In Sweden, companies and regional government are collaborating to establish a new multidisciplinary institute focusing on knowledge about ICT and future cell phone users. The aim is to combine specialised digital technology research, business understanding and explorative user research, and transfer relevant and research-based knowledge from local knowledge institutions to companies in the mobile phone industry.

Mobile Heights is a public-private partnership. The initiative was founded in 2007 by Ericsson Mobile Platforms (EMP), SonyEricsson, Lund Technical University and Region Skåne. The founding members have initiated an industrial excellence centre on service innovation in order to find new ways for transferring knowledge between knowledge institutions and the business sector. This centre will deal specifically with developing and exploring new methods for working in an open and interdisciplinary value network, which integrates technology, user value, and business knowledge bases between academia and industry. The centre is planned to operate for a period of ten years.

Overall funding of Mobile Heights amounts to approximately 600.000 EUR in 2009 and is comprised of financing from EU structural funds for regional development, company’s membership fees and additional financing.

Read more: http://www.mobileheights.org/

Source: Emily Wise (2009)

For more details on the case, contact FORA at FORA@newnatureofinnovation.org.