Reinhard Mohn Prize 2020 – “Fostering Innovation. Unlocking Potential.” Innovation for Transformation

: Our Results, by Country

Innovation can help us overcome the grand challenges we face as societies – if our institutional arrangements and framework conditions are attuned to achieving this goal. Our good practice research highlights strategies, policies and tools from around the world that stand out in this regard.

How can governments and organizations design an innovation policy that delivers both economic and technological competitiveness while advancing societal progress? Where do we find good examples of successful innovation strategies? Our research has identified promising answers to these questions in several locations around the world. Our results are sorted by country below. The examples featured are arranged by the themes addressed in each individual results paper:

Good practices in mission-oriented innovation strategies and their implementation – Results Paper 1, Keyword Innovation strategies and their implementation
Networking and exchange in mission-oriented innovation processes – Results Paper 2, Keyword Networking and exchange
Addressing societal challenges through disruptive technologies – Results Paper 3, Keyword Disruptive innovations
Fostering innovative startups in pre-seed phase – Results Paper 4, Keyword Fostering startups

Networking and exchange
Cooperative Research Centers Program (CRC): Brings together research, business and public sector actors to network in developing societally relevant innovations in areas such as agribusiness, civil contingency planning and cybersecurity
► Results Paper 2

Fostering startups
AplusB Scale-up: Support by university-associated incubators
► Results Paper 4

Innovation strategies and their implementation
Canada’s ambitious Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy aims to harness digital technologies in facilitating principles-based societal development. It draws on the norms stipulated by the Montreal Declaration for a Responsible Development of AI. The strategy is implemented by several institutions, including the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), the Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms (Mila, see also below), the Vector Institute and the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute (Amii). The MaRS Discovery District is one of the world’s largest startup accelerators (see below).
► Results Paper 1

Networking and exchange
Mitacs: Non-profit organization that fosters the transfer of personnel across research sectors and institutions working on the application of relevant innovations
Mila (Montreal Institute for Learning Algorithms): As a non-university research lab for machine learning and AI, Mila is one of the institutions responsible for implementing the Canadian AI Strategy. It carries out interdisciplinary research projects, supports young researchers, links the research sector with industry, and cultivates a global research network. Mila also helped develop the Montreal Declaration for a Responsible Development of AI.
► Results Paper 2

Fostering startups
Idea to Innovation Grants: Funding programs for improving the commercialization of publicly funded research results
MaRS Discovery District: Startup support provided by one of the world’s top accelerators
► Results Paper 4

Fostering startups
Proof of Concept: Funding programs for improving the commercialization of publicly funded research results
► Results Paper 4

Networking and exchange
Social Challenges Innovation Platform (SCHIP): Matching platform for the supply and demand side of social innovations
► Results Paper 2

Fostering startups
EIC Accelerator: Promotion of new firms with significant funding needs, with early involvement of private capital
ERC Proof of Concept: Funding programs for improving the commercialization of publicly funded research results
► Results Paper 4

Fostering startups
Commercialisation Fund: Funding programs for improving the commercialization of publicly funded research results
► Results Paper 4

Networking and exchange
Start-Up Nation Central: Digital platform designed to match Israeli startups with cooperation partners worldwide, with particular focus on high-tech sectors
► Results Paper 2

Disruptive innovations
Israel Innovation Authority: Public institution tasked with promoting high-tech innovations, focusing in particular on disruptive and societally relevant innovation
► Results Paper 3

Fostering startups
KAMIN – Incentive Program: Funding programs for improving the commercialization of publicly funded research results
Yissum Technology Transfer Office, Hebrew University Jerusalem: Technology transfer and spinoff funding at universities
T³ Technion Entrepreneur in Residence program at Technion University in Haifa: Support for new high-tech firms in the university environment
► Results Paper 4

Innovation strategies and their implementation
Society 5.0: Japan’s ambitious, holistic strategy targeting transformative change relies on high-tech solutions and is aligned with societal goals such as coping with natural disasters or ensuring cybersecurity.
► Results Paper 1

Disruptive innovations
ImPACT: The “Impulsing Paradigm Change through Disruptive Technologies Program” aims to foster high-tech disruptive innovations that are driven by specific needs and demand. As such, it is in line with Japan’s strategy for transformative change, Society 5.0 (see above).
► Results Paper 3

Innovation strategies and their implementation
The Netherlands follows its mission-oriented innovation strategy. The strategy’s mission goals were developed in a participatory process that involved a variety of ministries as well as businesses and research institutions from the so-called Top Sectors. The strategy is implemented through a coordinated, partnership-driven process involving industry, the research sector, administrative regions, ministries and investors (Polder Process).
► Results Paper 1

Fostering startups
Twente Technology Transfer Fund (TTF): University validation funds for pre-commercialization work
► Results Paper 4

Innovation strategies and their implementation
Sweden’s national innovation strategy is anchored in achieving the global Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and seeks to address societal challenges. Chaired by the prime minister, the National Innovation Council acts as a cross-sectoral advisory body that brings visibility to innovation issues and underscores their importance. Tasked with multiple roles that range from designing policy to advising government to moderating debates and conducting research or developing innovations, Vinnova acts as a change agent within Sweden’s innovation system. Sweden’s National Agency for Public Procurement (Upphandlingsmyndigheten) specifically promotes the diffusion of societally relevant innovations.
► Results Paper 1

Networking and exchange
Science parks: At facilities such as the Lindholmen Science Park or the Ideon Science Park, actors from the research, business, political and civil society communities work together to find solutions for societal problems (in areas such as mobility or digital key technologies).
► Results Paper 2

Fostering startups
KTH Innovation Stockholm: Commercialization of new technologies in the university environment
Right to Leave to Conduct a Business Operation Act: Legally regulated leave-of-absence options for employees seeking to found companies
► Results Paper 4

Fostering startups
ETH Zurich spinoff guidelines: Guidelines for university spinoffs
The Pioneer Fellowships program at ETH Zurich: Leveraging the commercialization potential of research results
The University of Zurich’s UZH Life Sciences Fund for spinoffs: Transfer of research results into commercial use
ETH Lausanne’s Pitch Your Impact competition: Explores the potential impact of research results
► Results Paper 4

Innovation strategies and their implementation
The UK’s Industrial Strategy is aligned with societal missions. The activities of the country’s innovation agency UKRI are supported by the bottom-up approach taken by the non-profit agile innovation foundation Nesta.
► Results Paper 1

Fostering startups
Founders Choice, Imperial College London: Spinoff program tailored to researchers’ experience levels
Innovation Fund, Imperial College London: Early-stage investment in new firms created by recent graduates or research staff
Oxford University Innovation: Professional technology-transfer and business-building support within the university
University Challenge Seed Fund: University validation funds for pre-commercialization work
University venture funds with patient capital: Financing startups through university-supported funds
► Results Paper 4

Disruptive innovations
DARPA: As a change agent, DARPA promotes (societally relevant) disruptive innovations through high-risk research projects in high-tech industries in particular.
► Results Paper 3

Fostering startups
Deshpande Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Ignition Award Program, Boston University: University validation funds for pre-commercialization work
► Results Paper 4