Tal
ICSB 2011 16 juni 2011
Maud Olofsson, Närings- och energiminister

New perspectives on global entrepreneurship and innovation

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Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

First of all: Welcome to Sweden and Stockholm. I cannot tell you how glad I am to see all of you , people from all over the world, gathered here to discuss issues that are of the highest importance to all of us and to our future: innovation and entrepreneurship.

We may come from countries geographically far apart, but we have never been closer. Globalisation is bringing us closer together and it's going faster and faster. I am amazed when I look back and think of what has happened during my life time, and I am not that old. When I was a kid we sent letters, today our kids are "skyping" with friends from all over the world.

Look in your fridge. When I as a kid pizza was about as international as our food got. Today Mexican, Thai and Indian food are commonplace in Sweden. News travel around the world instantly, we listen to the same music and watch the same films.

Today we live in a world where increasingly share values and dreams. We share the challenges of creating jobs, growth and development. The challenges of limited natural resources and a world facing enourmous environmental problems.

But being a Minister for Enterprise and Energy I am constantly reminded of the of of all the opportunities we share, opportunities that the global future presents.

These opportunities are largely represented by the entrepreneurs and innovators that I meet. They - and many of YOU! - are individuals who have an idea about how to solve problems in innovative ways, you can turn challenges into opportunities and you will work hard to reach your goals.

You, as entrepreneurs and facilitators of entrepreneurship are the ones who inspire me the most. Innovations and ideas do not necessarily have to be the great solutions that live on for decades or centuries like this Swedish innovation, the monkey wrench. But they might just as well be small innovations in products or services that contribute to a better world.

When you ask people what an innovation is, they often think of a man doing a high-tech product in a lab. But it might just as well be a nurse, who finds a better solution to something that improves her daily work, as well as the patient's well-being.

I recently met Birgitta, a nurse, that had come up with the idea of a new sort of shower handle holder that could help combat legionella bacteria. I am not sure she even thought of herself as an innovator. But she was, and a true inspiration to anyone thinking of realising a dream or an idea.

Through innovation we can find new treatments for existing and new diseases, solutions to environmental problems like climate change, access to clean water and waste management. It is also one of several important instruments needed if we are to find ways to improve the living standard for a majority of the world's population.

We have a strong tradition of research and innovation here in Sweden, and I am pleased to say that Sweden today ranks as one of the leading countries in innovation. For several years now we have been number one in the European Union, and in the latest Global Innovation ranking, we were placed as number two in the world.

But there is no room for complacency. Sweden is a small country and we have realised that innovation is a key factor for our future competitiveness and prosperity.

And a lot of these innovations, will come from small and medium sized companies.

I am aware that many policy areas contribute to a society that encourages innovation and entrepreneurship. Taxes, education, labour market regulation, public investments - they all add in.

But it is most important to remember that innovations always originate from the creativity of individuals. What if we kept the creativity that we all had when we were children, playing and exploring new things all the time. I belive that we need to focus on the individual and his or her creativity needs.

I know that many talk about how important it is to "think outside the box", but I - as much as I possibly can - want to encourage people to think that actually, there IS no box!

By that I mean that there is not a pre-set agenda for how innovation and entrepreneurship happens. Or what an entrepreneur looks like, it don´t have to be the man in lab, it could be your next-door-neighbour.

To me, governing innovation means promoting entrepreneurship and an entrepreneurial mindset, amongst all. That includes listening to what different groups need in order to take the step to being an entrepreneur - for instance women, young people and immigrants.

Providing a good education to all citizens- including life-long learning, public investment in research and the availability of capital for start-up companies are essential. A strong knowledge base is an essential foundation for innovation. I am proud to say that Sweden is one of the top countries investing in research and development.

But we also need to have smart regulation, competition on open markets and free trade.

Innovation will also gain from access to stimulating and creative meeting places and partnerships for the creation of innovative ideas. Such places occur not only through national but also international cooperation between academia, institutes and businesses. As Minister I have tired to enhance such cooperation, not only through bilateral organisation, but also through international agreements that Sweden has signed with countries like China, USA and India.

And as I said before: We are in no position to sit still. Our next goal here in Sweden is to develop a new national strategy for innovation. One important aspect of this strategy will be how to pick up ideas and innovations from young people.

Many of the young entrepreneurs that I meet don´t apply the same business models as the more traditional enterprises, the go from local to global over a night. They don´t go local, regional, national and then global.

Young people are a good source of inspiration when talking about innovation. Creativity, curiosity and taking risks comes more natural and is something we can learn from. To me it is important that these qualities are safeguarded by schools and society.

So, as I started with saying, I especially enjoy this part of being the Minister responsible for Enterprise policy: I get to meet with people who have ideas about how our society and our lives could become better. People who cease the opportunities and meet the challenges.

So, ladies and gentlemen, let's take the opportunity to get inspired here during these days! To begin with, by professor Hans Rosling and his always brilliant and eye-opening presentations. And of course, our prince Daniel, an inspiring entrepreneur himself.

- and to those of you who are not from here, a heartfelt welcome to Stockholm!

Thank you very much!