Abstract The 1st Nordic Innovation Research PhD Conference, "Finnkampen", held in December 2006 in Oulu, Finland, focuses on a wide field from Innovation Management, Entrepreneurship to the whole field of Industrial Engineering and Management representing the specific areas of interest: regional innovation systems; technology strategy thinking and planning; product concept development, product visions, product development and process development, and product launch; evaluation and assessment of technologies; and academic entrepreneurship as well as human aspects of entrepreneurship and innovation.

This book is a selection of papers written by the participating PhD students from the universities of Oulu, Vaasa and Luleå. 16 papers, presented in this book, provide best practices and novel concepts for managing innovation, improving creativity and quality, entrepreneurship, and developing regional innovation systems.

The 1st Nordic Innovation Research Conference is a start for the Nordic research community’s continuing development in the field on Innovation. Together the Nordic universities will build an annual Innovation Reseach Forum. In 2007, the Forum will be held in Luleå, Sweden.