MindLab is a cross-ministerial innovation unit which involves citizens and businesses in developing new solutions for the public sector.MindLab is a cross-ministerial innovation unit which involves citizens and businesses in developing new solutions for the public sector.

About MindLab

Film on co-productionFilm on co-production

NESTA is a leading British think tank where MindLab’s business PhD Jesper Christiansen has been stationed for the last three months working with co-production.
MindLab was invited to a workshop at NESTA in London, to share knowledge about co-production. See NESTA’s current take on what co-production is, and which new perspectives it opens for public development.

Booklet: How Public Design seminarBooklet: How Public Design seminar

Against the backdrop of economic crisis governments across the globe must re-think public services at less cost. In the political context of public organisations, how does design offer a way forward? Download the booklet.

Visual tools help dialogueVisual tools help dialogue

Many small and medium-size businesses do not comply with tax regulations, but the mistakes, it is often not because of ill will. MindLab and the Danish Tax Authority have collaborated with designstudents on the development of tools to foster dialogue between businesses and the tax authorities.
> case

Designing beta public serviceDesigning beta public service

NESTA´s Laura Bunt visited MindLab´s conference and reflects on the power of beta to reframe the relationship between citizen and state. Bunt sees beta as finding the courage to be imperfect.
> Read the blog post

Article in the Guardian: Innovation, a new paradigm for public governance?Article in the Guardian: Innovation, a new paradigm for public governance?

Innovation can be confusing. Phd at MindLab Jesper Christiansen shares his thoughts on some of the problems and the solutions in the Guardian. > Read article

Co-creating Big SocietyCo-creating Big Society

MindLab participated in a discussion of the UK Government’s Big Society vision in relation to co-creation of public services. Read The Guardian’s report and the summary from the newspaper’s own Public Services Summit. Also watch the video from a speech on public sector innovation at the Overseas Development Institute.

MindLab as case in Canadian reportMindLab as case in Canadian report

The Canadian organisation MaRs has looked upon why and how the “change Labs” are gaining prominence in solving wicked problems. MindLab is used as case in the report

PhD: Tax compliance practicesPhD: Tax compliance practices

Karen Boll has completed her PhD-thesis o´n how the willingness and ability of Danish businesses to comply with SKAT are performed. Read the thesis. Read more about the project.

International design conference at MindLabInternational design conference at MindLab

Public managers, academics and design practitioners met at MindLab to better understand how design approaches can be used to re-imagine the public sector. Read the summary, see presentations and videos from the seminar.


From MindBlog:

Profound reforms needed in the public sector

It is in relation to the citizen that the need for public sector reform is greatest. Despite the public sector’s ardent willingness to adapt, implementing these ‘profound reforms’ remains problematic.

(Christian Bason, 14.05.2012)

EU design leadership

Is it possible to develop a design policy without involving a wider circle of users and stakeholders? MindLab helped Alto University design and facilitate a workshop with European design experts. Se photos and a film from the workshop.

(Christian Bason, 01.05.2012)

Rethinking something as traditional as a meeting of the Council of the Ministers?

What are the central elements in rethinking something as traditional as a meeting of the Council of the Ministers? See pictures from the meeting which has been planned in close collaboration between MindLab and the Ministry of Business and Growth.

(Anette Væring, 01.05.2012)

Top 3 Co-production Aha! Moments

What is Co-production and why should we care about it? Exchange student Satsuko VanAntwerp used her time in MindLab researching on the international trend and gives her Top 3 Co-producion Aha Moments.

(Satsuko VanAntwerp, 01.02.2012)

Two governance challenges

There is a lot of talk about innovation in the public sector – and with good reason; but a new way of thinking should never be an end in itself.

(Christian Bason, 02.01.2012)

What can public sector managers learn from Steve Jobs?

I have always thought that there are limits to what public sector managers can learn from their private sector colleagues, but after reading the new biography of the late Steve Jobs, Apple’s founder and CEO, I have come to think differently.

(Christian Bason, 21.12.2011)

Public sector innovation must move from strategy to action

Innovation strategies are currently being developed throughout the public sector – five examples of what this means.

(Christian Bason, 25.11.2011)

Small adjustments, massive outcomes

Is the radical innovation of public services the Holy Grail for us working with public innovation? Experiences from UK Cabinet Office suggests that it is not always the case.

(Jakob Schørring, 21.10.2011)