Efforts to optimise innovation support for food businesses

There is great potential to develop the food chain through increased investment in innovation and research. Sweden has excellent – even unique – conditions to become a global pioneer in the sustainable production of high-quality food. The Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth has now granted a national project that aims to provide the best conditions for utilising the potential that exists in Swedish food companies.

The aim is to create an effective innovation system with local, regional and national functions, for increased competitiveness and innovation capacity. The project will focus on the food system, but the co-operation model is also intended to be adaptable to other sectors.

“In Sweden, there are various types of expertise in business development and infrastructure such as testbeds for startups and SMEs, but many testify that it can be difficult to find the right one. Access to the right support also varies depending on where in the country the company is. This is not just true for food start-ups, but across all sectors and technologies. We are now testing this in the food sector, so that we can later spread the effects and lessons learnt to others. In addition, we can involve SISP’s member incubators and science parks in different parts of the country that already have offers in place to show that it is possible to streamline how we work together for the benefit of the companies,” says Stina Lantz, CEO of Swedish Incubators & Science Parks (SISP).

Over the course of two years, the project will develop a model that both makes the innovation system accessible and optimises it for businesses. They will be able to access the best expertise, the most powerful tools and the most modern production capacity that the country has to offer, regardless of their geographical location.

The project will involve all six of Sweden’s incubators and science parks with food as their profile area.

“Several reports from Sweden Food Arena, the OECD and evaluations of the food strategy from the Swedish Board of Agriculture indicate that increased investment in innovation and research is needed to develop and strengthen the industry. We look forward to unlocking the potential of Swedish food companies through this project,” says Hannes van Lunteren, Head of Food at Krinova Incubator & Science Park.

The project, called NILLA (National Innovation Support System Equal and Accessible for All), will be run by the three organisations Krinova Incubator & Science Park, Innovatum Science Park and Swedish Incubator & Science Park (SISP). The first two have long experience of innovation support for food companies and the latter is the trade association for Sweden’s incubators and science parks.

The project is funded by Region Västra Götaland, Region Skåne and the European Regional Development Fund.