Collaborative innovation for sustainable cities: An analysis of the urban innovation system in Gothenburg

Research Project, 2019 – 2020

The aim of the project is to create a more profound understanding of the interaction between different actors in an urban innovation system, focusing on roles, responsibilities and structures. The study sheds light on prerequisites, drivers, challenges and opportunities from the perspective of actors involved, and in what way local, national and international policies, strategies and investments influence and is influenced by what happens in practice.

The project targets the innovation system in Gothenburg, a city that is a hub in an expansiv region focused on innovation, where several actors with support from e.g. VINNOVA has launched initiatives to innovate through collaboration among industry, academia and public sector. The focus of this study in this initial phase is the innovation system related to the transition to a sustainable urban transportation system, i.e. the intersection between transport industry, the emergence of new technology such as artificial intelligens, changing behavioural patterns such as the sharing economy and ideas of circular flows and the ambition of sustainable development of the city.

The goal of the project is to provide a knowledge overview of previous studies of Gothenburg’s innovation system to gain a more in-depth understanding of what is important for the competitiveness and sustainability of the system, which factors appear to be most important and how these factors interrelate and influence each other. Additionally, the goal is to highlight different actors’ current perspectives on perceived prerequisites, drivers, opportunities and challenges, through interviews with key actors involved in the particular innovation system in focus.