Innovation Plan

2024-03-14, the President of Stockholm University adopted Innovation Plan (SU FV-0762-24). Period of validity: until further notice


Responsible administrative unit: Office for Research, Engagement and Innovation

Contact: Ivo Todorov


Description:

The Innovation Plan describes the vision and strategy of Stockholm University regarding its innovation support. It defines the University’s role within the regional innovation ecosystem, and the organisation and objective of the support given to researchers, teachers and students. The plan is addressed to the employees of the University as well as other relevant authorities.

Disclaimer: In case of a discrepancy between the Swedish and the English version of the document, the Swedish version will prevail.


1 Introduction

The world faces large and complex challenges which demand sustainable social changes. Crises such as the current climate changes and the latest pandemic must be addressed with knowledge and sustainable, innovative solutions. Universities promote innovations through research and education, and they are among the obvious key players both regionally, nationally and internationally. Furthermore, universities contribute to society’s understanding of how innovations can contribute to societal benefits in a complex environment. They also provide their students with a basis to be sensible actors and to understand the various roles in innovation processes. It is becoming increasingly obvious that competence and human capital as well as knowledge and interdisciplinary approaches are key to the development of a sustainable and democratic society.

Throughout history, Sweden has been a strong nation in terms of research and innovation, and we want to be among the world’s foremost research and innovation countries in order to tackle societal challenges. The European framework programme for research and innovation also points to global challenges in six clusters: health; culture, creativity and inclusive society; civil security for society; digital issues, industry and space; climate, energy and mobility and, finally, food, bioeconomy, natural resources, agriculture and environment. Innovations are funded under the pillar Innovative Europe.

Stockholm University has high ambitions to find solutions within the identified societal challenges through research, education, collaboration and innovation. This action plan indicates the direction for the University’s contributions to innovations.

2 Innovation and collaboration at Stockholm University

The ability of Stockholm University to generate and develop new ideas is based both on its high-quality research and education and on its width within the humanities, social science, law and natural science. Through collaboration with societal functions, regional organisations, industry, foundations and cultural institutions, relevant societal challenges can be identified and solutions proposed. Excellent research as well as social and economic benefits to the public are stimulated when innovation, new regulatory frameworks and processes can be delivered. Ideas and innovations for the public sector, the not-for-profit sector and the commercial sector create new social efforts and companies. Sustainable development is of particular importance for Stockholm University. With a basis in strong and broad research, the University wants to deepen the collaboration with industry, politics and civil society in order to jointly reach the global goals of Agenda 2030.

Research is an essential foundation for knowledge-intensive innovations. It is nonetheless important to remember that research and innovations have different characteristics and they do not always belong to the same process. While research is curiosity-driven and has a longer time perspective, innovations often search solutions to existing problems during a shorter time frame. However, a key success factor lies in

bringing together research and innovation, while at the same time maintaining their separate identities.

When appropriate, Stockholm University collaborates with other sectors to contribute to societal benefits and a sustainable society. Research and education at Stockholm University shall contribute to the exchange of knowledge and to innovations both regionally, nationally and internationally.

The Professors Privilege gives researchers and teachers the rights to research results which they achieve while employed. This means that they can patent their results and sell the rights or start a company. Innovations often spring from individual research ideas. Stockholm University respects the Professor Privilege as a basic tenet and wants to encourage utilization and innovations.

In addition to innovative knowledge resulting from research, education at Stockholm University is another large contribution to Sweden’s innovative strength. Thanks to skilled teachers and good and highly motivated students, a strong innovation culture is formed with creativity as its powerhouse.

Stockholm University promotes open science. The opening up of research data and research results also benefits innovations. In an open innovation ecosystem, the University aspires to be a driving force in creating a place where researchers, companies and the public sector meet to solve important societal challenges.

3 Stockholm University is part of the region’s innovation ecosystem

The region of Stockholm is one of the most innovative areas of Europe.[1] In collaboration with our twinning partners in the regional innovation ecosystem, Stockholm University aims to join in building bridges across institutional and disciplinary borders, search for new forms of collaboration and spaces to deal with common challenges. The University has an important role for knowledge exchange, collaboration and innovation. Through research and education, the University contributes to sustainable social development, both regionally, in Sweden and in the world. Collaboration provides mutual advantages through the flows of ideas and knowledge between the University and the surrounding society.

4 University support for innovation

Innovation support at Stockholm University has been in place since the late 1990s, initially through the Stockholm University Holding Company (SU Holding) which ran a service incubator. Following the decision by the Riksdag to increase the number of innovation offices, the University put in place its innovation office in 2013. In accordance with subsequent government propositions, the activities of the innovation offices have gradually been extended to include utilization in a broad sense. They now include innovation, collaboration, social entrepreneurship and address both researchers and students at the institutions of higher learning. Since July 1st 2020, innovation support at Stockholm University is part of the same administrative unit as research support and collaboration. Taken together, the three sections constitute a clear support function for the core activities. SU Holding engages in business activities and receives funding from the University. The University also buys business development services from SU Holding. SU Holding addresses those who are starting a business and it can invest in startup businesses from the University.

Innovation support at Stockholm University aims to support sustainable societal development by utilization of knowledge. By the creation of long-term favourable conditions, the University’s innovation support will help researchers and students to turn knowledge into societal benefits. Integrated research-, collaboration- and innovation support for the University’s researchers contributes to stronger research funding, increased opportunities for collaboration projects, as well as to ensuring support for researchers with early-stage and research-related innovations.

The Office for Research, Engagement and Innovation Services (REIS) has the overall responsibility for innovation support at the University. The primary focus of the office lies on the early stages when ideas must be identified, protected and developed. REIS is responsible for early advice, inspiration and training. The innovation support addresses all scientific areas at Stockholm University. The support shall be equivalent for the various subject areas. Its focus shall lie on advice within intellectual property rights and early conception of ideas. Researcher-initiated ideas are referred for business development to SU Holding or to other regional actors and incubators. Through close collaboration with the organisation Drivhuset Stockholm, students and doctoral students at the University are offered advice, seminars and workshops on entrepreneurship.

SU Holding, Drivhuset Stockholm as well as external collaboration partners focus on business development, incubator support and funding.

The overall innovation support shall:

  • collaborate in the framework of Stockholm Trio,
  • be an attractive partner for external innovation support actors in the Stockholm region,
  • work towards a sustainable society in accordance with Agenda 2030,
  • contribute to seed funding in order to create incitements for utilization and innovation,
  • organise seminars and workshops,
  • offer professional support and advice,
  • highlight the University’s contributions to utilization and innovation,
  • continuously develop the support, taking into account the needs of the core activities.



5 Activity grants

SU Holding administers verification funds from Vinnova which are used to ensure the intellectual property rights of researchers as well as for early business development. Drivhuset Stockholm has this funding from Vinnova to develop student-driven ideas and innovations. The Office for Research, Engagement and Innovation Services shall use innovation support funds as seed funding for new innovative ideas with clear utilization prospects.

6 Regional collaboration

The Stockholm region has many innovation support actors. Among them are some forty incubators and co-working spaces for startup companies. In addition to this, there are also further supporting actors both within and outside the region’s some twenty institutions of higher learning. This gives Stockholm University good opportunities for regional collaboration, and research-based ideas can be brought out into the society.

The policy document in pdf format

Innovation Plan Pdf, 298 kB.

 

Last updated: 2024-09-30

Source: Avdelningen för forsknings- och samverkansstöd