Voices on Dalarna Innovation Days

Dalarna Innovation Days gathered close to a thousand participants and took place October 17-20. Over four days, 22 events were organized in Borlänge, Falun, Leksand and online. We asked ten participants and co-producers to share their impressions and lessons learned from Dalarna Innovation Days. Here are the questions we asked and the answers we received.

1. What is the main insight you will take away from Dalarna Innovation Days? 
2. What do you do with that insight - what happens next?  
3. Did you meet anyone with whom you have continued dialog?
   

Anna Thörn, Regional Director, Region Dalarna

1. That we cannot wait to find all the answers and optimal solutions, but must start acting. More action! And that we need to work together.
2. I will continue to involve more people, both inside and outside the organization. If we are to move forward with broad societal development, we need to include the whole of society.
3. I am relatively new to my role, so it was valuable to meet many people I previously only knew by name.

Kjell Grundström, Chairman, Sparbanksstiftelsen

1. The fact that AI will change a lot both in life and in terms of regional development is something we need to take into account. The business sector is already there, but the public sector is a bit behind.
2. I think I'm going to start taking more advantage of AI in everyday life and save time by working a little smarter.
3. Not in person. However, I saw many others who found each other and had interesting discussions.

Thorbjörn Carlsson, CEO, Business News Dalarna

1. That there is a great interest in innovation in Dalarna and that those who participated were so curious and committed. As a co-organizer in Leksand, we also received very positive feedback directly on site.
2. We will continue our editorial focus on business and social development. Dalarna Innovation Days confirmed that we are on the right track.
3. I met several people with whom I have already started collaborations. Meeting in real life also gives you the chance to have a different kind of conversation, so it's valuable.

Malin Karlsson, Project Manager at the Energy Competence Center, Dalarna University

1. Above all, it confirmed my understanding of what innovation is and that we need to work together to bring about change.
2. I continue to practice being brave, asking tough questions and pointing out things that hurt and need to be addressed.
3. Yes, both people I already knew and completely new ones. Now we will continue to look at what the transition of energy systems can look like and what is needed.

Maria Thulemark, HR Manager, Clas Ohlson Foundation

1. That we are many actors working towards the same goal and could collaborate more.
2. I am on the lookout for more initiatives that build the skills we associate with entrepreneurship. We are keen to support such initiatives because these skills are important, whether you are an entrepreneur or an employee.
3. Yes, absolutely. Both completely new acquaintances and people I have met before, so it will be exciting to see how we can work together in the future. Alone is not strong.

Bengt Östling, CEO, Dala Energi

1. That it is cooperation between people that creates social change.
2. I'll think more about creating teams of people who can contribute with different perspectives. Then I take with me the realization that everything takes time and that it is important to be persistent and stubborn.
3. I mainly met people in the energy industry that I already know, some of whom I haven't seen for a long time. But it was good to have the chance to raise issues that we have in common.

Lena Hermansson, Business Development Manager, Vasaloppet

1. That a seemingly simple issue can turn out to be much more complex when more people contribute their perspectives.
2. We brought a question about public transportation to AIMday and brought home many wise thoughts. We will now work on these further.
3. Thanks to AIMday, we made contact with both researchers and representatives of public transport.

Anupa Wickramarachchi, student (Business Intelligence), Dalarna University

1. The value of feedback and the importance of separating yourself from your innovations.
2. Listening to Tobias Degsell was very inspiring and I was reminded of the importance of working hard and being persistent.
3. No new ones, but there were very interesting discussions with other participants.

Linda Stinessen, Mill Manager, Stora Enso Fors

1. I was strengthened in my conviction that we need to create security in our organizations and create greater participation. It breeds creativity and responsibility and allows us to develop.
2. It's a reminder that it's important to embrace different perspectives and to really listen to feedback, pause and sometimes re-evaluate.
3. Unfortunately, no. There wasn't enough time for that.

Johan Isaksson, Codicent Inside

1. That Dalarna impresses! I have not seen this kind of arrangement on the west coast where we are located.
2. We are continuing to develop our platform, in which AI plays an important role. Simply put, it is a platform that makes everyday life easier for everyone who today spends a lot of time searching for information.
3. We have already received several inquiries about our platform, so it was very positive.

Dalarna Innovation Days - a cross-border event

Dalarna Innovation Days is organized by Dalarna Science Park in close collaboration with Sparbanksstiftelsen Dalarna, Clas Ohlson Foundation, Business News Dalarna, Dalarna University, Borlänge Energi, Dala Energi, Dalakraft, Dalavind, Falu Energi och Vatten, Hedemora Energi, Malung-Sälen Elnät, Smedjebacken Energi and VB Energi.

Other companies/organizations that contributed to the 2023 edition are Codicent, Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, Smartsign, ByggDialog Dalarna, Women Building Sweden, CSI Nordic AB, IUC Dalarna AB, Climate Neutral Borlänge, Leksands Sparbank, Leksands Municipality, Leksands Folk High School, Företagarna Leksand, Företagarna Rättvik, Find my factory, CirEko, Styrelseakademien and Rolf Ericsson Bil.

Dalarna Innovation Days will be back again in fall 2024.

Dalarna Innovation Days is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund and Region Dalarna.