1) What is the vision behind Lund Innovation District?
The Vision is “Global impact within walking distance”. A well-functioning ID is a cornerstone for Lund as an internationally recognized innovation hub. It is a place where unique developments take place, attracting international actors and individuals, and serving as a platform for new connections of ideas and people. An ID gathers and packages information, infrastructure, areas, and actors, providing support without imposing control.
The ID packaging facilitates establishments, developments, investments, and new collaborations for both the area and participating actors. We utilize and showcase our collective strength.
Lund already has most of the components and functions needed in place to establish a well-functioning ID. Now we focus on making these parts work even better together – aligning hardware (labs, buildings, etc.) with software (people, capital, ideas, etc.), making the Lund ecosystem visible as a cohesive entity with strong synergies and exciting cross-connections.
2) Who are the key stakeholders involved in developing Lund Innovation District?
For the development of Lund Innovation District, a steering group has been formed consisting of Anders Almgren, Mayor and Chairman of the City Executive Committee in Lund Municipality; Kristina Eneroth, Pro Vice-Chancellor at Lund University; and Pia Kinhult, Head of Host State Relations at ESS. The task of leading the co-creation of Lund Innovation District has been assigned to Future by Lund.
Key stakeholders are of course Lund University, the City of Lund, large companies, science parks and the research facilities but also for example medium-sized and small enterprises and the startup scene.
3) How do you believe Lund Innovation District will contribute to the Medicon valley life science eco-system?
Medicon Valley and their members are strong in the field of Life Science. Lund Innovation District can provide connections to other fields of knowledge such as materials, connectivity, and AI so that you can combine Life Science with other areas. Lund is not the only place where this can happen, but Lund Innovation District covers many areas of innovation, which means that there are many opportunities for cross innovation.