What happens when a business economist and a concert violinist team up? The answer is Muzziball – a human-centric innovation combining music, technology, and social impact.
Behind this creation are Ingerine Dahl, a violinist and university lecturer, and Aleksandra Jankovic, a business economist and industrial PhD candidate. Together, they’ve developed a deep-tech sensory device that transforms movement into interactive sound and light experiences.
What began as an artistic initiative for children has grown into a promising solution for some of society’s most vulnerable groups. Today, the device is being tested and developed for use among individuals with dementia and children with special needs, with results showing great potential.
From idea to impact
Dahl’s creative vision sparked the concept, and with Jankovic’s strategic and academic expertise, the project evolved into a social innovation venture. To deepen the research underpinning the start-up, Jankovic commenced an industrial PhD project at the University of Stavanger (UiS), supported by the Research Council of Norway. Her research is based at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Materials Science, under the guidance of Professor Chandima Ratnayake and Professor Samindi Samarakoon.
In the industrial PhD programme, the Research Council of Norway funds up to 50% of the PhD candidate's salary for three years, while UiS provides supervision, courses, and a dynamic research environment. The partnership between UiS, Muzziball, and the Research Council underscores the collaborative approach to solving challenges in technology and sustainability.
Jankovic’s doctoral work aims to bridge the gap between industry and academia by exploring circular economy strategies in tech-driven product and service development. With a focus on real-world relevance, the project strives to create a replicable blueprint for integrating sustainability across the value chain, especially within the healthcare and education sectors.
“Embedding solid engineering principles into product development is essential. Our goal is to create a model that other tech companies can follow if they truly want to integrate sustainability into their operations,” says Jankovic.
Promoting movement through play
“A PhD project should have real-world impact,” Jankovic explains.
“For me, that means making a tangible difference in people’s lives.”
Now a co-founder of Muzziball, Jankovic is developing the product while simultaneously pursuing her PhD. The company, established in early 2023 and based in Stavanger, has already completed its first development stages and is actively building an ecosystem of services around it.
“We have developed a sensory ball designed to promote movement. In a world increasingly challenged by physical and mental inactivity, we want to be part of the solution,” she says.
The results speak for themselves: among children with autism and elderly users with dementia, the sensory ball has shown positive effects on physical activity, emotional regulation, focus, and social interaction, contributing to improved well-being for users, caregivers and teachers.
Circularity, accessibility, and social value
Aleksandra Jankovic’s PhD research is focused on embedding circular economy principles into the product development and design process. By incorporating sustainability at every stage of the product lifecycle, her work aims to create a business model that promotes repair, reuse, rent, and recycling as core components of the value chain. Her work is grounded in three key pillars of circular economy and sustainable innovation:
- The product must be environmentally conscious at every stage, from design and production to end use.
- It should be digitally enabled, open, and user-friendly.
- It must deliver tangible social value, fostering inclusion and making a meaningful difference.
“If your product and business model address these three areas, you’re creating something that truly serves the public good,” Jankovic emphasizes.
“That should be the benchmark for all startups.”
For Ingerine Dahl, the motivation has always been to design a product that inspires joy, movement, and connection. With the sensory ball, she and Jankovic believe they’ve succeeded to achieve that.
Looking ahead
Supported by Innovation Norway and part of the Norway Health Tech cluster, the company reflects a strong commitment to female-led innovation in a male-dominated sector.
“Two female founders in deep tech is still a rarity,” says Jankovic.
“We’re passionate about changing that. That is also why I value working with a female academic supervisor like Samindi Samarakoon. Representation and mentorship matter.”
The next phase of the journey involves further testing and implementation in Norway’s healthcare and education sectors, focusing on autism and dementia. Through case-based action research, the team is developing solutions that directly address global health challenges in a practical, responsive, and science-driven way.
“Building a deep-tech product that addresses such complex issues is demanding,” says Jankovic.
“But the feedback from users has been overwhelmingly encouraging. Everyone involved shares a vision of creating technology with genuine social impact. Together, we’re working to make the world a better place, one movement at a time.”
Text: Kjersti Riiber
Contact
Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Materials Science
About Muzziball: Grounded in neuroscience and music therapy, Muzziball is designed to stimulate cognitive, tactile, auditory, visual, and physical senses. Originally conceived to promote physical activity and engagement among children, Muzziball is now being adapted to support individuals with dementia and children with special needs (e.g., autism), providing a solution to the challenges often faced in traditional therapeutic settings.
About the industrial PhD project: The project is hosted by UiS's Department of Mechanical and Structural Engineering and Materials Science, where Jankovic is supervised by professors Chandima Ratnayake and Samindi Samarakoon. They have experience in industrial systems and sustainability. Additionally, Jankovic benefits from mentorship by Ingerine Dahl, the founder of Muzziball AS, who has expertise in innovation, entrepreneurship, and therapy.