Today at The Park Forskaren, we had the pleasure of experiencing fantastic presentations from 18 Hyper Island Master’s students from Canada, India, Spain, Brazil, the UK, Iceland, Germany, Switzerland, Georgia, Turkey Japan, and Taiwan!

Over the past four weeks, they have been embedded in our community, working with us as a client on the brief: How can we elevate The Park as a co-working space using the power of networks?

Their insights went beyond conventional networking approaches, diving deep into social capital theory—exploring how the structure and quality of social relationships can bring value not only to our community but also to individuals and society as a whole. Through research, prototyping, and live testing within our space, they examined how meaningful connections drive engagement, collaboration, and long-term value creation. An initial part of the process was mapping different networking personas within The Park—from the social butterflies who thrive on spontaneous connections to the work-focused members who prefer fewer but deeper, more intentional interactions.

By interviewing members and observing real-life interactions, they identified ways to enhance both informal and structured networking within our space and digital platforms. Their research introduced us to new aspects of networking theories, including influencer nodes and social capital models, and led to prototyping sessions during our different networking events. We got a lot of valuable insights and new methods that truly create a thriving, high-value community—not just through networking moments but by building a culture of growing together every day.

The module is integrated with our Vinnova project together with Lulea Technical University on environments and attitudes for life long learning.

A huge thank you to the Hyper Island students for their curiosity, creativity, and deep engagement. Your work has been truly inspiring, and we can’t wait to bring these ideas to life at The Park!