Rosa Ballardini

Rosa Maria Ballardini is Professor of Intellectual Property Law and Vice Dean (research) at the University of Lapland, Faculty of Law. From January 2026 she is also a Director at the IPR University Center.

Rosa 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 she 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 IP law), technology and sustainability. She also investigates the role of power-relationships and powers asymmetries in IPR and innovation, 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 contexts (e.g. digital hertigate, software, 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).

Rosa is a member of the Board of the Finnish Association for Industrial Property Rights (STY) and a vice-member of the Finnish Copyright Council. Previously, she has been also the Chair of the Board of the IPR University Center.

Key words: Private Law; Intellectual propertly law; IPR and sustainability; IP identity and power-relationships; 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).

Highlighted topics of currently ongoing research: IPRs and diversity; IPRs and trust; IPRs, pluriversality and multispecies; IPRs and Multi-stakeholders collaboration. 

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.