The ongoing transition is increasing the need for more socially sustainable solutions, both in cities and in rural areas. But despite strong commitment, political support and long-term funding are often lacking. Now, Luleå University of Technology, Umeå University, Coompanion Västerbotten, Coompanion Norrbotten, and Samforma have received EU funding to strengthen the ecosystem for social innovators.
The project, led by Luleå University of Technology in close collaboration with Umeå University, Coompanion Västerbotten, Coompanion Norrbotten, and Samforma, aims to build a robust and coordinated ecosystem for social innovation. The goal is to provide various stakeholders—municipalities, businesses, civil society, non-profit organizations, citizens, and government agencies—with opportunities to collaborate more effectively and find long-term solutions to complex societal problems.
“Both Luleå University of Technology and Umeå University are already regional hubs in the national network Forum for Social Innovation Sweden. This project will allow us to deepen our collaboration and strengthen our efforts in social innovation in northern Sweden,” says Maria Jansson, project manager at Luleå University of Technology.
The right support is essential
There is a clear need to strengthen the ecosystem for social innovation in the north, especially given the challenges that growing cities and resource-poor rural areas face in the ongoing transformation. But despite strong commitment, crucial factors such as long-term funding and political support are often lacking. This prevents many ideas from being realized, explains the project team.
Martin Englund, who leads Forum for Social Innovation Sweden's at Umeå University, therefore sees the project as a major opportunity:
“This gives us a fantastic opportunity to take our work to the next level. We hope to gather knowledge and insights that will not only support social entrepreneurs in Västerbotten and Norrbotten, but can also be shared with other parts of the country.”
The project will run through 2027 and is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Region Västerbotten, Region Norrbotten, and the participating organizations.
For more information, please contact:
Martin Englund
martin.englund@umu.se
090-786 68 29
Text: Lena Holmberg, Umeå University