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Lund’s Ideon Science Park: where innovation meet sustainability
The world is rapidly changing and the innovations are needed more than ever in order for cities to adequately meet the growing needs of their residents. Furthermore, innovations are also essential for long-term economic growth and prosperity.
Science parks can be a powerful tool for encouraging a culture of creativity and promoting knowledge-based businesses. Academic institutions, high-tech firms, entrepreneurs, and start-ups all coexist in these places, creating a fertile ground for information sharing, collaboration and innovation.
As a result, it’s no wonder that a large number of national and local governments across Europe and beyond are establishing research parks aimed at spurring future growth and development.
Sweden was ranked the European Union’s most innovative country by the European Commission last year. The most recent edition of European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS) included parameters of digitalization and environmental sustainability, bringing the ranking closer to EU policy priorities.
“Sweden’s strengths are in Use of information technologies, Human resources and Attractive research systems. The top-3 indicators include Lifelong learning, PCT patent applications, and International scientific co-publications. The strong performance increase between 2020 and 2021 is due to improved performance for the indicators using innovation survey data and Venture capital,” it was stated in the European Innovation Scoreboard 2021 report for Sweden.
Science parks have been the driving force behind new development and growth. A science park, according to SISP, Sweden’s national industry association for incubators and science parks, is a stimulating and evolving environment that provides knowledge-intensive growth enterprises with infrastructure, networks, and business development.
One of Sweden’s most important science parks is Ideon Science Park in Lund. Life science, software, telecommunications, energy, and new materials are all areas in which Ideon and Lund have a long history of invention. With more than 400 companies present in the park, an open culture is practiced and collaboration is nurtured.
The restructuring of the Skåne business community in the 1970s led to the creation of Ideon. Lund University, the then-Malmöhus county, the city of Lund, and the business community worked together to create this innovation-filled dynamic area. Featuring a prime geographical location, just next to Scadninavia’s sustainability champions Copenhagen and Malmö, this science park offers countless opportunities.
Ericsson, ABB, and Axis Communications were among the park’s inaugural occupants. In 1988, Ideon already had some 100 companies in the park. Five years later, the School of Economics at Växjö University published a paper revealing that Ideon Science Park created over 2,000 new jobs. In 2008, there were already around 250 businesses in the science park, which also employed over 3,000 people.
Ideon Agora, the innovation house, opened its doors in March 2011. Since then, all of the innovation support for startups and scaleups is housed in one location. Ideon Science Park celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2013, with 10,000 employment produced since its inception. Millions of people are said to be using Ideon technology on a daily basis.
In 1983, Ericsson was one of the first companies to open at Ideon Science Park, and the first Ericsson mobile phone and the creation of Bluetooth were among the pioneering innovations that followed. Axi, one of the largest employers in Sweden’s south, began in 1984 with the help of Ideon Science Park, and is today proudly owned by Canon. According to Ideon’s official website, more than 3,400 patents have been registered in the Park since 1983.
Ideon Science Park has signed the UN Global Compact and has aligned its approach with the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, commonly known as Agenda 2030. The Agenda is considered one of the most ambitious strategies for ending poverty, reducing inequalities, and safeguarding the environment ever devised.
The Agenda lays forth 17 goals and 169 action tasks that must be completed by 2030. It offers a framework for nations and other key actors which is ultimately meant to lead us to a better and safer global future. At Lund ideon Park, special focus is given to sustainable economic growth, equality, innovation for industry and infrastructure and partnerships.
The city of Lund certainly takes one of the central positions on the map of Sweden when it comes to knowledge and innovations. With ambitious plans to further develop its science park, the city is bound to thrive further. Thanks in part to this outstanding innovative project, Lund has the opportunity to become a role model for other cities from Sweden and beyond when it comes to innovation-run growth and development. (photo credit: Ideon Science Park Lund)
