In a room filled with conversations, sketchbooks and coffee, a broad representation of people from the food chain in Dalarna, from producers to researchers, interest organizations and public actors, are gathered. They are here to shape the future food strategy for Dalarna together. The new national strategy points the way towards increased robustness, export power and a clearer position for Swedish quality and gastronomy. Now it is time to shape the regional strategy going forward.
The work is already underway. Dalarna County Administrative Board and Region Dalarna have been commissioned by the government to produce an updated regional food strategy. To give the strategy both breadth and depth, Dalarna Science Park has invited entrepreneurs, researchers, public actors and business promoters from all over the county to three thematic workshops. The aim has been to gather insights, challenges and visions that can strengthen Dalarna's food production both in volume and value.
- This is just the beginning. To succeed, we need the diversity of voices, experiences and ideas from farm to fork. We need to meet and together paint the picture of tomorrow's food and how Dalarna can become an even better place for food entrepreneurship," says David Levrén, project manager for food innovation at Dalarna Science Park.
Marie Gidlund, Executive Director of Sweden Food Arena, highlights national trends and the potential of Swedish food production, while Veronica Andrén from the Swedish Board of Agriculture describes how the authorities coordinate the work with our food preparedness and then guides the participants in a dialogue on prioritized efforts for Dalarna.
The meetings are not just a forum for discussion, they are a springboard to the future. Axel Gruvaeus from Kairos Future leads the dialogue and visions are concretized into possible ways forward. Annika Kihlstedt from SAMLA Sweden and Maria Holmkvist from the Food Accelerator at RISE will also be present.
- "It was particularly pleasing to see the strong presence of national actors. It shows the willingness to collaborate, which is needed to highlight Dalarna's potential in a larger context," says David Levrén.
It is not as simple as just producing more food. Competition in the food market is fierce and companies need to develop competitive offers for the right markets to succeed. The strategy will outline priority actions to reduce red tape and shorten the path from idea to market. An important prerequisite is also an innovation system of actors who cooperate across county and national borders to give companies the best possible support.
Since 2019, Dalarna Science Park has been a unifying force for the food industry in the region. Through the FRODA network, we have created a regional platform that unites and strengthens actors who want to contribute to the work on Dalarna's food strategy. Through SAMLA Sweden and Sweden Food Arena, we also have good collaborations nationally, which is absolutely crucial for Dalarna to be involved in delivering tomorrow's food.
