Measuring more than impact

Important results from the project

The main purpose of the feasibility study is to stimulate the emergence of more impact companies in Swedish incubators. Impact companies that can measure their social and environmental impact. To fulfill this, the project has carried out needs analyzes among the country´s incubators, designed and implemented an impact programme for 15 companies, 14 business coaches at 5 of the country´s incubators and mapped 30 different digital systems.

Expected long term effects

The result shows that there is a great need to obtain knowledge, methods and tools for impact, impact measurement and knowledge about the difference between sustainability and impact. A digital system is needed to compare, forecast and measure impact between company activities, between companies with different impact KPIs and to make it easier for companies to report according to ESG and CSRD guidelines. The system that the pilot study uses (Open Impact)) is suitable for this, but for optimal use further adaptation to incubators is needed. Follow-up project is recommended.

Approach and implementation

The preliminary study has carried out a needs analysis among the country´s incubators via online surveys and interviews. An impact programme has been designed and implemented with 15 companies, 14 coaches at 5 of the country´s incubators. Thirty digital systems have been evaluated. The recommendation from the project is to offer knowledge-enhancing impact training to all the country´s incubators and adapt the Open Impakt system further to Vinnova´s and the incubators´ needs in order to stimulate and follow up the emergence of more impact companies in Sweden.