National Overviews of Regional Innovation Policies and Case Studies in the Nordic Countries
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National overviews of regional innovation policies and case studies in the Nordic countries Sigrid Hedin, Riikka Ikonen, Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen, Ingi-Runar Edvardsson and Regina Gunnarsdottir NORDREGIO 2008 Nordregio Working Paper 2008:2 ISSN 1403-2511 Nordregio P.O. Box 1658 SE-111 86 Stockholm, Sweden [email protected] www.nordregio.se www.norden.se Nordic co-operation takes place among the countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The Nordic Council is a forum for co-operation between the Nordic parliaments and governments. The Council consists of 87 parliamentarians form the Nordic countries. The Nordic Council takes policy initiatives and monitors Nordic co-operation. Founded in 1952. The Nordic Council of Ministers is a forum of co-operation between the Nordic governments. The Nordic Council of Ministers implements Nordic co-operation. The prime ministers have the overall responsibility. Its activities are co-ordinated by the Nordic ministers for co-operation, the Nordic Committee for co-operation and portfolio ministers. Founded in 1971. Stockholm, Sweden 2008 Contents Executive summary ................................................................................................ 6 Introduction............................................................................................................ 9 Governance of regional innovation policy in Denmark ........................................ 11 Introduction..................................................................................................................11 Governance structures ..................................................................................................11 Focus of innovation policy .......................................................................................... 17 Connections with the Lisbon Agenda .......................................................................... 21 Future perspectives...................................................................................................... 21 Regional Technology Centre - Aluvaekst ............................................................. 22 Introduction................................................................................................................. 22 The role of the RTC in the Danish innovation system ................................................. 22 AluVaekst – A RTC in Region Syddanmark ................................................................. 26 Conclusions................................................................................................................. 30 Governance of regional innovation policy in Finland........................................... 31 Introduction................................................................................................................. 31 Governance structures ................................................................................................. 31 Focus of innovation policy .......................................................................................... 34 Nordic and European influences.................................................................................. 36 Connections with the Lisbon Agenda .......................................................................... 37 Future perspectives...................................................................................................... 37 Bottom-up initiatives in Finnish regional innovation policy – the Oulu region and the centres of Expertise programme ..................................................................... 40 Introduction – Oulu as the home of the CoE programme............................................. 40 Oulu and the CoE programme – role model, model student, dissident, penitent leader… .................................................................................................................................... 41 Conclusions................................................................................................................. 47 Governance of regional innovation policy in Iceland ........................................... 49 Introduction................................................................................................................. 49 Governance structures ................................................................................................. 49 Focus of innovation policy .......................................................................................... 54 Nordic and European influences.................................................................................. 56 Future perspectives...................................................................................................... 56 VAXEY Growth agreement for the Eyjafjörður region......................................... 58 Introduction................................................................................................................. 58 The role of the growth agreement in the national and regional innovation system....... 58 Conclusions................................................................................................................. 65 Governance of regional innovation policy in Norway .......................................... 67 Introduction................................................................................................................. 67 Governance structures ................................................................................................. 68 Focus of innovation policy .......................................................................................... 72 Nordic and European influences.................................................................................. 73 Connections with the Lisbon Agenda .......................................................................... 73 Future perspectives...................................................................................................... 74 SIVA’s innovation infrastructure operationalised in Oppland County .................. 76 Introduction................................................................................................................. 76 SIVA’s innovation infrastructure in the context of Norwegian innovation policy ........ 76 SIVA’s innovation infrastructure applied in the regional context of Oppland County .. 79 Conclusions................................................................................................................. 83 Governance of regional innovation policy in Sweden .......................................... 85 Introduction................................................................................................................. 85 Governance structures ................................................................................................. 87 Focus of innovation policy .......................................................................................... 92 Nordic and European influences on, and connections to, the Lisbon Agenda .............. 94 Future perspectives...................................................................................................... 94 Triple Steelix – A Vinnväxt project ...................................................................... 96 Introduction................................................................................................................. 96 Instrument in the national context ............................................................................... 96 Application of the Vinnväxt project Triple Steelix in the regional case context of Bergslagen................................................................................................................. 101 Conclusions............................................................................................................... 108 Cross analysis of the national overviews and case studies.................................. 110 References.......................................................................................................... 112 Appendix............................................................................................................ 119 Preface This working paper is the final result of the project Regional tilpasset innovationspolitik i Norden commissioned by the Nordic Senior Officials’ Committee for Regional Policy, the Nordic Council of Ministers. According to the project description the main question to be answered was: • How can national policymakers in Norden apply the Lisbon Agenda goals in respect of the desire to create regional innovation policies (referring to policy areas which set the framework conditions for innovation, i.e. growth, entrepreneurship, industrial, regional development, research and education and infrastructure policies) that are fully adapted to the Nordic context? The project work group consisted of the following members: Alexandre Dubois, Nordregio Ole Damsgaard, Nordregio Ingi-Runar Edvardsson, University of Akureyri Sigrid Hedin, Nordregio Riikka Ikonen, Nordregio Kaisa Lätheenmäki-Smith, Nordregio Jörg Neubauer, Nordregio Katarina Pettersson, Nordregio Daniel Rauhut, Nordregio Johanna Roto, Nordregio Veli-Pekka Tynkkynen, Nordregio Åke Uhlin, Blekinge Institute of Technology and Vestfold University College The project reference group members were as follows: Lone Neldeberg and Stig