Nine clusters focusing on Gender and Innovation ™

CEOs and executives from the nine cluster organizations, including a Norwegian, participating in the Fiber Optic Valley Development Gender and Innovation ™, which started on 13 – 14 September. Fiber Optic Valley in Hudiksvall, has since 2004 developed a method with a large number of companies such as Ericsson and Hälsinglands Sparbank. The research has attracted attention both in Sweden and internationally. Now the methods are being developed in collaboration with VINNOVA and Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth.

- The great interest in participating in our program shows that more companies realize that working with different insights and knowledge are important to increase innovation and growth in the company, becoming a gender-aware organization is ultimately about competitiveness says Marita Svensson, project manager.

Clusters from both Sweden and Norway
Those who participate in the Gender and Innovation ™ 2011 is sixteen leaders from NCE Raufoss, The Packaging Arena, Norrköping Science Park, FPX, The Paper Province, Uppsala Bio, Smart Textiles and Marine Technology Forum. Participants will meet twice more and the next meeting’s theme is about innovation and gender.

Some comments from participants after the first date;
“A program where we will have to be active and have opinions which is great”
“Very good, I see the link to growth directly”
“We were surprised that for many still seem to be a non-issue”

Gender and Innovation ™ – cluster development of the future, is a programme for clusters with the aim of creating gender-conscious businesses and increase innovation. It is about finding new prospects who question what we take for granted in order to create sustainable growth. For example, the gender perspective is important for all who recognize that they need to broaden the recruitment base to find skilled employees in the future. To dare to go outside the “framework” and think of new customer groups and markets become even more important.

For more information contact:
Marita Svensson, Project Manager Fiber Optic Valley, Tel: +46 (0) 70-8161721,
marita.svensson@fiberopticvalley.com