is a difficult term to describe, yet it’s a highly valued skill of today. The unprecedented speed of change necessitates us to learn new things fast and collaborate to get the benefit of combining different expertise in new ways.
Creative people are often able to view things from different perspectives, find hidden opportunities and generate original ideas that have value. The ability to dream big and express unique insights can lead to important discoveries, which besides creativity and imagination also need a dose of good luck and a comprehensive network.
On a team level, creativity requires good dynamics, experimentation, open dialogue and a great deal of trust. Innovative teams learn from failure, faster than others.
However, creativity is not only about innovation – it’s strongly related to experiences, self-expression and self-fulfilment. Imagination makes us humans different from other species, and expressions of the human imagination spread important social and cultural values.
The good news is that anyone can become more creative. It’s a skill that requires sustained practice, openness, and perseverance because experimenting with new things constantly pushes us out of our comfort zone.
Sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? Radical creativity is a cross-cutting theme in Aalto’s strategy, competence and culture that we want to increase and scale-up, both on a personal and organisational level.
Read on to learn what Aalto scholars have to say about creativity.
From not knowing to new knowledge via imagining
Julia Lohmann considers design a bridge-building discipline that enables collaboration and communication across disciplines.
Contributing to a better future with creativity
Radical creativity is my elixir, it motivates and revitalises my interest in research and the world at large, says assistant professor Elisa Mekler.
Mixing people
Mixing people with different backgrounds is a nutrient for creativity, says professor Tapani Vuorinen.
Radical creativity empowers new thinking
Aalto aims to take an internationally leading position concerning radical creativity and its leadership.
Radical creativity sparks discoveries
An idea that may sound crazy at first can be the key to solving significant challenges. Aalto University provides a favourable environment for daring initiatives that can lead to the discovery of some genuinely novel solutions.
Unfolded
Aalto University UNFOLDED magazine focuses on contemporary issues dealing with creativity, experimentation, and transdisciplinary co-creation.
Radical creativity
We enable experimental activities that challenge the status quo.
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Training available in AI, research data management, research ethics + more – register now!
New topics included! Registrations for spring 2026 are open.
New Innovation Postdoc programme launching this spring in Aalto
Innovation Postdoc launching this spring for AI researchers eager to turn cutting-edge research into real-world impact.
Expansive frontiers: tracing wilderness
Expansive Frontiers: Tracing Wilderness is a research project developed over a period of three months by doctoral researcher Ana Ribeiro, during her time as a Visiting Researcher in the Empirica Research Group at Aalto University