"Many people seem to have the idea that an innovation in the field of health or medical care must by definition deal with something highly advanced like pharmaceuticals and research. We want to encourage suggestions for improvements of all kinds," says the project manager behind the user-driven innovation scheme at Region Västra Götaland, Marika Hellqvist Greberg.  

Solving a problem
She explains that an innovation may be that someone might simply have an idea that can help solve a problem at work. For example a new system for managing medical records or a tool that makes it easier to make beds. The user-driven innovation programme also aims to serve as an entry point for companies to work together with health and medical care in Region Västra Götaland on the development of new products.

"We want in this way to support the idea generator, irrespective of whether the idea comes from an employee or a company," says Marika Hellqvist Greberg. According to the Swedish law on the right to an employee´s inventions (LAU) it is the employer who has legal entitlement to an invention created by an employee. So what exactly is going to motivate staff to submit proposals for something that will be owned by Region Västra Götaland?
 
Everyone should be a winner
“LAU still applies, but we want to develop guidelines that make both employer and employee into winners. We might decide on various incentives. For example staff may be given time to develop an idea, something that might otherwise be difficult when tying down a full-time job, or we may provide assistance with patent application and prototype production," says Marika Hellqvist Greberg.

“We may also decide that the person generating the idea can own a certain percentage of the innovation, in which case it is important he or she really feels that the compensation offered for the idea is reasonable," explains Marika Hellqvist Greberg.She continues: Region Västra Götaland´s regional development council is setting aside 2.5 million kronor for one year for this purpose and the project is being co-financed by state-owned Vinnova in 2010-2011. The regional development council intends to finance the user-driven innovation programme for a further two years.
 
Facts:
Work on user-driven innovation is taking place in close cooperation with actors outside Region Västra Götaland, such as Almi, Sahlgrenska Science Park and various incubators. The work is being led and followed up by the Innovation Council, whose chairperson is Ingela Tuvegran.

Source:Region Västra Götaland

May 2010