Justyna Dabrowska

Dr Justyna Dąbrowska is a Vice Chancellor’s Research Fellow in Innovation Management at RMIT University, with a PhD in Industrial Engineering and Management from LUT University, Finland. She also holds a Master’s degree in Marketing and Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management from the University of Szczecin, Poland. She also studied International Business and Technology Management at LUT University, Finland.

Her research focuses on innovation management, with particular emphasis on organizational renewal, open innovation capabilities, collaborations between mature companies and startups, innovation ecosystem orchestration, and the impacts of digitalization on modern business practices.

Dr Dąbrowska has led large-scale international research and industry engagement projects in the areas of open innovation, education, sustainability, digital transformation, and entrepreneurship. She collaborates closely with businesses, non-profits, and government agencies through research initiatives, advisory roles, mentoring, and executive education.

The results of her research, tools, and innovation frameworks have been adopted by a range of global companies, including Swarovski AG. She is also an active keynote speaker, facilitator, and strategic advisor on innovation, leadership, and technology management topics.

Industry Experience:

Before embarking on her academic career, Dr Dąbrowska gained valuable industry experience in the automotive and manufacturing sectors across Europe. She worked at General Motors Europe GmbH in Germany, supporting the International and Diplomatic Sales team, and later served as the Central and Eastern Europe Sales Manager at Senator Poland Ltd, a leading manufacturer in the promotional products sector.

In addition to her early career roles, Dr Dąbrowska has extensive ongoing engagement with industry through consulting, contracted research, strategic workshop facilitation, advisory roles, and innovation capability building programs. Her work bridges academic rigor and practical application, supporting senior executives and organizations in navigating challenges related to innovation, transformation, and future skills.

Key Projects and Initiatives: 

• EINST4INE – European Training Network for Industry Digital Transformation (2021–2024, EU MSCA; total budget: 4 057 000 EUR)
  • Co-Chief Investigator, leading research and training activities across seven countries to advance future skills and organizational capabilities for digital transformation.; Project partners: 7 HEIs from Finland, Denmark, Germany, UK, Italy, Australia, USA; 18 industry partners
• OI-Net – The European Academic Network for Open Innovation (2013–2016)
  • Consortium Manager and lead researcher for this European Union-funded network, involving 52 partners from 35 countries, advancing open innovation education and capability development.

• Open Innovation Ecosystem Collaboration Projects
  • Led engagement projects with the City of Melbourne and ARC Lifeblood, focusing on creating and capturing value from open innovation initiatives in public and nonprofit sectors.

• Systems Thinking for Circular Economy (2024, Strategic Impact Initiative)
• Establishing New Capabilities on Strategic Foresight & Technological Roadmapping to Foster Innovation and Interdisciplinary Collaboration (ECP Strategic Capabilities Development Fund), cross-disciplinary strategic lead 
• DOIT - Entrepreneurial skills for young social innovators in an open digital world. The European Initiative (2017-2020, EU H2020; total budget: 2 566 000 EUR)
• Overcome - Open innoVation Raw Materials
  • Project Manager,  development and pilot of tailored collaborative tool at LKAB; report on implementation of open innovation in raw materials industries
• Accelerate - A Platform for the Acceleration of go-to market in the ICT Industry (TEKES, ITEA2-labeled; total budget: 11 356 000 EUR)
  • Project Manager, Project partners: 18 partners (academia, ICT companies) from Finland, Belgium, France, Spain, Romania