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SLU participates in a new major innovation program to accelerate the green transition

Published: 30 October 2024
A woman walks with a pram on a pedestrianised street in Östersund. Green trees grow along the street and colourful sails are stretched above. Photo.

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) is part of the new large-scale strategic innovation program SustainGov, which has received funding from Vinnova, Formas, and the Swedish Energy Agency through the Impact Innovation call. The program aims to accelerate the transition to a sustainable society.

The public sector faces major challenges in transitioning to a sustainable and healthy society. Through research, collaboration, innovation development, and knowledge exchange, SustainGov will help enable and speed up the green transition. SLU contributes expertise in sustainable food systems, urban sustainability, One Health, marine ecosystem issues, natural resource management, and policy and planning.

SLU's Vice-Chancellor, Maria Knutson Wedel, welcomes this new initiative:

– SustainGov is an innovation program that aligns with SLU's strategic goals and focus areas. The program has the potential to achieve system-level impacts, and collaboration between public actors is crucial. SLU has substantial knowledge and expertise in sustainable development, and I am confident we can make significant contributions through this innovation platform.

SustainGov emphasizes the public sector's role in society's sustainability transition through governance, financing, and working methods. Its goal is to address societal challenges from a systemic perspective, using innovative solutions to accelerate the shift toward a sustainable society. Fredrik Fernqvist from the Department of People and Society, who coordinated SLU’s part of the application, comments:

– It is very gratifying that the program has received funding and will become one of five national programs. This is the first strategic innovation program that SLU is part of. Within the program, there are great opportunities for collaboration with the public sector at all levels, research and knowledge development, and, most importantly, the potential to contribute to positive societal development.

SustainGov is coordinated by Mid Sweden University, in collaboration with universities, agencies, and organizations across Sweden: the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Södertörn University, Karlstad University, the County Administrative Board of Västerbotten, the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions (SKR), Norrbotten’s Municipalities, Sundsvall Municipality, Tomelilla Municipality, Region Jämtland Härjedalen, Region Västernorrland, the Stockholm School of Economics, the Swedish Agency for Digital Government (DIGG), the National Veterinary Institute (SVA), Skellefteå Science City, and Bron Innovation.

SustainGov is granted around SEK 11 million in government funding annually for program operations. Additional funds will be contributed through co-financing from participating organizations. Furthermore, the state will allocate an annual project budget of approximately SEK 125–150 million, excluding co-financing. The entire program period spans ten years.

The Impact Innovation call is led by Vinnova, Formas, and the Swedish Energy Agency, and a total of five strategic innovation programs will be launched in the first quarter of 2024. These innovation programs will focus on one or more major societal challenges and require collaboration between a broad range of actors.

Vinnova describes Impact Innovation as Sweden’s major innovation initiative for the 2030s, designed to accelerate the green transition and strengthen our international competitiveness.

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More information on Impact Innovation and other approved innovation programs can be found at:
https://impactinnovation.se/en/

Facts:

SustainGov stands for Systemic, Sustainable and Societal Impact through Transformational Governance and Systems innovation.

SustainGov is granted around SEK 11 million in government funding per year for the operation of the program. Additional funds will be added in the form of co-financing from participating actors. In addition, government funds are added in the form of an investment budget of the order of 125–150 million per year, excluding co-financing.

SustainGov is coordinated by Mittuniversitetet, in collaboration with universities, authorities and organizations from north to south: Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), Södertörn University, Karlstad University, County Administrative Board in Västerbotten County, Swedish Municipalities and Regions (SKR), Norrbotten Municipalities, Sundsvall Municipality, Tomelilla municipality, Region Jämtland Härjedalen, Region Västernorrland, Stockholm School of Economics, Digital Administration Authority (DIGG), State Veterinary Institute (SVA), Skellefteå Science City and Bron Innovation. The steering group includes representatives from business and the non-profit sector together with the public sector and academia. Advisory bodies with researchers from several Swedish and European universities as well as former politicians are also linked to the initiative.

A total of around half a billion SEK per year is being invested from the state within the framework of the Impact Innovation call, through Vinnova, Formas and the Energy Agency, and business and other actors will contribute at least the same amount. Five strategic innovation programs are now being launched in the first quarter of 2024. The innovation programs must be directed at one or more overarching societal challenges and require cooperation between a broad constellation of actors.

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