A national initiative to stimulate sustainable growth, innovation system within strong cluster, long term cluster

Karin MarkidesvDG VINNOVA

VINNVÄXT Programme

Towards a Knowledge SocietyThe Nordic ExperienceNovember 14th 2005

Efficient innovation systems

Interaction between• Business• Research• Policy/Public Sector

Sustainable growth requires interaction between business, research, and policy/the public sector – Triple Helix.

The interaction results in new products, services, and processes.

Success Factors for a Regional Innovation System

• Regional leadership for renewal (Triple Helix)• Shared vision/strategic concepts• Strong commitment from the business community• Identification of growth areas• Regional focus/prioritization• Functional regions• Strong research and innovation milieus• Strategies and resources for learning• Insight into business and development logic

Generic ModelSector Specific Demands

Regional Conditionsand Cultural Settings

Time Windows

Research and Innovation Environment

BusinessResearchPolicy/Public Sector

An innovation system and a cluster manifest a systemic whole. Its elements are linked to and influenced by each other. Also, they collectively act towards a common objective (economic growth and competitiveness) imbedded in a vision about a preferred future.

Dynamic Innovation SystemsThe competitiveness is developed through an innovative transformation of knowledge to new ways of thinking, new processes (how to do things), new value chains and to innovations and commercialized products and services

ClusterAgglomeration of similar and/or inter-dependent actors that commonly also grow to include tripel helix.

Systemic collaboration

• Regional Growth through Dynamic Innovation Systems

• 10 years• 65 MEuro from VINNOVA

• 65 MEuro from regions

Aim of programme

To promote sustainable growth and international competitiveness in functional regions

through

• research that meets the needs from industry for growth and competitiveness

• enhancement of the innovation system to an internationally competitive level in future growth areas

Objectives for VINNOVA

• Support the development of strong research and innovation environments

• Stimulate systems of actors to enhance the innovation system in Swedish functional regions to an international level within specific areas of strength

• Be a catalyst for coordination of resources

Accompanying measures

• Support to RIS developers and facilitators• Triple helix management courses• International collaboration• Innovation research• Publications• Programme committee• Learning from pilot projects• Follow-up of program process and learning• Strengthening of VINNOVA staff• Indicators of regional growth

Process for the call 2002-2003

2001 2002 2003

Program initiation

Pilot projects

5 Preparation workshops

Call planning phase159 proposals

Courses

Meetings with regional teams

Seminars

Call implementation phase 51 proposals

Communication to regions

25 winners 3 winners

Publications

Process support

Winning criteria

• Triple Helix leadership and management well developed

• Future growth areas identified and good growth potential

• A Triple Helix shared strategic idea and vision

• Innovative environments strong or under building

• Research fully involved in the process

• Companies strongly involved from the beginning

• Effective measures for improving cooperation and interactive learning

1) In-house evaluation by 10 VINNOVA staff

2) 3 independent panels (each triple helix sphere)

3) Programme committee meeting

4) Interviews with potential winner regional teams

5) Programme committee meeting

6) Negotiations with potential winners

7) Final decision by VINNOVA

Procedure for selection of winners

200351 applicants - 3 winners

Uppsala Bio (Biotech supply cluster in the Uppsala region)

Robotdalen (Robotics cluster in the western part of the Lake Mälaren Valley)

Innovation i Gränsland (Food cluster in the Skåne region)

Studies of VINNVÄXT 2003

Some opinions expressed by 25 processes• “very long term grants are essential” (10 years!)• “call and competition is very positive”• “too short time to deadline” (6 months!)• “the Acknowledgement – to be in a future oriented business

sector is more important than money”• “process support is more important than research money”• “now everybody knows about Innovation Systems and Triple

Helix”• “the policy thesis of Growth is made very clear”

Process for the call 2004

2003 2004 2005

3 winners

Workshops for process leaders

Call VINNVÄXT 2004

Education

Meetings with regional process teams

Deadline5 winners

Publications

Process support

Interactive research

7 process grants

Studies

Assessment

200423 applicants - 5 winners

ProcessIT Innovations Fiber Optic Valley New Tools for Life Triple Steelix Biomedical Development in Western

Sweden

Ludvika

Falun

Uppsala

Fagersta

Hudiksvall

Sundsvall

Ljusdal

Söderhamn

Härjedalen

Östersund

Kramfors

Umeå

Örnsköldsvik

Vilhelmina

Gävle

Åre

Strömsund

Skövde

Jönköping

Borås

Lidköping

Ljungby

Kristianstad

Karlshamn

Kalmar

Karlskrona

Oskarshamn

Gotland

Västerås

Eskilstuna

Katrineholm

Nyköping

Stockholm

Köping

Örebro

Skellefteå

Norrköping

Växjö

Linköping

Västervik

Nässjö

Vimmerby

Luleå

Överkalix

Kalix

Övertorneå

Gällivare

Pajala

Storuman

Sorsele

Arjeplog

Jokkmokk

Kiruna

Värnamo

Tranås

Älmhult

Avesta

Bollnäs

Lycksele

Arvidsjaur

Mora

Vansbro

Malung

ROBOTICS VALLEY

Steel Sheet Refinement

BIOMEDICINSK UTVECKLING I VÄSTSVERIGE

The vision is to strengthen the Mälar Valley as the world leader in research, development and manufacturing within the field of Robotics

Specialises in industrial robots, field robotics and robotics for medical and health care

Erik Lundqvist Evelyn Karlsson

Nagoya AreaAutomatio

n

Alley

www.robotdalen.org

ROBOTICS VALLEY

       - An important regional growth initiative with a deserving cause       

The New Tools for Life initiative makes the region of Östergötland a major international player in the development of individually designed products for best possible health

•  

New Tools for Life

The primary motives are a huge and growing market and a suitable regional competence and profile, with the roots in the academic world, the politics and the business 

Founders of the initiative are a great number of individuals from Linköpings universitet, public organisations, authorities and regional companies

Magnus LagnevikKjell Olsson

Spearhead competence in agribusiness

Creates foods with high added value

Border-crossing research on company’s terms

Strong political backing in the region

Food industry turnover in the region 20.000 Million Euro

Scania has 50% of Swedish food production

The majority of Swedish R&D in the food industry is located in Scania

www.innovationigransland.se

UPPSALA BIO• Uppsala BIO is an initiative from the

local biotech industry, the two universities in Uppsala, and regional development bodies. Its aim is to contribute to the long-term growth of the biotech sector in the region.

 

The coordinated action plan developed by all parties involved defines four strategic areas.

1. Uppsala BIO-X – the cross-disciplinary research effort for biotech projects 2. Secure the sector’s future needs for suitably trained people 3. Secure the flow of high quality innovations from idea to industry 4. Communicate the region’s competences to the world

MadeleineNeil

RhiannonSanders

JonasÅström

Operation of programme

• At least 50 percent to R&D• Development of organisation and process

management• Mobilisation• Competence supply• Brand creation• Strategic work• Follow-up

Effects of programme

• Helps regions to go from words to action• Competition format forces regions to prioritise• Strategic research on companies’ terms• Clear coordination effect• Strong role for regional politicians• Growth in focus• Gives credibility• Builds brands• Prepare to scale up!

Interaction ofWinners and Non-Winners

Biotech

Food

IT

Biotech-IT

Learning

Tripel Helixregionalup-scaling

Networking

Materials Pharma

Lessons learned

International benchmarking of programme idea

Extensive support to potential applicants

Problem-oriented research as a driving force

Focus on leadership

VINNOVAs internal learning is crucial

Changing mindset takes time

Separate triple helix spheres evaluation teams

Follow-ups and assessment are essential

Strategic Analysis

ForsightNationalstrategy

GlobalanalysisBacksight

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Development is good!

Change is no good!

For development change is needed!!!

More lessons learned

Call for proposal, implying competition between proposals.

Few winners Resources to the already strong, not to the weak. Functional regions. No geographical distribution

rules. Support activities (process support, training,

learning, exchange of experiences, research) Long term commitment - 10-years Frequent evaluations and continous follow up

research. Taking care of losers as well as the winners.

VINNOVA is working to achieve sustainable growth by developing efficient innovation systems and financing research that meets the needs from industry for growth and competitiveness

The first of VINNOVA's programmes with a regional perspective was VINNVÄXT - regional growth through dynamic innovation systems. This programme has attracted much attention.  VINNVÄXT was a novel initiative in Sweden with its long-term perspective, its process support and the fact that the programme selection procedure is competitive. In addition there is regional co-funding of at least 100%.

VINNVÄXT enables a concentration of efforts around a strategic idea in the regions. Many of these concentrated efforts and processes have shown themselves to be sustainable, even in cases where no co-funding has been provided by VINNOVA.