How can Swedish universities better support academic engagement in social innovation that contributes to the transition to sustainable societies? According to new research, clearer guidelines are needed on how the goals outlined in policy documents should be implemented in practice.
A Vinnova-funded research project conducted byForum for Social Innovation SwedenForum for Social Innovation Sweden shows that Swedish universities have lofty ambitions in their policy documents—but that clear pathways for implementation, resources, and follow-up are often lacking in practice. The universities included in the study are the University of Borås, Jönköping University, Luleå University of Technology, Malmö University, Umeå University, and Örebro University.
– Many higher education institutions want to broaden and deepen their social engagement by addressing societal challenges and sustainable development. This is clearly evident in their policy documents, yet they rarely specify how this should be implemented in practice and overlook conflicting goals and parallel chains of command, says Malin Lindberg, visiting professor of social innovation at Malmö University, who led the research project.
In the project“Academic Policy Support for Social Innovation in the Transition to Sustainable Societies,” researchers examined, during 2025–2026, how policy and operational support at Swedish universities can strengthen research and collaboration that address societal challenges in innovative ways. Parts of the findings are highlighted in a popular science publication:The Socially Engaged Universities of the Future.
From shelf-stoppers to cultural influencers
One conclusion is that policy documents often use grand terms such as sustainable development, utilization, innovation, and collaboration—but clear descriptions of what these terms mean in practice are rare. Although innovation is linked to societal challenges, social innovation is rarely mentioned explicitly, while concepts such as sustainability and collaboration are often left unexplained.
At so-called policy labs held at each institution, the results were discussed with those who lead, support, and carry out the work—and the picture became even more nuanced.
The Policy Lab gave us an overview of the current situation and provided inspiration, fostering dialogue and reflection within a group that doesn’t usually work together
Sara Dahlin, affiliated researcher at Jönköping University and former node manager for Forum for Social Innovation Sweden Jönköping University.
The participants noted that while some policy documents have a real impact and can influence the culture and working methods at higher education institutions, others end up gathering dust on the shelf. One explanation was that policies are rarely made visible or discussed in day-to-day operations, and that they often overlook parallel chains of command such as resource allocation, reporting, and merit systems.
Several possible paths forward
The study highlights several specific needs for bridging the gap between policy and practice. This involves both clearer use of terminology and supplementing policy documents with practical, diverse, and inspiring examples that demonstrate how a higher education institution can support academic engagement in social innovation for sustainable transition. Another important lesson is that conflicting goals need to be acknowledged and addressed openly—for example, between commercialization and broad societal benefit.
For policy support to be more than just lofty goals, there must also be real opportunities for implementation—such as resources, a clear division of responsibilities, forums for learning and reflection, as well as follow-up and the highlighting of value creation, through means such as storytelling, measurement, and recognition.
For higher education institutions to contribute to the transition toward a more sustainable society, we believe that a clear policy mandate and adequate resources are required
Ulrika Sjölund, former network coordinator for Forum for Social Innovation Sweden the University of Borås.
An international perspective provides inspiration
As part of the project, socially engaged universities in other countries were also surveyed. A total of 21 examples were identified in Europe and Canada. Common to many of these is a clear link to the 2030 Agenda, a focus on interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral collaboration, and physical and digital meeting spaces that facilitate collaboration over time. Several also emphasize the importance of early and equal involvement of relevant stakeholders—including people with firsthand experience of societal challenges—and that collaboration takes time and requires dedicated resources.
Four visions for socially engaged universities
At the project’s concluding re-imaginatorium, representatives from the participating universities gathered to “rethink” how the universities of the future can be organized to address societal challenges. The work resulted in four visionary future scenarios that can serve as inspiration and a basis for discussion:The “We” University,The Relationship University,The Responsibly Disobedient University, andThe Heavy University. One lesson is that visions can help academia broaden its perspective—and that parts of them may prove unexpectedly feasible in practice.
“We need to create creative spaces where we can practice critical reflection and explore future scenarios based on radical design thinking and ‘what if’ questions,” says Per-Anders Hillgren, professor of interaction design at Malmö University and the Center for Co-Created Futures, which developed the Re-imaginatorium method.