SPRINT ‑ Smart Specialisation and Resilient Innovation for New Times

The project responds to the fact that many SMEs in the region have limited knowledge of smart specialisation strategies and how these can be leveraged to stimulate innovation and strengthen competitiveness. In addition, weak linkages to the regional innovation system, low levels of digital maturity, and unclear roles within value chains may constrain firms’ development and their ability to integrate into relevant value chains and markets.

SPRINT seeks to enhance firms’ understanding and capacity for action through information dissemination, mobilisation, and knowledge transfer, as well as through targeted initiatives that promote collaboration, innovation, and digitalisation. The project adopts an outreach-oriented approach and includes direct company visits, during which firms’ needs, growth barriers, and development opportunities are systematically identified. In total, at least 200 SMEs will be engaged and mapped, thereby generating a broad evidence base regarding regional bottlenecks and growth potential. The work also involves mapping value chains and creating conditions for new forms of development and stronger connections between firms and relevant partners, including research environments.

A key component of the project is the development and testing of evidence-based methods designed to strengthen firms’ ability to identify bottlenecks and pursue viable pathways for business development. In the short term, the project aims to increase awareness and knowledge of S3 and clarify firms’ positions within value chains. In the longer term, SPRINT is expected to contribute to strengthening the regional innovation system, collaborative structures, and sustainable competitiveness. By building capacity for green transition, industrial transformation, and entrepreneurship, the project may enable more firms to develop and commercialise innovations and increase their resilience to future disruptions.

Researchers from Mid Sweden University participate in the project with the specific task of ensuring scientific rigour and quality, supporting a systematic and research-informed approach to mapping activities, methodological development, and analysis. This contribution enhances the credibility of the project and helps ensure that its outcomes are relevant and useful both for participating firms and for the long-term regional development of smart specialisation.