After 15 years in business, including at General Electric Healthcare, Laurent Saunier first started as head of department at Vinnova. It was the opportunity to combine innovation with long-term changes for society that attracted him and the new job has not disappointed him. On the contrary.
- In my previous workplaces, I have seen from several sides how important long-termism is for innovation and that you need to take a bigger approach. There, the state's role is important because it is not just about the companies' innovation, but just as much about research and competence provision and how society's structures can take care of the innovations. When I saw the ad for the job at Vinnova, I thought, wow, here is a public authority that deals with exactly this, to find solutions for society through collaboration between companies, the public sector and academia.
What is your role at Vinnova?
– Today I am the head of the department health. We create the conditions so that society's opportunities in health can meet the challenges of business life. We also ensure that research results are applied and disseminated. The job for me in practice involves many meetings where I try to link different kinds of competence to a larger context. Current right now is, for example digitalisation in healthcare. Artificial intelligence and DNA-based diagnoses are happening today, but we still send summonses by mail. This is not just about new products, but about increasing the rate of change of the entire system.
What is the biggest difference between working in business and at a public authority?
- That the goals of the business are different and the time perspective. In business, there are generally shorter pucks with quarterly reports as milestones. There is also more focus on measurable results and it is clear who the customers are. What social effect Vinnova contributes is more difficult to measure and who our customers are can also become unclear. We work for improved health for all of Sweden's citizens, but the taxpayers are also our clients. The companies are important taxpayers and at the same time our customers.
- Anchoring is also much more important within a public authority. After all, we are responsible to ten million citizens and not a few thousand shareholders. It is very much a question of balance, keeping the drive so that things happen and anchoring at the same time.
It sounds hard?
- It can be challenging and sometimes be both split and torn to be able to stand on both legs and unite both sides. On the other hand, it is the best thing about the job, to transform major societal challenges into solutions and to help create the Sweden of the future.
How does Vinnova succeed in this?
- The first thing that struck me when I started at Vinnova was that all the employees were so incomparably competent. There is also a fantastic collaborative culture and an innovative work environment here, which both our activity-based office and the way we work contribute to.