It is important for us to take the pulse of Dalarna, which we do in meetings with companies and organizations. We also carry out a digital survey, the Innovation Panel, where people working in the region can answer questions about innovation, sustainability and internationalization.
Most recently, we asked a question about which industries are seen as Dalarna's innovation industries today and in the future. It was even at the top and according to the respondents, it is currently the food industry (27%) that shows the strongest innovative power, closely followed by tourism (25%). In third place, the respondents believe that industry (23%) will come.
The result is not a scientific truth, but it gives us an indication of how those working in Dalarna view regional growth opportunities today, and the most interesting thing is that the same question about the future gives different answers. Here too, it was even at the top. The sector that was said to be able to demonstrate the greatest innovation in the future is industry (25%). Tourism remains in second place (24%), while the third place for the sector that will demonstrate the most innovation is taken by electricity and energy.
The figures on which sectors are predicted to have the greatest innovative power in the future differ marginally from the respondents' views today. What is interesting is that the sectors are changing and industry is assumed to be able to regain a strong position in Dalarna. We can only guess that Northvolt's recently announced establishment of a new plant in Borlänge and Hitachi Energy's investments have helped to change the picture and shed light on industry as an industry of the future. It is gratifying for Dalarna.
The Innovation Panel also included questions on how innovations differ today compared to 50 years ago. 44% of respondents believe that innovations are born out of market needs and these needs reflect the times in which we operate. 31% of respondents say they believe that digitalization influences today's innovations to a greater extent than anything else in history.
We see that there is a strong belief in the power of innovation in Dalarna, a quarter of respondents believe it is stronger in Dalarna than in other parts of Sweden. We realize that it is important! A full 99% of the respondents in the panel believe that innovation is absolutely crucial for growth in Dalarna.
Innovation is engaging and innovation is necessary for a growing and vibrant society, so it is important that we ensure that ideas born in Dalarna can also be transformed into businesses here that grow the whole region. We welcome start-ups to our business incubator, and we support existing companies with innovation processes. We also have the possibility of financing new ideas through DalaCapital and Tregion Invest. For more information visit: dalarnasciencepark.se/foretagsutveckling/finansiering/
If your company or any company you know is in need of support with innovation, sustainability or internationalization, contact us at Dalarna Science Park!
