Ikea closes its innovation lab, Space 10

Tomorrow, 31 August, Ikea will close its innovation platform in Copenhagen, Space 10. The lab says it has achieved all the goals it set out to achieve.

A better future

Space 10 emerged in 2014 from a collaboration between Ikea and Danish design collective ArtRebels, which had designed a furniture collection for the retailer. The innovation lab found a home in Copenhagen’s meatpacking district and worked independently of the retailer, which did pay the costs. The collaboration boosted the culture of innovation at Ikea and helped the retailer stay relevant. The starting point was always how Ikea could help create a better future for the world.

The lab did a lot of work behind the scenes: it supported Ikea in developing new strategies and investments concerning urban development, healthier and more sustainable menus and new products and services.

On a high note

The virtual reality app Ikea Place, which allows customers to visualise how a piece of furniture would look in their interiors, was one of the results from the collaboration. The platform also helped Ikea think about city stores. In 2018, Space 10 caused a stir with the Bug Burger, a burger based on beetroot, parsnips, potatoes and mealworm. That did not make it to the furniture giant’s restaurant, but the vegetarian köttbullar and a plant-based hot dog eventually did.

“At the end of the day, we have basically reached all of the objectives we set out for ourselves when set up the collaboration,” co-founders Simon Caspersen and Kaave Pour told Fast Company. “We’re ending on a high note.”