Region Skåne
Sweden
Regional
context
Skåne has a long history of innovation. It is home to globally leading technology companies, world-leading research, and a supportive innovation system. Companies such as TetraPak and Gambro, the developer of the first artificial kidney, were born there. As an Innovation Leader, it was ranked the 9th most innovative region in the EU in 2021.
The economy of Skåne is diverse and includes five key industries: Advanced materials & manufacturing, Food, Lifescience, Smart sustainable cities and Tech.
Alignment with RIS3 strategy
The Research and Innovation Council in Skåne (FIRS) aims to promote innovative procurement and urban design processes with a high degree of innovation and sustainability. They work to increase the availability of support functions throughout Skåne, even outside the dominant innovation environments in Skåne. Also, the region of Skåne is involved in, and runs, an ongoing PCP project; Carematrix. Previously the region has conducted innovation procurements of biodegradable medical / care aprons, and tools for fall prevention.
Importance of PREPARE for the region
PREPARE brings Region Skåne great possibilities of how to implement and adopt innovation, and how to use the right tools for innovation procurement. Region Skåne shares experiences and at the same time they learn from others who have developed relevant processes and structures.
With the ambition to mobilize key actors in Skåne and reach a common approach to what is needed for more implementation of innovation, Region Skåne, and Innovation Skåne have identified and involved relevant regional innovation actors linked to innovation procurement and implementation of innovation. The three main activities are: Awareness raising, Identifying challenges and obstacles, and Spotting opportunities to drive regional innovation procurement. All three activities have together generated critical insights that will contribute to the continued work – both in designing a sub-regional implementation plan for innovation procurement and implementation of innovation as well as proposals for an action plan at the European level.
Regional Partners
Region Skåne is the public administrative body responsible for regional growth, coordination of EU actions and funding, and supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. It is responsible for developing Skåne’s RIS3. Region Skåne has experience developing advanced collaborations with several regional healthcare actors, such as Skåne University Hospital and the regional hospital in Ängelholm, to address the ambitions and unmet needs of regional buyers and challenge owners. Aside from its experience in regional projects, Region Skåne has collaborated with Innovation Skåne and other PREPARE partners in EU-funded projects to improve and implement successful inP tools, such as READi for Health and Procure4Health.
Innovation Skåne is a public organization that acts as an engine of innovation for the region, creating and executing innovation projects for public bodies, and attracting funding from other actors in Sweden and the EU. It has experience executing high-impact inP actions, such as EU-funded projects that develop connected innovation systems (Digit Pre, 2022-25; Invest4health, 2023-26) or implement PCP and LPI models (READi for Health, Procure4Health). In 2022, the Swedish government adopted their initiative to promote the use of PCPs for co-development with public actors nation-wide.
Relevant Regional Stakeholders
In Skåne’s workshop, representatives from all innovation actors were invited (national and regional authorities, health care sector, public funders, policymakers, instrument managers, start-up accelerators, SMEs, and large companies within Medtech and Life, municipalities, universities, and end-user organization) in the regional innovation ecosystem.
