A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System

Peter Kiryushin, Bala Mulloth and Tatiana Iakovleva
connections with a number of Swedish governmental organizations for the purpose of export
cleantech goods and services (Jonson 2012). Copenhagen Cleantech Cluster uses the similar
approach, but in addition to this it is focused on “feeling the gaps” in regional innovation system by
providing different kind of supports, including financial one (Rasmussen 2012).
4.2 Low-carbon transition and cleantech development
Low-carbon transition and cleantech development in Øresund, on the one hand, could be connected
with new technological findings, its practical implementation and commercialization (Velander 2012);
whereas, on the other hand, dissemination of current clean technologies could play more important
role in these processes (Coenen 2012). It was suggested that cleantech development should be
based on the cooperation with the existing non-cleantech industries (Rasmussen 2012; Coenen 2012;
Velander 2012). Cleantech ventures could have difficulties to compete with the mature industries.
Secondly, successful cases for the cleantech development mentioned during the interviews were also
related to the cooperation with existing industries: in particularly, the case of flexfuel cars, which could
use mixes of biofuels with gasoline or traditional gasoline (Coenen 2012).
At the same time examples of concrete strategies for collaboration between cleantech startups and
mature industry were provided. For instance, Teknopol business advisory has two cleantech related
initiatives: “Customer financed development” and “Verification and Innovation purchasing”. In the first
case mature company establishes the fund to help cleantech start-ups to develop their technology to
the level, when it could buy it. In the second case, Teknopol helps to translate sustainability needs of
the large companies to a concrete demand, which could be met by start-ups (Velander 2012).
The Øresund region could also serve as a testing ground and a model for cleantech. Bornholm Island,
which is a part of Danish Hovedstaden region in the Baltic Sea, is a prominent example of how the
territory with the social and economic problems could become “Bright Green Island”, the testing
ground and model for sustainable society and clean energy sources (Gronning 2011). In particular,
Bornholm is considered as a smart grid island laboratory and base for EDISON project that involves
development of electric vehicles, charging station and intelligent batteries (Bendtsen 2011).
4.3 Entrepreneurial capital and academic entrepreneurship
According to interviewees entrepreneurial capital was increasing in the region during the last decade
(Velander 2012; Vintergaard 2012; Löwegren 2012). It is suggested that ten years ago graduates n
Sweden were rather interested to become business consultants than to be entrepreneurs (Velander
2012), whereas in Denmark in previous time entrepreneurship was seen as a thing for “daredevils”
(Vintergaard 2012). It seems that nowadays students and researchers from academia are becoming
more interested in studying entrepreneurship, having their own venture or becoming corporate
entrepreneurs. In addition, the recession affects the opportunities for the employment and
governments of both Denmark and Sweden are interested in the promotion of entrepreneurship
(Vintergaard 2012). At the same time both sides have high level of social security and high perception
of risk of failure, which are important barriers for practicing entrepreneurship. It was also suggested
that high tax level could negatively affects the initiatives for entrepreneurship (“You lose 60% of your
jackpot” [Hansen 2012]).
Three interesting examples of the academic entrepreneurship projects from Øresund were identified.
One of the major endeavors to increase entrepreneurial capital of Øresund region was Øresund
Entrepreneurship Academy. This networking project was active between 2006 and 2010. It united
nine regional universities in order to promote entrepreneurship and enterprising behavior. The
Academy supported educators in development of the courses and facilitation cooperation between
academia and business organizations. It seems that the Academy had a notable impact and helped to
provide education up to 8-10% of the all students in the region (Øresund Entrepreneurship Academy
2010). The Academy became an important step for the development of entrepreneurial spirit in the
region. Nevertheless, the project was stopped in 2010, on the one hand, due to the creation of
national entrepreneurship strategies on the both sides of the sound and problem with financing of the
initiative. On the other hand, it seems that the level of interest to this project on the Swedish side was
lower than on the Danish side (Vintergaard 2012).
Another project is Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship. It supports entrepreneurial education from
“from ABC to Ph.D.” (Vintergaard 2012), i.e. from school to university in Denmark using a similar
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