Värmland is a region located in west-central Sweden and borders Norway; its proximity to Oslo is a significant factor for the region’s business and employment.
The region faces complex societal challenges, for example but not exclusively slow population growth (with a total of some 274,691 inhabitants, it has only grown by 0.5% since 2009), low education levels, low wages, and a lack of employment in comparison to the national average. Much of the population lives in remote rural areas, thus companies depend on effective communication networks. The region is home to large tracts of forestland, which are promoted as an asset for the forest industry and local economy.
Värmland’s economic activity is concentrated in a few dominant industries: pulp and paper, with approx. 4,000 employees; IT, with 2,000 employees; steel and engineering, with 10,000 employees; and the fastest-growing industry, tourism, with 3,000 employees.
The Värmland region firmly embraced the European Commission’s Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation (RIS3) in a bid to influence regional and national policies and facilitate participation in other European-driven programmes such as Interreg, ESF, EJFLU, Cosme and Horizon 2020.
This is done in conjunction with Europe 2020, the national innovation strategy, the government’s research and innovation proposal, the National Strategy for Regional Growth and Attraction 2015-2020 and the local Värmland strategy.
The Värmland Academy for Smart Specialization is a key tool in implementing RIS3 and aims to utilise research for the benefit of industry, County Administration, the Region of Värmland and its municipalities while strengthening the region’s research environments.
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On the road to digitalization through RRI. At the workshops in Värmland, key actors have been engaged in creating the region’s roadmap through sharing good ideas, experiences and example.
Strategy
The Värmland region has firmly embraced the European Commission’s research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation (RIS3) to influence regional and national policies and to facilitate participation in other European-driven programmes such as Interreg, ESF, EAFRD, COSME and Horizon 2020.
This is done in conjunction with Europe 2020, the national innovation strategy, the government’s research and innovation proposal, the National Strategy for Regional Growth and Attraction 2015-2020 and the local Värmland strategy.
The Värmland Academy for Smart Specialization is a key tool in implementing RIS3 and aims to utilise research for the benefit of industry, County Administration, the Region of Värmland and its municipalities while strengthening the region’s research environments.
The Värmland Strategy is currently being developed by order of the Swedish government. Region Värmland co-ordinates the work and the strategy is shaped and implemented in collaboration with a number of different actors.
Värmlandsregionen har snabbt införlivat EU- kommissionens forsknings- och innovationsstrategier för smart specialisering (RIS3) i arbetet med att påverka regional och nationell politik samt för att underlätta deltagande i andra europeiska program som Interreg, ESF, EJFLU, Cosme och Horisont 2020.
Arbetet kopplas samman med Europa 2020, den nationella innovationsstrategin, regeringens forsknings- och innovationsproposition, den nationella strategin för regional tillväxt och attraktion 2015-2020 samt Värmlandsstrategin.
Värmlands akademi för smart specialisering är ett viktigt verktyg för att implementera RIS3. Den ska skapa mer nytta av forskningen för det värmländska näringslivet, regionen och kommunerna, och stärka de värmländska forskningsmiljöerna.
Värmlandsstrategin arbetas för närvarande fram på uppdrag av regeringen. Region Värmland samordnar arbetet och strategin formas och genomförs i samarbete med en mängd olika aktörer.
Läs mer på varmlandsstrategin.se
Significant activities and cluster connections
Well-developed clusters and networks with connections to research and innovation contribute to attracting new companies and investments. There are four clusters in Värmland: IUC Stål och Verkstad, Compare (IT), Paper Province (forest-based bioeconomy) and the emerging tourist cluster Visit Värmland.
Several innovation platforms, such as Innovation Park, bring together companies and organisations connected to research, innovation and development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Väl utvecklade kluster och nätverk med koppling till forskning och innovation är en bidragande faktor för att attrahera nya företag och satsningar. Det finns fyra kluster i Värmland: IUC Stål och Verkstad, Compare (IT), Paper Province (skogbaserad bioekonomi) samt det framväxande turistklustret Visit Värmland.
Flera innovationsplattformar, till exempel Innovation Park för samman företag och organisationer med koppling till forskning, innovation och utveckling av små och medelstora företag. Teknisk forskning (SP) har också etablerats i regionen.
Research and innovation
Värmland is above the EU average in terms of research and innovation capacity. The region offers research and innovation resources both within academia as well as various companies in, for example, pulp and paper, the steel industry and the IT sector.
Gender
The Värmland region applies the RIS3 strategy for gender mainstreaming. This means that analyses and surveys have been carried out to increase awareness in the entire ecosystem of innovation and enterprising. Studies have also been conducted to ensure gender-conscious policies for the future. At Karlstad University, there are several active research projects in collaboration with regional actors that aim to strengthen and shed light on gender-integrated development efforts, for example, within the iGen project.
Higher Education
Karlstad University has about 16,000 students and offers programmes and courses on campus and via distance learning in arts, social sciences, science, technology, education, health and culture. The university also has a campus in Arvika, the Ingesund Academy of Music. The university’s various research groups successfully collaborate within the EU programme Horizon 2020 and other projects together with universities, enterprises and public actors around the world. Research and development take place in collaboration with several large companies such as Billerud Korsnäs, Stora Enso and Uddeholm, as well as public organisations such as Region Värmland. The University’s Grants & Innovation Office provides support in various research and development projects, where internal and external collaboration is an important part.
Karlstad University kau.se/en
Ingesund School of Music kau.se/en/ingesund-school-music
teknikcollege.se teknikcollege.se/in-english/
brobygrafiska.se https://brobygrafiska.se/en/
Karlstad Municipality’s adult education karlstad.se
Independent adult education colleges regionvarmland.se/om-regionen/Om-webbplatsen/English-engelska/
bergsskolan.se In Swedish only
gammelkroppa.se In Swedish only
Högre utbildning
Karlstads universitet har cirka 16 000 studenter och erbjuder utbildningar på campus och distans inom humaniora, samhällsvetenskap, naturvetenskap, teknik, undervisning, hälsa och kultur. Universitetet finns även i Arvika med Musikhögskolan Ingesund. Universitetets olika forskargrupper samarbetar framgångsrikt inom EU:s Horisont 2020 och andra projekt med akademi, näringsliv och offentliga aktörer över hela världen. Forskning och utveckling sker i samarbete med flera större företag som exempelvis Billerud Korsnäs, Stora Enso och Uddeholm, eller offentliga organisationer som Region Värmland. Universitetets Grants & Innovation Office ger stöd i olika forsknings-och utvecklingsprojekt, där samverkan med olika parter är en viktig del.
Musikhögskolan Ingesund kau.se/mhi
Karlstads kommuns vuxenutbildning karlstad.se
Folkhögskolor regionvarmland.se
Last News
Find the latest breaking news and information on the last events, current Värmland territory actions and IRR reports.
People – our most important resource
On August 25, Paper Province in Värmland, Sweden, organizes a digital seminar called "People - our most important resource". We will start in sustainable workplaces with a focus on people and explore the keys that lead to attractiveness, commitment, innovation and...
Making the digital transition happen!
We are finding out the needs of the Värmland companies in digitization. Some areas have already been identified which you can read about below. Based on the needs, we design inspiration and education events and courses, available from the autumn of 2021. Ever talked...
An action plan for a digital Värmland takes shape
Värmland is collaborating with two other European regions within the framework of the EU project DigiTeRRI to support digital development. Two out of three workshops have been held and an action plan is starting to take shape. Around 50 representatives of companies,...
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