How is work organised with innovation districts in Lund?
How does Lund work with its innovation district? Lund University and Lund Municipality has commissioned Future by Lund and its partners to catalyze efforts to co-create Lund as an international innovation district. The work is done, among other things, to enable us in Lund to increase our capacity to solve complex and shared challenges. The work is based on a steering group consisting of Anders Almgren, Chairman of Lund Municipal Board, Pia Kinhult, ESS and Kristina Eneroth, Vice Rector at Lund University.
Many cities around the world are working strategically to develop innovation districts. This work is done to find solutions to the great challenges of our time in a dynamic society, where the proximity and the possibility of collaboration between different knowledge-dense activities are taken into account. In Lund, there are great opportunities for an innovation district that can both deliver the sustainable solutions of the future and attract talent and more companies.
- Working with innovation districts in Lund is to further develop what we already have, says Peter Kisch, operations manager at Future by Lund. For example, we have three science parks, where Medicon Village Specializes in Life Science, Science Village on materials research and Ideon Science Park has a broader appropriation. In addition, of course, we have the university with all the deep knowledge, the municipality and the company. We have a lot to gain by working together on corking different deep specializations.
A well-functioning innovation district can increase Lund's international attractiveness.
- In order to be visible in the international arena, it is important to add and screw on what you have and are good at, says Katarina Scott, project developer Future by Lund. Different cities have different specialties, relationships and infrastructures, and it is important to ensure how we in Lund can be attractive in the future. We also need to make it possible for those who come from outside to find out what is in Lund and how it is connected.
The work in Lund has started by identifying six key thematic areas. These are Quality of Place, Innovation Portfolios and Projects, International Connectivity and Stakeholders, Concepts, Methods, Tools and Events, Innovation Engines, Infrastructure, Test Beds, Community and Networks. Within each area there are different issues to explore and for this purpose working groups consisting of relevant actors are formed in Lund.
• Quality of place: Connections & accessibility, service & offers, openness and accessibility, places such as parks, gyms, shops, culture and open places connected to schools, high schools and vocational training, walking, cycling & mobility, connections to the rest of the city, accommodation — neighbourhoods.
• Innovation portfolios and projects: Critical knowledge/research areas, global analysis, specialisation, public and private innovation capital, cross-linkages, how we create new cross-innovation fields and portfolios, measurement of impact and results — portfolio development over time and scale-up opportunities.
• International Connectivity and Stakeholders: What places do individuals travel to? Which nodes of Lund's character are connected to? Actual strategic collaborations? Which nodes/locations should I be connected to? Which organisations are associated with Lund? Where in the world do you see things starting in Lund?
• Innovation engines, infrastructure, test beds and more: R&D, specialized nodes, actors, intermediaries and innovation-supporting services — incubators, accelerators, cluster organizations, hubs. Service offering, enterprise-based R&D departments, open innovation spaces, labs/workshops/infrastructures. Mixed buildings with several different functions.
• Community and networks: Networks linked to the area (commercial, non-profit, informal, international). Clusters of companies/individuals — stakeholders. Stakeholders with connections to Lund. Investors and financiers. Top ranking researchers/research groups. Housing, working, students. How we communicate LID best internationally and to the EIB, EIC, EIT, EU consortia and more.
• Concepts, methods, tools and events: LIEPT, OPTIONS, GIID et al.
- This is a work that is rigged in three phases, says Charlotte Lorentz Hjorth. First we have made a plan and now we are mobilising different working groups to work on the different areas. Next, we will make a joint implementation where everyone does what they do best, so that we can get joint power from everyone's work towards an innovation district.
Follow the further work through our website!