Speaker
Kjell-Håkan Närfelt
Date
7 April 2022, 12:00
Location
MS Teams
Abstract
Many evaluators claim that government innovation interventions/schemes/programs are wasting tax-payers money. E.g Nesta has reported that going through 1700 evaluation of innovation schemes, only 3.7% were credible and only 0,4% show any impact. Evaluations of Swedish innovations programs targeting SMEs have also criticized Vinnova based on the fact that the evaluations of these innovation programs show no significant impact on SME growth.
Is this due to poor/lousy operations at innovation agencies or is there some issues related to the way evaluations performed?
The seminar will address this question and provide an alternative view of the critique evaluators have given innovation schemes.
Bio
Kjell-Håkan Närfelt has been working with technology driven business development and R&D for more than 20 years in different management positions. He has served as a board member and advisor to several R&D based start-ups during his time as an investment director in a corporate venture and as partner in a private seed investment company. He has also served as an international advisor and board member in different governmental initiatives, e.g. as member of the programme board for commercialization of academic research in Norway, as member of the international advisory committee for TISTR – a national science, technology and innovation institute in Thailand, and member and vice-chair of EU’s expert advisory group on Innovation in SMEs.
He is currently involved in the strategic development of a new area at Vinnova – Eco-systems for innovative companies.