On 19 November 2025, LAB University of Applied Sciences hosted the seminar “Remote, Hybrid, Resilient – Shaping the Future of Work and Business” at the Lahti campus. The event brought together people from six countries sharing the interest in how work is changing, and what this change, particularly remote or hybrid work, means for people, organizations, and society.
A deep dive into remote and hybrid work
The seminar was a lively mix of presentations, discussions, and workshops, all centered on the practical realities and strategic implications of remote and hybrid work. Participants shared a wide variety of experiences: how organizations are navigating remote work. One focus was sharing the lessons learned from the Distance LAB project (LAB 2025; Distance LAB 2025). Several working groups contributed to the work, resulting in 11 tools and a network of living labs. Although the themes varied, they all centred on improving remote and hybrid work. The insights drew on participant experiences and the project’s multiple development processes.
Remote and hybrid work changes how people communicate, collaborate, learn, and create value. Across different sectors, the experiences shared painted a picture of work becoming more dynamic, distributed, and adaptable, but also highlighting the challenges that remote or hybrid work requires a different kind of mindset and culture, for individuals, teams and organizations. For individuals, it means managing time, wellbeing, and digital tools effectively. At the team level, it requires clear communication, trust, and shared practices to stay aligned despite physical distance. Within organizations, hybrid work depends on supportive structures, culture, and leadership. At the societal level, well-implemented hybrid work can foster inclusion, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen connections between communities. Overall, these dimensions need considering how to support the relationships while also strengthening the resilience of communities – and wider society. It is a learning and experimenting journey.
![[Alt text: a group of about twenty persons in a classroom.]](https://blogit.lab.fi/labfocus/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2025/12/570_2025_Remote-hybrid-resilient-insights-from-LABs-seminar-on-the-future-of-work-1024x551.jpg)
Lessons, debates, and experiences
Organizations from multiple countries shared stories about their work, what succeeds, what challenges they face, and how to get the most out of hybrid work. Remote and hybrid work is now routine in many fields, yet it also raises many timely and noteworthy questions, as the operating environment is constantly evolving. When we talk about innovation, trust, and learning – or work life practices, regional development and how innovations can develop, we are engaging with a wide spectrum of interconnected issues.
Beyond immediate outcomes, the seminar thrived as a continuous flow of insights, fueled by diverse perspectives and shared energy. We also collected participant feedback. Feedback pointed to strong engagement, as participants rated their experience (4.4–4.6/5); participants valued discussions and practical relevance and ideas for future work.
According to the feedback collected after the seminar, one of the most valuable things was sharing experiences and noticing how the breadth of topics addressed. It spans everything from individual experiences to organizational practices, regional dynamics, and broader societal issues.
Remote and hybrid work: more than a trend
Participants’ discussions made one thing clear; remote and hybrid work is here to stay, but it is far from a uniform shift. Remote work requires thinking broadly and being mindful of different needs. Being remote, and hybrid, reshapes how we work, how to manage our own work, manage teams and organizations, who we work with, and how organizations create value. The debates and experiences shared illustrate that the future of work is experiential and adaptive and always seeks meaningful collaboration, wherever it happens.
In digital, data-intensive work, it is always important to stay connected to what makes us human. The participants in the seminar, joining Lahti, online, and in hybrid mode, demonstrated the value of sharing ideas, learning from diverse perspectives, and engaging in meaningful dialogue. It is curiosity, human connection, and the drive to build resilience and improve that fuel innovation.
Authors
Heidi Myyryläinen is an RDI expert at LAB University of Applied Sciences.
Marja Jordberg-Gilabert is a Senior Lecturer at LAB University of Applied Sciences.
References
Distance LAB. 2025. Distance Lab Hub. Cited 10 Dec 2025. Available at https://distancelab.eu/
LAB. 2025. Distance LAB – remote service hub for SME’s and public sector. Project. LAB University of Applied Sciences. Cited 10 Dec 2025. Available at https://lab.fi/en/project/distance-lab-remote-service-hub-smes-and-public-sector
