Regulations and ground-breaking technology

Rules and other controls linked to synthetic biology, quantum technology, immersive technology, blockchains and AI

The call for proposals is part of Vinnova's effort on ground-breaking technology within Emerging innovations.

A well-functioning control and regulation provides good conditions for an efficient and safe development of new technology. Uncertainties can decrease and the desire for long-term investments in research and innovation can increase.

One challenge is that regulations also risk inhibiting innovation through, for example, prohibitions, rules that are difficult to interpret, conflicting rules or lengthy permit processes. It creates institutional uncertainty which in turn deters investors and others acting in a regulated area.

Another challenge is that regulation risks being too slow to protect society and individuals from negative side effects that innovations can have on, for example, security, health and democracy.

With this the call for proposals Vinnova wants to contribute to creating better conditions for a more proactive development of rules and other control instruments in the technology areas designated in the call for proposals.

What can you apply for?

In this the call for proposals Vinnova offers an opportunity to investigate and experiment with how regulation and permit processes can be designed to meet developments in the designated technology areas. It may involve investigating and testing how to clarify current regulations, find alternative regulations or develop initiatives that lower regulatory thresholds.

Who can apply?

One or more project parties from, for example, the public sector, academia, civil society or companies can apply. We would like to see an actor who has control over the rules or other means of control that the project focuses on included in the project, but that is not an eligibility requirements.

How much can you apply for?

The project can apply for a maximum of SEK 1,000,000 for a maximum of 12 months. Preliminary budget for the call for proposals is SEK 5 million. The support level can, under certain conditions, amount to 100 percent.

A well-functioning control and regulation provides good conditions for an efficient and safe development of new technology. It can reduce uncertainties and increase the desire for long-term investments in research and innovation. With this the call for proposals we want to contribute to well-functioning regulation within the designated technology areas, for example by exploring together with the regulatory the actors how rules and policy instruments can function in the future.

One challenge is that regulations risk inhibiting innovation through, for example, bans, rules that are difficult to interpret, conflicting rules or lengthy permit processes. It creates institutional uncertainty which in turn deters investors and others acting in a regulated area.

Another challenge is that regulation risks being too slow to protect society and individuals from negative side effects that innovations can have on, for example, security, health and democracy. Differences in the rate of development between regulation and technological innovation are also described by Tillväxtanalys.

Read more about rapid innovation - slow regulatory adaptation

Read more about challenges in regulating innovation - possible policy actions

Vinnova promotes sustainable growth

Vinnova is tasked with promoting sustainable growth and community development. Genom Agenda 2030, the countries of the world have agreed on a global agreement and understanding of what characterizes sustainable development. Through our efforts, we contribute to the global commitment to reach the goals.

Vinnova's work with Agenda 2030

In Inom Agenda 2030, Vinnova has specifically identified climate and gender equality as two central sustainability perspectives to which our funded investments should contribute positively. Project financed by Vinnova are therefore expected to take special account of the climate and gender equality aspects.

More about equal funding of innovations

One aspect that Vinnova follows up and assesses is whether both women and men share in the grant in an equal way, participate in and have influence over the project. See section 7 under Actors.

Another aspect involves analyzing and deciding whether there are gender or gender aspects that are relevant linked to the project's problem area, solutions and utilization. This question is mandatory for all applicant and can be found under the heading " Project tasks". In this call for proposals the question is the basis for assessment under Potential in section 7.

Results from research and innovation that are made freely available increase the opportunity for more people to contribute to solutions to societal challenges. The call for proposals should contribute to making more results freely available to everyone and scientific publication should take place with open access.

One or more project parties from, for example, the public sector, academia, civil society or companies can apply. We would like to see an actor who has control over the instruments that the project focuses on included in the project, but there are no eligibility requirements.

Applicant must intend to investigate or experiment with how regulation and permit processes can be designed to meet developments in the designated technology areas.

In this the call for proposals Vinnova has a particular focus on the pioneering technologies synthetic biology, quantum technology, immersive technology, blockchains and artificial intelligence (AI). Linked to the selected techniques, the project must, for example, investigate how regulation can be developed in an appropriate manner or how a certain regulation or permit process could look like.

The project can also be about finding out how current regulations work in relation to designated technology areas.

The initiative also welcomes initiatives with a focus on technology's societal consequences, such as the impact on employers, employees and the work environment.

Examples of instruments covered:

• Regulations at EU level.
• National laws and regulations.
• Municipal and regional regulations.
• Permit processes.
• Industries' own voluntary policies, for example codes of conduct.

The call's designated technology areas

Vinnova works with many different ground-breaking technologies. In this the call for proposals we have chosen to focus on:

Synthetic Biology

Synthetic biology is a scientific field that combines engineering and biology and aims to develop new biological systems and add new properties to living cells. The area is applied to everything from new foods to medical applications.

Quantum technology

Quantum technology has potential to benefit society and almost every industry. Some of the most promising application areas are health and life science, energy, finance, cyber security and energy efficiency improvements. These areas can benefit from the exponential increase in computing power and secure communication capabilities that quantum technology enables.

In healthcare and life sciences, quantum technology can play a revolutionary role in the development of precision medicine and precision health. Applications such as quantum microscopy, quantum spectroscopy and quantum computing can improve disease prediction, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Immersive technology

Immersive technology, in English also known as extended reality, includes for example "virtual reality", "augmented reality" and "mixed reality". Immersive technology creates an immersive experience by, for example, combining digital and physical worlds. It gives the user the opportunity to interact with and experience a simulated environment. The technology can be used in a variety of fields, such as education and design. It can also provide access to information needed in a certain work situation, such as instructions or manuals.

Blockchains

A blockchain is a distributed (decentralized) database, that is, a database that is stored in many copies - one on each node (computer) in a so-called peer-to-peer network. The many copies and a sequence of so-called cryptographic hash functions make it difficult or impossible to subsequently manipulate the database's change history. Every event in the database, every database transaction, is stored by adding a so-called block to the database, and a sequence of blocks is therefore called a blockchain.

The most common application area is cryptocurrencies, where the database stores when electronic currency changes hands. Blockchains are also used to register ownership of securities, and to ensure that electronic ledgers, logbooks or journals, are not manipulated afterwards.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is the ability of a machine to display human-like traits such as reasoning, learning, planning and creativity. AI enables technical systems to perceive their surroundings, manage what they perceive and solve problems, with aim of achieving a specific objective. The computer receives information, already prepared or collected through its own sensors, for example via a camera. It processes the information and responds. AI systems are capable of adapting their behavior to a certain degree, by analyzing the effects of previous actions, and of working autonomously.

AI can be used for a huge number of applications in all sectors of society, from identifying cancer cells to streamlining administrative tasks.

Activities for which funding can be applied for

In this the call for proposals Vinnova offers an opportunity to investigate and experiment with how regulation and permit processes can be designed to meet developments in the designated technology areas.

The projects can focus on different phases of the policy development process:

• Clarify applicable regulations and instruments
  Pre-studies, trials or construction of efforts aimed at clarifying, providing a coordinated picture of, or interpreting current regulations to support development in the designated technology areas.
• Anticipate need for controls
  Efforts to anticipate the need for regulation in one or more of the designated technology areas.
• Adaptation and design of control means
  Feasibility studies on how rules, other control instruments or permit processes can and should be adapted or designed so that society can safely and with a high rate of innovation use the technology areas designated in the call for proposals.
• Tests of new controls
  Tests or experiments using prototypes of new or adapted control instruments such as laws, regulations, public advice, taxes, certification or industry standards.

Eligible costs

Our funding takes place through funding. Funding for organizations that carry out economic activities is covered by rules on state support. The rules govern, among other things, which types of costs and what proportion of them may be covered by funding.

The following costs are eligible:

• Personnel costs
• Costs for consultants and licenses and more
• Equipment, land and buildings
• Other direct costs
• Indirect costs

Read more about Vinnova's general terms and conditions

In this call for proposals funding will be granted with support of one of the following support bases:

• Not state aid in accordance with Section 5 of Vinnova's aid scheme.
  The public sector, academia, universities and university colleges, research institutes, publicly funded activities and actors from the business world as well as idea-based organizations that participate in their non-economic activities are not covered by the rules on state aid. In this the call for proposals these actors can have their eligible costs financed up to 100 percent.
• Research and development projects within the category of experimental development in accordance with Section 9 Vinnova's support scheme and Article 25 GBER. Experimental development may involve prototyping, demonstration, piloting, testing and validation of new or improved products, processes or services in environments that correspond to realistic operating conditions. The primary purpose is to make further technical improvements to the products, processes or services that are not yet fixed.
  Read more about support bases and support levels for funding and see the tables here: government support
• Feasibility study
  Funding may be granted with support pursuant to Article 25 of Commission Regulation (EU) No. 651/2014 (GBER). Support for a feasibility study must refer to evaluation and analysis of the potential of an upcoming R&D project, which aims to support the decision-making process by objectively and rationally revealing the project's strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and risks, and so on, as well as the prospects for the project becoming a success.
  Read more about support bases and support levels for funding and see the tables here: government support
• Support of minor importance in accordance with Section 3 of Vinnova's support scheme and the de minimis regulation. funding can be granted to companies or other economic activities with support of the European Commission's regulation on support of minor importance, also called negligible support or de minimis support. This basis for support allows funding up to 100 percent of the applicant organization's support-based costs. The maximum permitted support of minor importance is currently EUR 200,000 per recipient over the last three tax years. Organizations seeking support of minor importance must therefore attach a certificate with proposal, which shows that this eligibility requirements is met.

Support bases and support levels for funding as well as information on de minimis support can be found here

Project can apply support of a maximum of SEK 1,000,000 for a maximum of 12 months. Preliminary budget for the call for proposals is SEK 5 million. The level of support can, under certain conditions, amount to 100 percent, but it is an advantage if co-financing is available.

Read more about rules for funding here

Conditions for us to assess proposal

We will only assess applications that meet the following formal eligibility requirements:

• All project parties must be Swedish legal entities. With this, a foreign organization is equated with a branch or place of business in Sweden when the project's activities take place here.
• Proposal is written in Swedish or English.
• Proposal must be a maximum of five pages long and written according to the instructions in the template on the announcement page.

What do we assess?

Proposal must be in line with the call's objective and aim stated in section 2 and will be assessed according to the criteria below.

Potential

• The project's potential to contribute to the development of rules and other control instruments that open up innovation and contribute to safe development within the designated technology areas.
• The project's potential to create concrete learning in the organization or organizations that manage or own the regulatory framework or other instruments that the project aims to manage.
• The project's potential to contribute positively to the global goals in Agenda 2030 with a particular focus on gender equality and climate.

Actors

• The competence and experience of the actor or actors in relation to the described project, including appropriate sustainability competence.
• The ability and conditions of the actor or actors to implement the described project.
• How well the project team is composed with respect to gender distribution, including the distribution of power and influence between women and men.

Feasibility

• How well the project has been designed to reach its objective based on the implementation and timetable.
• How well the budget is considered to be justified and realistic.
• The project's ability to carry out communication efforts and disseminate project results and experiences.
• How well relevant sustainability perspectives and gender equality aspects have been integrated into the project plan.

How do we judge?

The project applications will be assessed in competition according to the criteria potential, actors and feasibility. Vinnova will also strive to grant a broad portfolio of project with different focuses.

The assessment is made by a group evaluator appointed by Vinnova, as well as programme manager from Vinnova. The evaluators have experience in a wide range of areas and industries.

This is how you apply

To apply for funding, you fill in a web-based form in Vinnova's e-service for applications, which you can find via the button Apply here.

There you also upload the following attachments:

• Project description on a maximum of five pages with 12-point font size according to the template on the call page.
• CVs of key personnel according to the template on the announcement page.
• Certificate of minor support according to the form on the announcement page. Applies only to organizations that intend to apply for de-minimis support.

Keep in mind that it takes time to make a proposal. You can start filling in information, save and continue at a later time. When proposal is ready, you mark it as done. You can fully unlock proposal and make changes at any time, right up until the application deadline at 2 p.m.

Please mark proposal well in advance before the call for proposals closes.

When the call for proposals has closed and proposal has been registered with Vinnova, a confirmation is sent by e-mail to you who are responsible for the user account, project manager and company signatory or head of department. It may take a few hours before you receive the email.

If you have not received a confirmation by e-mail within 24 hours after the call for proposals has closed, please contact us.

When the application period has expired, completion of proposalcan only take place upon request from us.