Developed in Newcastle University and inspired by Tyne’s Health Innovation Neighbourhood, the HINSight boardgame invites players to consider and discuss the issues of urban innovation districts. The goal of the session was to find out whether the game would work in a Finnish context, particularly in the Aviapolis innovation district in Vantaa. The City of Vantaa aims to develop Aviapolis into its third center, with diverse spaces for companies and other services.
In the game, players are separated into three teams who have their own agendas in the development of the innovation district. The players must collect cash by answering development related dilemma questions correctly from the perspective of their role.
The students were excited to tackle the challenge. In their opinion, playing was fun, but there was room for improvement. Rule clarifications and pre-selection of questions by their relevance to the district could improve playing experience and make the game more suitable for Aviapolis. Nevertheless, they saw a lot of potential in the game, and it might be utilized later in field courses. Thank you students and David Webb from Newcastle University!