Livia Norström
Livia Norström is a post-doctoral scholar at the Department of Applied IT at University of Gothenburg.1) How is the University of Gothenburg involved in blockchain; can you tell us a bit about your (latest) developments?
We engage in blockchain related topics as researchers and teachers. We follow the technological developments of blockchain and the continuous application and use of blockchain in organizations in general. We also do fieldwork in public sector organizations and we teach and supervise students who want to specialize in blockchain.
2) Which blockchain topics do you find the most interesting or promising?
Our research interests revolve around how organizations explore and conceptualize emerging technology such as blockchain. As there is a diverse set of discourses around a hyped technology such as blockchain it is difficult for organizations to make the right prioritizations and design choices when experimenting with the technology. In our research we map these different discourses and explain how organizations make sense of and legitimize blockchain by negotiating different understandings of blockchain coming from different discourses.
We are also interested in how the learning outcomes from experimentation with blockchain can be taken up by the organization for future scaling of small-scale initiatives or for utilization in other digitalization initiatives (with blockchain or other technology). We believe it is important to clarify the process of exploration (with blockchain as an example of a novel technology) and to explain the importance of exploration for innovation, so that organizations continuously stay curious about new digital technology, services, and infrastructure. Exploration and innovation is crucial for organizations today to meet present and future demands from citizens and industry. If they fail to be relevant, they will lose citizens’ and industry’s trust and ultimately the right to exist.
3) What is the most valuable lesson you have learned so far by working together with international partners in this European project?
The most valuable lesson learnt from collaboration with international partners through for example the BLING project is access to empirical data through interviews and workshops and all valuable informal discussions with partners who have experience with blockchain in different ways.