Founders Alliance Innovation Challenge

Important results from the project

The purpose of the planning of the innovation competition Founders Alliance Innovation Challenge was to organize the implementation of a first innovation competition, the structure of which will be the basis for recurrent innovation competitions in various areas of need. We identified the entrepreneurs´ existing needs/problems linked to one or more societal challenges, planned implementation of the first contest, identified a challenge that suits the format innovation competition, established an organization and formulated a plan for the implementation of the competition.

Expected long term effects

The preparation work resulted in an application to Innovationstävlingar 2014 a competition aimed at both corporate employees and individuals, students and researchers, both nationally and internationally, that want to solve critical problems / needs for growth in business. The contest will demonstrate new ways for private and other stakeholders to jointly develop experimental solutions with strong commercialization potential. The survey of entrepreneurs´ complex problems gave knowledge about the innovation challenges entrepreneurs face.

Approach and implementation

In this planning face FA made a questionnaire that was sent to 171 selected entreprenuers where the task was to - in Vinnova´s four identified societal challenges - identify the most damaging problems that reduce entrepreneurial enterprises growth. The survey responses showed that entrepreneurs perceive a need to interact, understand and influence customers in social media to better develop and innovate new products, services and business models. The competition will be conducted according to a well defined process of innovation created within Founders Alliance.