Dalarna Science Park was present at Almedalen with its own concept Dalarna Talks, because we believe that it is time that we start talking about the development that is taking place in Dalarna in a larger arena.
In the full tent, there were both curious listeners from all over the country and many regional representatives, and when we left Almedalen, we had the feeling that we had actually achieved something important together. We agreed that Dalarna is Sweden's next growth region and that we need new, bold initiatives to meet that development. We need to get better at thinking about the future.
Watch Dalarna Talks in Almedalen afterwards
Almedalen 2023 - sustainability, AI and defense
But what else was Almedalen 2023 about? Of course sustainability, developments in AI and our defense capabilities. However, I often heard that sustainability issues are discussed at too superficial a level, we need to dig deeper into the sustainability issue to create real change. You will hear more about how we at Dalarna Science Park will contribute to that this fall, but start by booking September 15 in the calendar because then we will host A sustainable tomorrow (more info below).
However, what stuck with me most were the discussions about the troubled times we live in, how the sense of uncertainty and rapid change makes us afraid. When we get scared, our curiosity disappears.
This will be a challenge in itself. With the challenges we have ahead of us, we need to move from the status quo, where we know we are good at solving complex problems, to understanding how to solve the complex problems we face. This is when we need to be most curious because we need to bring in new perspectives. That's why we participated in an experiment about expanding your own bubble, which is really what Almedalen is all about. Acquiring new knowledge, gaining new insights and meeting new people. It doesn't happen if we don't make an effort, sometimes it might even be a bit uncomfortable. The moderator during the experiment decided exactly what we would do and who we would meet, people we had never seen before.
This is precisely what I encountered a couple of times during the days in Almedalen, that it was expressed that someone is needed to determine the structure or forms of how we meet so that we do not become too comfortable and do what we have always done.
I think this is exactly what we do in our daily work as a science park and collaboration arena. Because it is when we gain new knowledge and when skills are mixed that innovation and development take place, and that is how we will be able to solve the complex challenges of the future.
Rector at Dalarna University, Martin Norsell said during a conversation we had some time ago;
- I think it's like this. We have outgrown our systems in a number of areas, we must really dare to think in new ways.
And that's exactly how we do it. Together we are creating the future we will have.
We usually say that meetings between people change the world and therefore we create opportunities for knowledge exchange and networking. As part of this work, we invite you to Dalarna's innovation days on October 17-20, 2023.
So with the hope that we will see you in the fall, I wish you all a great summer!
Angelica Ekholm
CEO Dalarna Science Park
