The Service Research Center (CTF)

How does AI affect the way we work, how does disinformation spread – and how do we build resilient organizations? These were some of the questions at the center of Customer Innovation Day 2026 in Karlstad.

Customer Innovation Day 2026 brought together researchers and professionals around the theme of tomorrow’s services. During the afternoon, a clear picture emerged: organizations of the future must combine technological curiosity with critical thinking and the ability to navigate an increasingly uncertain world.

Do you feel abandoned when you’re expected to handle everything on your own in a store? You’re not alone. Amie Gustafsson, a newly minted PhD in Business Administration at Karlstad Business School and researcher at CTF, has studied the state we find ourselves in when technology fails and we are left with a rigid digital source code as our only companion.
– Self-service strips away the human relationship, and without human touchpoints that can repair trust after a machine failure, customer loyalty to the brand becomes very short-lived.

How do unmanned stores and self-service affect customers’ sense of service and trust?

Behind feather boas, kitsch, and spectacle lies one of the most powerful cultural arenas of our time. According to Richard Ek, who is also connected to Centre for Geomedia Studies, Mia Larson, Professor in Business Administration at Karlstad Business School and researcher at the Centre for Service Research (CTF) and Professor Can-Seng Ooi at University of Tasmania, Eurovision uses playful “camp” to push the boundaries of identity, norms, and politics – while appearing to be pure entertainment.

The chapter “Camp and Frivolity as Cultural and Political Transgressions in the Eurovision Song Contest Events,” is a part of the book “Tourism, Events and Leisure Perspectives on the Eurovision Song Contest.”

This year’s meeting was held at the Spirits Museum in Stockholm and included presentations from several ongoing research projects – including studies on wine tourism, work environments in restaurant kitchens, and AI robots as colleagues.

The Swedish Hospitality Industry’s Research and Development Fund (BFUF) annual research meeting is a platform for knowledge exchange and networking, where researchers, industry representatives and BFUF’s board meet to discuss current research and future development opportunities within the hospitality sector. The aim is to strengthen collaboration between academia and industry, generate new ideas, and contribute to a sustainable and competitive hospitality industry.

Mirac, the Music‑focused Interdisciplinary Research and Analysis Center, is a non‑profit association founded in 2013 at Stockholm University that conducts research on the music industry and musical life. Jenny Karlsson from the Service Research Center (CTF) is a board member and participated in Stockholm Music Week.

You took part in Stockholm Music Week – what topics were discussed at the conference?

On April 14–15, DHINO hosted the annual Partner Days, bringing together around 30 representatives from academia, the public sector, and industry to exchange experiences and discuss the development of digital health innovation in healthcare.

“The Partner Days are a recurring activity where we invite our collaboration partners to share good practices,” says Charlotte Bäccman, project manager for DHINO and associate professor of Psychology at Karlstad University.

Jakob Trischler, deputy project manager and associate professor of Business Administration, continues: 

“It is unique to bring together so many different areas of expertise in one place. This type of collaboration is essential for addressing complex societal challenges related to digital health innovation”.