About the project
We face significant challenges in the future that require innovative solutions. In innovation literature, governance models are often based on research-intensive high-tech clusters, while the new grand challenges require participatory processes led by skilled local and regional authorities.
Although much of today's innovation focus is on technology, we also need simple, local solutions for sustainable change. Our project aims to strengthen the public sector to handle these challenges. We aim to build a new model for innovation governance that is easy to use and share.
The North Sea islands provide us with unique examples of innovation, which we will use as a foundation for our model. Based on six island communities, FREIIA explores and learns to promote resilience through innovation in island societies. Our goal is to combine local solutions with overarching EU challenges, connect different levels of government and actors, and learn from various countries' approaches.
Specifically, our research groups will explore and analyze the challenges that residents themselves consider most important, and then collaboratively begin developing solutions. Students from Innovation and Project Management at the college, along with student groups from our academic partners, will participate in the work.
Project Timeline
The project runs from October 1, 2022, to December 31, 2025.
Project Type
FREIIA is both a research and development project, with different parts supporting different directions.
Goals
The goal of FREIIA, focusing on major societal challenges, is to create skills, resources, competence, and structures (a new innovation governance model) that promote changes that can make the public sector more efficient, successful in transformative policies, and contribute to building resilience.
The work of the research groups will contribute to sustainable student entrepreneurship for innovation governance. This involves developing a methodology/module to adapt sustainable entrepreneurship to FREIIA's overarching approach to managing innovation intervention and curricula.
Funding
The project has a total budget of 32 million Norwegian kroner and is co-financed by the EU Interreg North Sea Region. The Norwegian share is about 5 million kroner, and the university college's share is 4.5 million kroner of this.
Collaboration
Academic partners are Rijksuniversiteit Groningen, Högskolan Väst, Hanze Hogeshool, Aalborg University, and Østfold University College.
The project further involves nine partners from six countries: Visit Fredrikstad & Hvaler, Provinsje Fryslân, Vereniging Natuurmonumenten, De ontwikkelfabriek, Dr. Cormac Walsh Research and Consulting, AB Kosters Framtid, Länsstyrelsen Västra Götaland, des îles du Ponant, and Bornholms Regionskommune.
The project is linked to the research groups Innovation and Green Energy.