Ekaterina Albats

Ekaterina Albats is an Associate Professor in the Department of Business Studies at LUT Business School, LUT University, Finland. She holds a D. Sc. (Tech.) and is actively engaged in research and academic leadership. Her work bridges innovation management, digital transformation, and organizational behavior, with a strong international collaboration footprint, including a postdoctoral appointment at Stanford University.

Research Interests: Her work centers on innovation and technology management, open innovation, university-industry collaboration, and digital platforms. She explores how organizations, particularly in the public and academic sectors, leverage external knowledge and digital tools to innovate. Her research integrates perspectives from management science, organizational behavior, and technology policy, with applications in smart cities, SMEs, and higher education ecosystems.

The analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the mechanisms of knowledge transfer, the design of innovation networks, and the evolving role of universities in innovation ecosystems. Her work often compares Nordic and US models, particularly Silicon Valley, and emphasizes practical frameworks for open innovation and business model development. She frequently publishes in top-tier journals such as Technological Forecasting and Social Change and Journal of Technology Transfer.

Scientific Leadership:

• Managed The Open Innovation Academic Network (OI-Net)
• Led a working group in the INSPIRE project on open innovation in SMEs
• Contributed to business model development in the C³PO smart city co-design project
• Guest Editor, Triple Helix Journal

Advising and Grants: While specific students and grant awards are not listed in the provided text, Ekaterina has managed multiple research and consulting projects, indicating experience in securing and leading funded research. Her international postdoctoral work at Stanford suggests competitive grant or fellowship support. She is likely involved in supervising graduate students, though no names are mentioned.

Labs and Research Teams: Ekaterina has been associated with major international research initiatives, including collaborations at Stanford University and participation in EU-funded projects like INSPIRE and C³PO. She founded and managed the Open Innovation Academic Network (OI-Net), which functions as a global research community. Her work is inherently team-based and interdisciplinary, involving researchers from technology, management, and policy domains.