From research strength to innovative force

Europe faces a growing innovation gap in relation to the United States and China. The need to develop our own solutions in areas such as climate technology, digitalisation and strategically important technologies is increasing, while competition is stiffening. The challenge is not just to produce new research-based innovations, but to create conditions that enable them to develop, attract capital and reach international markets.

The seminar will bring together representatives of academia, the business sector, investors and European policy to discuss how the innovation system can work better in practice. The questions in focus concern how research results can be translated to a greater extent into competitive companies, what obstacles prevent research-based companies from growing beyond national borders, and how European frameworks and investments affect opportunities for scalability and growth.

“I hope we will have a nuanced and concrete discussion on how we can together improve conditions so as to make the most of the potential that is already there. We already have incubators and support systems to help business ideas emerge, but there is always more to do. The essential point is to get everyone involved to interact even more effectively,” says Anders Hagfeldt, Vice-Chancellor of Uppsala University.