How can IKEA make small city living more flexible, circular and adaptable over time? Copenhagen is our starting point. Over 18 weeks, we explore one clear question with real people.
Intelligent support for optimising small home layouts.
Adapts and reconfigures as your life changes over time.
Subscription or upgrade options built into the model.
Return and refurbishment model for a closed-loop system.
We are not networking. We exchange real assets for real contribution.
Anonymised sales and consumer preference data — available before you design, not after.
Real foot traffic in Copenhagen for testing concepts, prototypes, and services in actual context.
Pre-recruited, defined test panels — available for validation sessions without partner recruitment costs.
Presentations go directly to decision-makers — not filtered through an events team or workshop room.
The formal pathway for community contributions to enter exploration and business case processes.
A defined commercial route: Pilot → KPI evaluation → formal decision → contract. Time-bound.
The value exchange is different for each member type. Select yours to see what you bring — and what you get access to.
Independent designers, architects, product designers and creative practitioners from Copenhagen's design scene.
IKEA publishes quarterly briefs for each active portfolio area. Designers receive a Category Intelligence Pack (anonymised sales and preference data) before starting. Submissions go directly to the portfolio owner for a formal decision.
For shortlisted designs, IKEA facilitates a 2-hour testing session with a pre-recruited consumer cohort in the Copenhagen store. The designer observes and receives the full structured feedback report.
15–20 active design members at any time. Includes 2 days/month of studio prototyping access, materials library, and IKEA's supplier sample archive. Conditional on submitting at least one active brief per quarter.
We build the community in phases. Each step produces a defined output. No ambiguity about what happens next.
Exploration brief finalised. Portfolio owner confirmed. Member cohorts identified. KPI contracts signed with all innovation partners.
Design sprints run. Research collaborations active. Home Panel sessions begin. Venture Client Sprints deployed in store.
Shortlisted concepts move to consumer cohort validation. Venture Client KPI review. Go/no-go issued to innovation partners.
Xplore Store Showcase for validated designs. Supplier fast-track initiated. All learnings packaged for global studios.
We are not looking for observers. We are inviting participants who are ready to contribute and receive in equal measure.
Apartments under 60m², young families, or people who move frequently across Copenhagen.
Apply as a Member →Startups working on circular, subscription, or modular home solutions — with a working prototype.
Apply as Partner →Local architects, product designers, and space planners with compact living expertise.
Apply as a Designer →University research groups with applied capacity and a relevant domain focus.
Apply as Research →Participants join framing sessions, co-shape concepts, test prototypes, give structured feedback, and see how decisions are made. Time is compensated where relevant.
Typical communities offer inspiration. This model offers access to IKEA's real assets in exchange for real contribution.
"It is not about being part of something."
It is about access to IKEA's real assets in exchange for real contribution.We are not looking for observers.
We are inviting participants who bring expertise relevant to how Copenhagen lives.
Portfolio Owner · Product Developer · Senior Designer · Retail Logistics. These people define the case and own the decision.
100 urban residents · 5 local designers · 2 circular startups · 1 research group. A focused, diverse ecosystem.
Technical University
Royal Danish Academy
Sustainable Energy
Urban Logistics
Community Activation