The evolution of knowledge-intensive innovation ecosystems: co-evolving entrepreneurial activity and innovation policy in the West Swedish maritime system

Figures & data

Figure 1. Evolutionary policy making in the context of innovation ecosystems. Framework adapted from McKelvey, Zaring, and Szucs (2019), and Gifford and McKelvey (2019)

Table 1a. Stage 1 – informal meetings, etc

Source	Date	Duration
Discussion/interview with Sweden-based Professor in Environmental Law	2019-08-23	90 minutes
Lecture by a lead strategist of regional development, VGR	2019–10–22	90 minutes
Maritime Cluster – Marine Biotechnology Conference 2019 – ‘Marine products for health’. Gothenburg, Sweden.	2019–09-19	420 minutes

Table 1b. Stage 2: analysed documents following systematic archival review

Source	Year	Total # of pages
EU – Strategy to protect and conserve	2002	64
EU – Parliament decision, community action program	2002	15
EC – EU Marine Strategy – The story behind the strategy	2006	32
EC – Green Paper and Green Paper Summary	2006	54
EC – Marine knowledge 2020	2013	40
OECD – Reviews of innovation policy: Sweden	2012	286
Vinnova – The Swedish Maritime Sector	2013	74
Vinnova – Swedish maritime research and innovation agenda	2013	15
Vinnova – OECD’s Review of Sweden’s innnovation policy: A summary	2013	32
Statsitics Sweden – Development of statistics around the maritime cluster	2016	35
Tillväxtanalys (the Swedish agency for growth policy analysis) – Sweden’s Maritime sector	2010	132
Havs- och vatten myndigheten (the Swedish agency for marine and water management) – Marine tourism and recreation in Sweden	2012	111
ÖGP (Delegation for the organisation of marine resources) – Swedish maritime activity	1989	150
VGR – Maritme strategy for Västra Götaland	2008, 2012, 2015	32, 48, 9,
VGR – Västra Götaland 2020 – Strategy for growth and development 2014–2020	2013	37
VGR – Region report 2018 – Sustainable development in Västra Götaland	2018	36

Table 1c. Stage 3: analysed internal and external evaluation reviews

Source	Year	Total # of pages
SDSN – Ocean solutions report	2017	64
Kontigo (VGR) – Launching a cluster initiative: An evaluation of the Maritime Cluster in Västra Götaland	2016	82
VGR – Working program for sustainable maritime business	2016	18
Maritime Cluster – Prospects for a growing biomarine industry in Sweden	2019	20
Maritime Cluster – Account of activities 2018	2018	28
Offshore Väst – Wind energy at sea	2019	15
Stenseke and Hansen – From rhetoric to knowledge-based actions- challenges for outdoor recreation management in Sweden	2014	9

Table 2. Challenges with entrepreneurship and innovation as seen by entrepreneurs in the maritime group marine food

Entrepreneur/Company within marine foods	Challenge or situation identified needing resolution:	Type of opportunity
Matilda Olstorpe, CEO of Vegafish	‘[There is a need to] integrate aquaculture into the municipal comprehensive plans’	Market
Anders Granhed, CEO of Scanfjord Mollösund	‘The government is subsidising the agricultural sector in many ways but nothing goes to aquaculture. Our industry needs to be legally accepted and equated to agriculture. By introducing economic incentives and compensations for the positive environmental impact from mussel farming, the interest for investments in the farming industry may increase. This could for example be a compensation per tonne of nitrogen removed from the sea by aquaculture. … Sustainable and long-term governance with clear rules and regulations and a reasonable measure of supervision and control would make the industry more predictable and also more attractive for capital investments.’	Market and business
Tore Sveälv, at Business Developer GU Ventures	‘To enable the aquaculture business to grow in Sweden, the sector must receive a higher status with public authorities and be considered equal to agriculture and forestry. Furthermore, the entrepreneurs in the aquaculture industry must continue to work on how to develop sustainable and profitable business models.’	Market and business
Elisabet Brock, President of Koster Algae	‘The government needs to take a more unified and offensive approach … [by] modernization of laws and regulations, simplification of the licensing processes and increased national co-financing.’	Market and business
Bengt Gunnarsson – Cofounder of Smögenlax Aquaculture	‘[W]e are definitely in the front of developing the [Recycling Aquaculture Systems] RAS technology [and] have the potential to be self-sufficient in salmon within 10 years … We need to construct a full-scale plant on the west coast where we can bring the researchers into the development work. Then we can showcase the importance of research for start-up companies and increased profitability for the industry. Sweden needs more entrepreneurs and more educated staff who have the skills to run production facilities.’	Market, business, and technology
Sofia Kocher, CEO of Musselfeed	‘A joint test facility in Sweden [for aquaculture], where knowledge is built through operational testing, would be valuable and contribute to stimulating the industry’s development.’	Business and technology

Source of interviews and quotes: Maritime Cluster (2019)

Table 3. Metrics: maritime cluster in Sweden in 2018

Indicators	Total within cluster	Within group minimum-maximum
Individuals in entrepreneurship development efforts (themed days, workshops)	1096	0–383
Firms receiving advice or consultation	130	0–96
Firms performing product development	56	0–25
Amount SEK in R&D activities	3 million	0–3 million
Number of completed seminars and workshops per group	28	0–12
Number of government agencies, municipalities or other organisations that have been involved in cluster activities	104	0–43
Number of co-arranged events between groups	6	0–2
Number of co-arranged events with other non-cluster organisations nationally	13	0–5
Number of co-arranged events with other non-cluster organisastions internationally	8	0–4
Firms that have participated in cluster activities	410	0–164
Firms that have been contacted for evaluation following a cluster event	20	0–10
Firms that have had products in the pipeline in the innovation system broadly	31	0–30
Number of collaborative projects with firms, academi, and the public sector where ideas or needs are stemming from the cluster with a budget less than 1 million SEK	5	0–2
Number of collaborative projects with firms, academi, and the public sector where ideas or needs are stemming from the cluster with a budget more than 1 million SEK	7	0–3
Number of research applications in which ideas or needs come from the cluster	10	0–4
Number of educational programs and/or courses that have been initiated due to cluster needs	3	0-2

Source: Maritime Cluster (2018).

Figure 2. Effective governance in the context of knowledge-intensive innovation ecosystems

McKelvey, M., O. Zaring, and S. Szucs. 2019. “Conceptualizing Evolutionary Governance Routines: Governance at the Interface of Science and Technology with Knowledge-intensive Innovative Entrepreneurship.” Journal of Evolutionary Economics 1–18. doi:10.1007/s00191-018-0602-4.

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Gifford, E., and M. McKelvey. 2019. “Knowledge-Intensive Entrepreneurship and S3: Conceptualizing Strategies for Sustainability.” Sustainability 11 (18): 1–16. doi:10.3390/su11184824.

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Maritime Cluster. 2019. Prospects for a Growing Biomarine Industry in Sweden. Gothenburg: VGR. https://alfresco.vgregion.se/alfresco/service/vgr/storage/node/content/workspace/SpacesStore/74971267-3dc9-4f6f-b206-cf7eec78383c/BioMarine_2019_en_webb.pdf?a=false&guest=true

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Maritime Cluster. 2018. Maritima Klustret I Västsverige – Verksamhetsberättelse. Gothenburg: VGR. https://alfresco.vgregion.se/alfresco/service/vgr/storage/node/content/workspace/SpacesStore/1db4b934-693c-45a0-84c5-5179368e6f61/Webb_Hogupplost_Verksamhetsberattelse_2019_MH.pdf?a=false&guest=true

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