Cross Con is the international conference for cross innovation – how to use artists and artistic methods in industry, business, or public administration. Using a learning-by-doing concept, we will introduce collaborations, workshops, matchmaking and games into a cross-sectorial melting pot of heterogeneous innovation. For 12 hours, dive deep into the “how-to” of cross innovation, supported by meals, sweets, drinks, and coffee. Expect breathtaking breakouts, disruptive keynotes, and a festive dinner!

For whom?
Engineers, musicians, bankers, circus artists, developers, potters, innovation managers, actors, CEOs, writers, assistant professors, designers, principals, comic artists, procurement specialists, and similar professions.

Ticket price
Conference cost, including coffee, lunch, dinner and drink package:

  • Full price 3450 kr (4313 kr incl. VAT)
  • Early Bird until 16/2 3105 kr (3881 incl. VAT)
  • Emerging artists & Students 80 procent discount (limited number of tickets)

Important information
Available seats: 180 persons
Date and time: 27 Mars 9.00-21.00
Location: Subtopia, Rotemannavägen 10 in Alby
Language: English

Did you miss the chance to book your spot for Cross Con – the conference exploring cross-sector collaboration, innovative methods, and tools? Want to attend but bring your own food? No worries – you can still sign up until March 25!

Contact martin.qlarsson@subtopia.se, and we’ll sort it out!

Find our Breakout Sessions here

Speakers during Cross Con 2025

Conference program

Welcome to Cross Con! Registration opens at 9:00 at Rotemannavägen 10. Restaurant, Level 1.

Inauguration of Cross Con 2025 and speeches by Pierluigi Sacco, Professor at Chieti-Pescara and Harvard; Maja Påhlman, Head of Innovation Arla Foods; Martin Andaloussi, Head of economic development Botkyrka Municipality. Loftet, Level 5.

Workshops and presentations all over Subtopia. Read more here
Breakout sessions include a coffee break.

Gather again, and share experiences from other Breakout sessions. Loftet, Level 5.

Lunch buffet, including Matchmaking, Exhibition and Games. Restaurant, Level 1.

Keynote speech, turning everything you know upside down. Loftet, Level 5
Speaker: Koen Snoeckx

Workshops and presentations all over Subtopia. Read more here
Breakout sessions include a coffee break.

Draw conclusions in collaboration with participants from other Breakout Sessions. Studio 3.
Panel of today’s Speakers consolidating insights from the day and gazing into the future.

Allsång is a group of people singing together in one voice, which triggers a cascade of positive reactions in the body, from the release of endorphins to improved cardiovascular function. Fanfares and toasts in bubbles. Studio 3.

Buffet Dinner, celebrating the union between art and other sectors. Music, singing, drinks, talks! Loftet, Level 5.

Outdoors Fire show by the Performance Crew. Area outside Loftet

Läs mer om talarna på Cross Con 2025

Abbas Sbeity is a designer, curator, facilitator, and cultural manager based in Helsingborg. He is the founder of Creative Insights Studio and Kulturrummet.

A pioneer in the exciting world of innovation and digitization, Albert Bengtson is co-author of the ground-breaking book “Principles of Intrapreneurial Capital”. His lectures on how the interplay between corporate culture, leadership, talents and decisions creates the conditions for change.

Anastasia Lemberg-Lvova

Based in Estonia and Spain, Anastasia is the Founder and Executive Director or De Structura, an artist, cultural policy advocate, and researcher with a background in International Relations and Fine Arts. She combines creativity and policy expertise to bridge the gap between the arts and other sectors, particularly in the European context.

Elin Frost is an expert in social innovation, creative facilitation, and cultural production. She has an academic background in artistic design as well as in organization and leadership. Frost is particularly engaged in promoting interdisciplinary collaborations to create sustainable and innovative solutions with art and culture as the driving force.

At STUNS, Erik Allard addresses life science skills supply by leveraging collaboration between industry, academia, and society as a core method. He also runs Lucida, a company offering training in leadership, collaboration, and team development with a focus on social core skills.

Hannes Götsch is a music enthusiast and project developer dedicated to advancing night culture through innovative, sustainable strategies. At BASIS Vinschgau Venosta, he drives socio-ecological transformation, fosters community engagement, and curates high-quality cultural programs.

Jenny Tingvall Kornmacher works for Region Skåne, focusing on cultural and creative entrepreneurship and innovation. With extensive experience in leading European collaboration projects, she promotes cross-industry partnerships in the creative sector to foster growth and sustainable development opportunities.

Koen Snoeckx is an Innovation Manager, Owner/Director of Arteconomy and founder of a Creative Hub called Moktamee. In all these roles, he facilitates cross-innovation. His firm belief? To stay relevant in policy and innovation, you have no other option than to internalize artistic practices.

Ivana Valášková is the Head of the Center for Creative Museology of the Hradec Králové Region. Her experience with the development of a university and now museums helps her approach collaboration from various perspectives. She enjoys finding unusual partnerships and celebrating their results together.

Maja Påhlman is Chair of the board for Innovationsledarna, and Head of Innovation, Arla Foods. 20 years leading innovation and product development and consulting start-ups and large corporations, Head of Innovation Lantmännen Cerealia, Manager Group Innovation Nobia, Team Manager Innovation ICA Gruppen.

Marlene Johansson is a senior researcher at the Research Institute of Sweden (RISE). Research focuses on entrepreneurship, cross-innovation and ecosystems within the cultural and creative sector and industry. Marlene is the RISE coordinator for EIT KIC Culture & Creativity and New European Bauhaus.

Martin Q Larsson is a composer, certified business coach, and the founder of Cross Con. Since 2018, incubator manager at Subtopia’s creative incubator Katapult and president of the national organization for Sweden’s creative incubators, creARTive.

Dr Petya Koleva is a European innovation expert, and founder of Intercultura Consult, working to empower CCIs. For the last 3 years, she is leading knowledge exchange in the EU and co-funded innovation incubator project Collab4HySustCCI supporting 15 organisations from Bulgaria, Denmark, Greece, Italy and Serbia.

Thomas Arctaedius is an adjunct prof. in entrepreneurship at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm. Thomas researches and teaches Artistic Entrepreneurship and Sustainability. Thomas works in an Interdisciplinary research group on “Artistic co-creation methods for innovation and sustainability”.

Head of Operations for Innovationsledarna, the Association for Innovation Management Professionals in Sweden. Certified Innovation Management Professional, national expert for Sweden in the technical committee ISO/TC279 Innovation Management since 2019 that writes the ISO 56000 family standards.

Martin Andaloussi is Head of economic development, Botkyrka Municipality. Martin has worked over 15 years with economic growth in different municipalities and counties. His mission is to achieve successful policies through connecting the labour market, inclusion, and community planning.

Pierluigi Sacco is a Professor of Biobehavioral Economics at the Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Studies, University of Chieti-Pescara; Senior Adviser to the OECD, Paris; Research Affiliate at the metaLAB (at) Harvard, Cambridge MA.
Research, teach, do strategic development, and consult worldwide, mostly on culture as a driver of social impact and behavioural change. He is ultimately interested in one question: Why is culture so important for humans?

Based in Kyiv, Kateryna is the Head of Operations at De Structura, bringing her expertise in managing complex projects and fostering cross-sector collaboration. Currently also working as a Program Officer at the Goethe Institut Ukraine, Kateryna drives a Cultural Transformation Lab programme, blending her strategic leadership with a passion for innovation and interdisciplinary work.

Sanna Lilie is the operations manager for STPLN, a creative space for artists and freelancers in Malmö. With a background in culture-driven urban development and business development, she focuses on bridging the public sector and businesses, creating sustainable structures and collaborative environments.

David Andreasson is a member of the board for Innovationsledarna the Association for Innovation Management Professionals in Sweden, and Product Director AddSecure. He has 25 years of experience of leading product management, innovation, and organizational transformation across industries like IoT, IT, and telecommunications.

Cross Con 2025 is arranged in collaboration with:

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