Region Östergötland participates in South African delegation visit

South African representatives visited Östergötland on 28-29 September to learn more about how innovation ecosystems can support research, entrepreneurship and regional growth. Region Östergötland participated in the programme and shared experiences from the region's work on innovation, business development and collaboration.

Learning from regional innovation ecosystems

The visit was organised as part of an international benchmarking and knowledge exchange initiative involving representatives from the South African Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI).

During their stay in Östergötland, the delegation met representatives from municipalities, universities, science parks, companies and innovation-support organisations across the region to gain insights into how innovation-driven growth is supported in practice.

Region Östergötland's perspective on innovation and growth

As part of the programme, Region Östergötland contributed with a presentation on the region's role in promoting innovation, investment and sustainable business development.

The presentation highlighted how the region works to set strategic priorities, support innovation initiatives and strengthen collaboration between academia, industry and the public sector. The delegation also learned about the regional innovation and business strategy and the importance of long-term cooperation between different actors in the innovation system.

Showcasing regional strengths

The visit provided an opportunity to highlight several of Östergötland's areas of strength, including advanced manufacturing, digitalisation, artificial intelligence, life science and sustainable development.

Through visits and presentations from a range of organisations, the delegation gained practical examples of how research, entrepreneurship and industry are connected to create innovation, competitiveness and new business opportunities.

Strengthening international collaboration

For Region Östergötland, participation in international exchanges such as this creates valuable opportunities to share experiences, build new relationships and contribute to discussions on how regions can support innovation-driven development.

The visit also demonstrated the value of collaboration between regional, local and national actors in creating strong innovation ecosystems that can attract talent, investment and international partnerships.