How we work
Future by Lund has specific expertise to catalyze and create good conditions for innovation in the interface between organisations, together with partners from industry, the public sector and academia.
There are already many important pieces of the puzzle in Lund – so what do Future by Lund contribute with?
To explain it simply; Future by Lund helps people and actors to innovate together. We are a catalyst that forms thematic cross-links between different activities and competencies at an early stage of innovation work. We are co-creating new content in the Innovation District.
How this is done may vary from case to case. It can be identification of innovation space, where collaboration of several actors is required to create joint solutions. Sometimes it can start with an exciting idea, and then it can be a matter of connecting the right people to explore possibilities of developing new technologies.
We progress and innovate through portfolios
Portfolios are about the movement or transformation of an area, larger than individual organizations, individuals or projects.
For example, a portfolio can be driven by changing legislations, new technological opportunities or the desire to solve a societal challenge. By working in portfolios, we aim not only to breed an innovation, but a palette of innovations and a transformation.
The organizations that are members of the association work to create joint solutions to challenges in areas where no organization has its own mandate. Work is organized into portfolios. Portfolios can include projects and other activities.
A multi-stakeholder
In complex areas of innovation and development, growth does not arise from a single point but from interactions between many actors in an ecosystem. To build capacity for and to be able to scale, we need to build strategic competence and strategic partnerships in a multi-stakeholder environment.
Often the work of innovation begins within the organization. Future by Lund has turned the process around and has shared challenges and common needs with many actors as a starting point.
We explain the work through the Zone Model
The zone model categorises activities in the innovation process into yellow, green, and blue zones to represent different innovation phases. The model functions as a map for the partners to orient themselves and gain an understanding of when and how to do what.
LIEPT — a comprehensive approach
The LIEPT model has been developed gradually through the work of the Future by Lund innovation platform. It’s been created out of the need to identify growth in ecosystems and to follow themes and portfolios to make them more understandable.
By integrating different models, such as Vinnväxt's layer model (by Vinnova Sweden’s innovation agency), OPSI's innovation tool (by OECD) and the zone model from Future by Lund, a comprehensive method is created to visualise and track changes in an innovation ecosstem.
OPSI's Portfolio Innovation Tool
The Portfolio Tool is a way of managing portfolios, based on OPSI’s Portfolio Exploration Tool. The model categorises innovation work, and is among other things, used to create a dialog tool and an overview of the types of projects and initiatives that organisations are running and which they may be missing.
Portfolios in focus
In our work, we start from a portfolio logic, to explore how we can transform an innovation area or create a completely new area. Here is a selection of our portfolios!
Intermediary actors wanted!
Future by Lund works in the gap between research, organisations and institutions, the public and private sectors, academia and business. Are you as an actor interested in working with us in the gap – get in touch!
