Focus on sustainability and societal challenges

Innovation has never been more important and it is urgent. We are not without challenges that feel greater our abilities. Yes – it is simply overwhelming. In order to meet them we need to think in new ways, and act differently. We are aware that we need to transform our entire society, our cities, our welfare, our value chains and our consumtion patterns into something more sustainable. We are becoming more aware on a global scale, and for the first time we have a common language for sustainable development with the seventeen global goals we must together strive towards meeting.

Vinnova’s response is to organise their work in ten prioritised areas that reflect important societal challenges and the innovation capabilites that are needed in order for this shift to become reality. For obvious reasons, the greatest area is titled Sustainable industry; Sweden is after all an industrial nation! More on the four areas like the initiative above here.

How can you contribute? It’s simple. The area’s first call is already open to scale up pilot and demonstration projects to industrial solutions. 120 million will be distributed to projects aimed at developing and validating technology, methods, processes, business models on a larger scale. Read more about the announcement here.

I would also like to take this opportunity to welcome Production Cluster to Kunskapsförmedlingen. They are not unknown for the users of Kunskapsförmedlingen; over 200 projects have been generated via FFI Sustainable Production where they have previously been active. Even though Katrineholm is currently closed due to the pandemic they will not give in – this years conference will of course be organised digitally!