Innovation Stockholm
Published on 28 September 2018
Sweden
Stockholm
This is the good practice's implementation level. It can be national, regional or local.
About this good practice
In 2010, the County Governor took an initiative to increase regional coordination between innovation actors. After a period of high level discussions, the collaborative platform was established. In a joint process, a regional innovation strategy was launched in 2012 and an action plan presented in 2013. The vision was to become the world´s most innovation driven region by 2025. Since 2015, the platform actors have been involved in the process to revise the innovation strategy into a smart specialisation strategy, using e.g. mapping, seminars and small group discussions. To stimulate innovation capacity in business and research, the platform was founded in collaboration between public actors (CAB Stockholm, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm city, Invest Stockholm, the Association of municipalities in Stockholm County), academia (KTH, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm university) and the Chamber of Commerce. Over time, national agencies, research institutes, companies, incubators and science parks have been involved. The platform fosters collaboration through networking activities as well as regular information exchange between the different stakeholders, through the cooperation in drafting and continuously working on the strategy as well as different monitoring and mapping tools.
Expert opinion
The smart specialisation strategy (S3) is a place-based innovation strategy that requires good governance to design, implement, monitor, and evaluate the S3. S3 governance should aim to be inclusive, participatory, with a clear mandate and leadership. Innovation Stockholm is a collaborative platform that involve quadruple helix actors—public actors (CAB Stockholm, Stockholm County Council, Stockholm city, Invest Stockholm, the Association of municipalities in Stockholm County), academia (KTH, Karolinska Institute and Stockholm university), the Chamber of Commerce, national agencies, research institutes, companies, incubators and science parks—to devise and update the regional S3.
Some insights from the good practice:
-The creation of quadruple helix institutional arrangement to pilot the S3 can be applied across different European regions with different institutional contexts.
-As pointed in the Good Practice, some funding needs to be allocated to the quadruple helix and a coordinator must ensure that the working groups meet regularly to monitor and update the S3.
-In the context of the regional Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3), working groups are good instruments to act as anchors in the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP).
-The experience of Innovation Stockholm highlights the importance of quadruple helix working groups to limit regional fragmentation.
Some insights from the good practice:
-The creation of quadruple helix institutional arrangement to pilot the S3 can be applied across different European regions with different institutional contexts.
-As pointed in the Good Practice, some funding needs to be allocated to the quadruple helix and a coordinator must ensure that the working groups meet regularly to monitor and update the S3.
-In the context of the regional Smart Specialisation Strategies (RIS3), working groups are good instruments to act as anchors in the Entrepreneurial Discovery Process (EDP).
-The experience of Innovation Stockholm highlights the importance of quadruple helix working groups to limit regional fragmentation.
Works at
Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform
Resources needed
The platform has had a high-level steering committee, a strategic working group and a secretariat (CAB Stockholm), but is now under restructuring. Some funding (€80 000- 150 000/year) has been provided by CAB Stockholm and national agencies at various stages. Other actors have participated in-kind.
Evidence of success
According to a consultancy report and a later interview study, participants in the platform felt that the collaboration had resulted in less fragmentation and closer contacts between actors. Regular monitoring takes place, but cannot tell if improvement in indicators is due to the platform. The region has had a positive development according to benchmarking to other EU regions (mostly Munich, Copenhagen and Lyon) but the link to the instrument has to be fully analysed yet.
Potential for learning or transfer
The platform has been successful in increasing regional collaboration, mainly between public sector and academia. Several interesting activities have been initiated, despite limited resources and based mostly in the active collaboration of stakeholders. Experience from the establishment process has been documented in a Swedish report (Guide for regional development) and it does serve as a starting point for transferring the collaboration strategy and governance model.
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Organisation
County Administrative Board of Stockholm (CAB Stockholm)
Sweden
Stockholm
Contact
Technical Assitance