Voices on the upcoming Research and Innovation Bill 2024: MATS BENNER “I would have liked a bolder approach”

He is a sociologist and professor of research policy at Lund University. Mats Benner has previously been Director of the Research Policy Institute and Rector of the School of Economics at Lund University.

What kind of content and focus do you think the upcoming bill will have?

– It seems to be a typical modern plug where the critical issues of the day, such as digitalization, technological change, infrastructure and defense-related issues, get the money. A very small part of the money goes to research funding bodies such as Formas and Forte, which work on social and environmental issues. External grants are mainly split down the middle between those that are industry-oriented and those that are more researcher-driven. Those who want to get money must touch on the government’s core issues.

– There will also be some investment in life sciences. But we can’t expect much news, unfortunately. I would have liked to see a bolder approach to this.

What would a “bolder approach” look like?

– I would have liked to see a renewal. For example, through cross-sectoral solutions where research funders, the private and public sectors, higher education institutions and civil society had joined forces and created long-term joint commitments over time. And that the government had put in half the money for this. But unfortunately there is no new thinking in this proposal.

– It is also problematic that so little is being invested in the humanities. And that confidence in the universities is still low, i.e. that the new money will be distributed as external funds rather than as employment at the universities. The Fofin inquiry came up with a lot of bold proposals, such as the proposal for a new innovation authority, which I think would have been good for Sweden. But it seems to be yet another report that ends up in the wastepaper basket.

What are your thoughts on the government’s emphasis on excellence?

– For those who were worried that there would be a tilt towards excellence, it does not appear in this bill. Possibly to the extent that quite a lot of the money will go to the older universities. But excellence – whatever it is – is in itself a rather empty concept. It only becomes interesting when it works as a means and is applied.

– Sweden has long had excellence as a leitmotif in research policy. But if you look at the statistics, Swedish research has not become more excellent over time. Even those who see an intrinsic value in excellence cannot be satisfied with how it has developed over time. Because it has not increased the impact of Swedish research – and we see no direct effects of it in society either.

What would be good for the development of innovation and entrepreneurship in Sweden?

– More utopian broad and long-term research programs, like in Japan for example. They have very strong administrators at the innovation agency who run large, broad and long-term programs. In Sweden, we have programs that are too big for the actors, with diffuse objectives and general ambitions that everyone has to agree on.

– We also need greater mobility between academia, business, politics, the public sector and civil society. What we were once world champions in together with the United States, and which was the basis for a number of breakthroughs in business, research and society at large. But this has come to a halt, unfortunately.

Read more voices on the research and innovation bill:
Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, Professor of Informatics and Vice-Chancellor at Luleå University of Technology

Eugenia Perez Vico, innovation researcher and expert on research policy at Halmstad University

Read interview with Minister of Education Johan Pehrson