Participants of the Immersion Program organized by MEI and CISB tell us about their discoveries during their visits to Sweden and reveal the lessons they hope to apply to their business.
Between 23 and 27 October, 24 representatives of Brazilian entities had the unique opportunity to attend technical visits at Swedish companies, universities, and research centres and get a closer look at the pillars of the famous triple helix innovation model in Sweden. The visits were part of the Immersion Program in Innovation Ecosystems, MEI CISB Sweden, organized by CISB in partnership with the IEL (Euvaldo Lodi Institute), an organ connected to the CNI (National Confederation of Industry), endorsed by the MEI (Entrepreneurial Mobilisation for Innovation).
In addition to admiring how Sweden operates a system that places the country second in the 2017 Global Innovation Index for innovation, the participants brought their own knowledge to apply to their activities. Agreements were also signed with the Scandinavian country to establish new partnerships with the Swedes and also among the Brazilians.
“The immersion was really interesting. The group has a diversified profile with representatives from the university, research institute, industry, government, etc., so that one complemented the other, creating a rich combination,” says Flavia Motta, of IPT (Institute for Technological Research), an agency of the state government of São Paulo in Brazil. One of the key points was the methodology applied in Sweden to identify, nurture, and form networks of consultants for innovation. “Now I’m talking with innovation offices to understand the whole process because I’m looking for something similar with the Brazilian startups: a methodology to supply, fund them and place their ideas on the market. The trip was a starting point,” she says.
André de Oliveira, of CERTI (Foundation Centres of Reference in Innovative Technologies), says he is impressed with the priority given to science, technology, and innovation in the Scandinavian country. He emphasises the industrial PhD, in which business representatives conduct research inside universities to find market solutions. “In this system, academia takes a starring role, guiding the country with regard to innovation,” he says. Oliveira states that as of now he intends to strengthen ties with academia and resume agreements initiated during the trip. “I talked a lot with the research people at Saab AB. Maybe some of them can visit CERTI to discuss some issues, “he explains.
The programme did not only have an effect on Brazilians. Leif Johansson, of Innovatum, one of the institutions that received the visitors, praised their interest in learning and openness in discussing various issues. Johansson also says the conversations after the presentations “forced the Swedes to think about what is good and what is not so good in the way they do things today.”
