Pyykkönen specializes in cultural policy, creative economy and ethnopolitics, but his research interests cover also entrepreneurship, cultural participation of youth, government and governance, and social theory. Pyykkönen leads and co-leads several research and teaching development projects, subprojects and work packages: Lookout – osaamisen uudet suunnat (The European Social Fund, 1.8.2021–31.5.2023), R-YOUCULT – A “room” of their own – training cultural workers for facilitating rural youth culture (Erasmus+, 1.3.2022–31.12.2023), and Keskisuomalaiset nuoret ja kulttuuriosallistuminen (Ministry of Education and Culture and the city of Jyväskylä, 1.9.2021–30.6.2022). Between 2018 and 2021 he was the vice-head (in charge of educational affairs) of the Department of Social Sciences and Philosophy. He is the chair of the board of Foundation for Cultural Policy Research.