Social Progress Innovation Sweden
Sweden’s sixth innovation platform for sustainable cities is situated inUmeå. Social Progress Innovation Sweden (SPIS), with support from Vinnova, complements earlierinnovation platforms in Lund, Borås, Kiruna, Göteborg and Stockholm.
When Umeå grows with the aim of 200 000 inhabitants by the year 2050,co-creation and change of existing power structures are obvious perspectives insustainable city development. Umeå’s innovation platform rests on the thesisthat development of a social sustainable city is only possible if all thecitizens participates. This can be achieved if the municipality and otherpublic organisations, citizens, the civil society and the private sector talksand collaborates with each other.
The main focus of the innovation platform is therefore to establish astrong and sustainable cross-sectoral organisation that can coordinate ongoinginnovation processes, and work as hotbed for new initiatives. The innovation platformsupports Umeå municipality to meet burning challenges. This is achieved by making useof the cultural and creative power in our city, increasing the flexibility, aswell as its capability to cooperate with the ambient society, both locally andinternationally, and also by pushing forward more brave innovators in thecity.
"We want to create a safe environment for innovations where we with pride dare to test new innovative prototypes and ways of working. One aim with this is to create clarity for the citizens about which considerations are needed to reach social sustainability and climate neutrality."
The innovation platform offers support like:
- New ways of solving old problems in aim tomanage already burning challenges.
- Creativeand co-creating meeting management.
- Cross-sectoral coordination.
The innovation platform Social Progress Innovation Sweden is run by Umeå municipality and the research institute RISE, and is part of the project NATSAM – National cooperation between innovation platforms for sustainable attractive cities. Read more at www.ri.se/sv/natsamtalet
Contact person Umeå municipality:
Ellen Grahn
Development Strategist Innovation
ellen.grahn@umea.se
Carina Aschan
Development Strategist
carina.aschan@umea.se
Linda Gustafsson
Gender Equality Officer
linda.gustafsson@umea.se
Contact person RISE:
Albert Edman
Senior Project Manager
albert.edman@ri.se
Jeroen Peeters
Senior Design Researcher
jeroen.peeters@ri.se
Magnus Johansson
Senior Researcher
magnus.johansson@ri.se
