Industriell Dynamik (Industrial Dynamics): Knowledge Transfer

Background

Industriell Dynamik (Industrial Dynamics) is a regional network in Västra Götaland, the purpose of which is to promote industrial companies’ growth and stronger competitiveness through more forceful exploitation of development potential and support for innovation. The aim is to strengthen renewal, growth and competitiveness in existing companies.

Aims and targets

The target group is industrial companies in Västra Götaland with at most 250 employees. Larger companies are not automatically excluded from contact and visits, especially not in contexts where the small and medium-size companies are concerned, for example in supplier chains. Some smaller companies that are members of groups may also be included in the target group because many of them operate under the same conditions as privately owned SMEs.Industrial Dynamics aims to give industrial companies support for innovation and growth.

Strategy and actions

Guiding principles are that the target companies will:

• Be offered help and support in line with their current needs and actual demand
• Have a low threshold in to the system and not be met by bureaucracy and will be approached actively
• Meet people with broad and relevant industrial experience
• Perceive every representative within the project as a representative of all players, not only of their own organisation
• Perceive the project as a stable, long-term initiative and have the possibility for exchanges when this suits their own needs
• Get a fast response
• Perceive the help and support they receive as well-balanced and of high quality and that the players take responsibility for their work

The project will encourage and support smaller companies in making use of available public partial financing of projects, for example Region Västra Götaland’s consultant cheques and product development support, Nutek’s PU funds and Vinnova’s “Research and Grow” initiative, in accordance with the rules that apply for them, as a further incentive to get development efforts off the ground.

Monitoring and evaluation

Funding/Cost effectiveness

The project finances the outreach activities. The companies themselves finance direct development work at market prices. The project will encourage and support smaller companies in making use of available public partial financing of projects.

Sustainability/Transferability

Outcomes/impacts

Achievements

The backbone of the project is a network that at present consists of eleven institutions of higher education, institutes and technical centres in the region. Innovation specialists from the network’s members contact active companies, hold development discussions and conduct needs analyses, provide counselling and problem-solving, and contribute to starting major development efforts.

Success factors

A success factor is the understanding that development must be driven by need/demand, not supply-led by a company’s offerings.

Unintended impacts

Strengths and weaknesses

The combined efforts of the HEIs involved produce synergies and strategic value-added to the regional development dynamic.