The Swedish National Innovation System 1970-2003 - Vinnova

three categories have increased in importance for
future Swedish economic growth and welfare, while
the large industrial groups have gradually been losing
the connections to Sweden as their home base for
production.
Centres of excellence for research and innovation
A fifth important challenge for Swedish innovation
policy is how to improve the interaction efficiency
in R&D and innovation within the Swedish
national innovation system. The challenge is how to
generate research and innovation environments that
simultaneously continue to attract investments by
technologically leading firms and improve the rate of
innovation-based start-ups and growth in SMEs and
large firms in Sweden. Start-ups and SME growth are
weaknesses of the Swedish national innovation system
and the globalisation trends have increased the risk that
technologically leading firms will focus future R&D
investments on countries other than Sweden.
Centres of excellence for research and innovation
are environments with a simultaneous international
competitiveness in science, technology, innovation and
knowledge-intensive production. They are characterised
by high efficiency in Triple Helix interactions. Such
environments are delimited in terms of sector and
technology focus, as well as in terms of geography,
because of the need for critical mass in terms of
competence and because of the need for geographical
proximity for efficient interactive learning in innovation
processes. In addition, their competitiveness is highly
based on the intensity and quality of their co-operation
and interactions with leading international and
national centres of excellence that could improve their
performance. Therefore, internationally connected
centres of excellence and national networks of centres
of excellence within different sectors should be an
important focus for national and regional innovation
policy strategies.
10 THE SWEDISH NATIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEM 1970–2003