Lina Svensberg, Innovation Manager in DigitalWell Arena, participated today in a round table discussion in UN-Habitat. A recurring theme was how public actors and innovative companies can meet in a business sense around sustainability issues.
Un-Habitat is the UN's agency for the work of creating sustainable development and good living conditions in the world's cities. A starting point for the discussions was, among other things, Climate Smart Cities Challenge, an innovation competition launched by the UN and Sweden to accelerate the transition to climate-neutral cities. Where innovators and communities are given the opportunity to collaborate to design new solutions.
May need to let go of control
The talks brought together representatives from a large number of countries and organizations. A recurring theme was, among other things, the challenge of how cities, and other public actors, can meet innovative companies from a business perspective.
- It is interesting that we see similar challenges in other parts of the world as well. For example, when it comes to getting actors who are used to planning and being in control, to dare to act in uncertainty to find new solutions, says Lina Svensberg.
Aimed at sustainability issues
In this context, she therefore talked about Demand Acceleration, the methodology for driving innovation with the support of public procurement developed within the DigitalWell Arena. The methodology will also be tested in a project with WWF Sweden and Ignite Sweden, to see how it can contribute to reducing the public sector's climate footprint. (Read more)
