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Marta Gas­par­in

Associate Professor

Emner
Ledelse Organisation Design Iværksætteri Kvalitativ metode Bæredygtighed

Primary research areas

Slow Organisations

I explore how organizations can resist the culture of speed. Instead of efficiency and short-term profit, slow organizations prioritize care, sustainability, and long-term relationships.

Craft and Commoning

Craft practices provide alternative ways of organizing. They create collective value and sustainable futures by linking people, materials, and communities in shared responsibility.

Social Innovation and Value Creation

I investigate how social innovations emerge and scale. My focus is on participatory, inclusive models of value creation that move beyond profit to embrace ecological and cultural wellbeing.

Time and Organisational Rhythms

I study how time is organized in different settings. Moving away from fast, linear time, I explore cyclical, ecological, and relational rhythms that allow organizations to adapt and endure.

More-than-Human Perspectives

My work shows how non-human actors—such as materials, technologies, and ecosystems—shape organizations. This perspective helps us rethink innovation and sustainability beyond human-centred models.

Creative and Participatory Methods

I experiment with new research methods that use storytelling, art, and co-creation. These approaches make visible hidden practices, voices, and futures that more conventional research often overlooks.

I research slow practices for sustainable futures

I research how slow practices can help us respond to global challenges. My work shows how organizations and communities can move away from speed and short-term profit towards care, sustainability, and long-term value. 

Through studies in Europe and Asia, I explore: 

Craft and heritage as sustainable alternatives to fast and extractive systems. 

Social innovation that is participatory, inclusive, and long-lasting. 

More-than-human perspectives, recognizing the role of materials, technologies, and environments in shaping our futures. 

I currently lead the Horizon Europe project Hephaestus, which brings together craftspeople, policymakers, and researchers to co-create sustainable futures for European crafts. The project develops new ways to connect heritage and innovation by preserving craft traditions while creating sustainable business models for the future. 

My ambition is to rethink how we organize work, communities, and everyday life—so that social and ecological wellbeing come before speed and profit. 

Recent research projects

Horizon Europe project HEPHAESTUS Heritage in EuroPe: new tecHnologies in crAft for prEServing and innovaTing fUtureS

HEPHAESTUS combines craft heritage with digital innovation to preserve traditions, create sustainable business models, and strengthen European craft ecosystems.
https://hephaestuscraft.eu/