Rosa Ballardini

Rosa Maria Ballardini is Professor of Intellectual Property Law and Vice Dean (research) at the University of Lapland, Faculty of Law. She holds a PhD from Hanken School of Economics, Finland (2012), an LLM in IT and IP law from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland (2005) and a law degree from the University of Brescia, Italy (2003). In 2017 Rosa was granted the title of Docent (Docentti) in Intellectual Property Law from the University of Helsinki. Previously – 2008 to 2009- she was a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley/Boalt Hall.

Rosa’s research interests lie at the interface between law (with focus on private areas of law, such as IP law), technology and sustainability. She also investigates the role of empathy in law, as well as issues related to law as a tool to foster inclusion and participation in decision-making processes. She has written extensively and has led several multidisciplinary consortia on these topics and in various technological contexts (e.g. digitilization, software, digital manufacturing and 3D printing, artificial intelligence, industrial internet, polymer-related technologies). Her research approach is multidisciplinary, combining law, technology, business and ethics via using different types of methodologies (e.g. traditional legal research methods, empirical methods and design thinking in legal studies).

Key words: Private Law; Intellectual propertly law; IPR and sustainability; Digital Cultural Heritage, Traditional knowledge and Law; Law and empathy; Open innovation, Co-creation and Regulation; Data Governance; Artificial Intelligence Regulation; Plastics Regulation; User-centric Approaches (e.g. design thinking, citizen science) to Law (legal design).

Involved in curriculum planning and implementation of more than 20 courses (including digital courses) in IP law (at BA, Msc and post-graduate level) since year 2011 at schools of law (University of Lapland and University of Helsinki), business and engineering (Hanken, Aalto University and University of Oulu), as well as for professional audiences both in Finland and abroad.