Evolution of Green Innovation in Sweden: Models, Management, Policies

• Quantitative analysis of the evolution of innovations at national systems level is not alwayspossible due to the lack of reliable, comprehensive and adequate data sets. Therefore, managerialpractice among organizations as well as policy decision making are often myopic anduninformed about actual dynamics.In the Swedish case, there are promising data sets, even if the adequacy of existing variabledefinitions needs to be explored and debated. Official data collected by the central statisticsauthority SCB (Statistics Sweden) includes several potentially relevant variables on all privateand public organizations in Sweden and their employees. These data are compiled into timeseries for a number of years which allows for longitudinal analysis. Data can also be mergedwith other data sets on the environmental goods and services sector and energy consumption dataand therefore allow for a detailed “demographic” or “population ecology” analysis ofenvironmentally oriented or friendly innovation since at least 2003. Halmstad University hasrecently gained full access to these data.In this paper, these databases are described in some detail. Problems of definitions andmeasurement are particularly discussed, and some initial descriptive statistics are presented.Further, the paper advocates the use of models inspired by population ecology and demographyin analyzing existing data. In particular it is suggested that interactive diffusion models mayenhance the understanding of the evolution of green innovations and their dynamics. It is alsosuggested that multi-level regression analysis is applicable in estimating the power of factors thatbring progress to the “greening” of the Swedish innovation system.Together, such models are potentially useful in forecasting the development of innovationsystems. The models can also be used in generating, testing by simulating and thus evaluatingapproaches to management of innovation and innovation policy implementation. A dynamicunderstanding of the “greening” of the innovation system is a critical asset in the development oftools to be used for continuous improvements in both policy making and the management ofinnovation in organizations.

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innovation

environment

data

Sweden

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