IVA’s 100 List 2021: From knowledge to sustainable crisis preparedness
IVA calls for research in engineering and economic sciences focused on sustainable preparedness for future crises to go on its 100 List 2021. To make the list, the research must be ready to be commercialised or put to use in the foreseeable future. It must also create value for the Swedish private or public sectors through, for example, industrial commercialisation or business and method development, or by impacting society and helping to improve societal resilience.
In 2020 the Covid-19 pandemic shone a spotlight on and brought home a series of challenges linked to our preparedness and ability to handle a crisis that affects every aspect of society – a crisis resulting, for example, from a pandemic, natural disaster, financial crisis, cyberattack, war/geopolitical conflict, or a dearth of energy, raw materials, components or talent.
Knowledge, innovative capacity and high-tech industries can help us grow more sustainably, and the research being carried out at our universities is therefore vital. Equally important is ensuring that academic research is actually put to use. Collaboration between research and industry can accelerate the pace of innovation to meet the complex challenges facing us and create new opportunities for sustainable competitiveness.
With our 100 List 2021 we want to draw attention to and facilitate the commercialisation of research that can help us in various ways to meet complex challenges associated with crisis management and rebuilding after a crisis, and help us to prevent and prepare for future crises. The ultimate goal is maintaining Sweden’s long-term competitiveness.
Application areas
The research must be applicable in one of the following areas:
- Smart industry
- Circular economy
- Society and prosperity
- Infrastructure
- Business models
- Green industries
Concrete examples of areas the research may address:
- Infrastructure – digital and physical
- Security relevant to society (perimeter protection, traffic safety, cyber security etc.)
- Supply solutions for water, energy, talent etc.
- Supply chains and mobility, public and business-critical transport
- Food
- Life science
- Raw materials and other materials
- Construction and housing
- Finances
- Leadership, governance, cooperation, organisation and learning
- Value models, risk evaluation, insurance
- Models for knowledge validation in connection with fast knowledge building and meeting acute needs
- Legal, including new types of contracts, strategic use of the law as an innovation tool, the need for modernised regulatory frameworks