Daniel Richardsson

Daniel Richardsson works as an Innovation and Process Leader at RISE, focusing on areas such as sales, innovation management, and innovation pedagogy.

He is one of Sweden’s leading figures in spreading innovative and strength-based work methods, perspectives, pedagogies, and leadership behaviors that empower individuals, teams, organizations, and regions to make progress in meaningful work and sustainable value creation.

- Purpose and Focus
The goal of Daniel’s work is to contribute—both nationally and internationally—to the professionalization of innovation managers and associates, the development of systematic innovation practices, and the establishment of innovation management systems. Within this work, sales excellence is considered an important method for ensuring the long-term viability and adoption of innovations.

- Expertise and Methodology
Daniel has a broad background that combines experience from academia, the public sector, and industry. He has alternated between employment and running his own consultancy in areas such as strength-based change and innovation management based on Appreciative Inquiry, service and experience design, positive organizational psychology, health and supportive work environment development, and both classical and agile project execution.

He is also the translator of the book Strength-Based Team Development (2012 & 2019). See more at: https://styrkebaserad.org

- Previous Assignments and Experience
Among Daniel’s previous assignments are teaching and research in innovation at Mid Sweden University in the subject of quality management, the development of an innovation action plan for Region Jämtland Härjedalen, the establishment of regional export centers for the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth (Tillväxtverket), and method development in inter-agency collaboration for sustainable development in Sweden—an initiative coordinated by SIDA.

Several of Daniel’s projects are documented in research articles. See the Publications section below for more information.

- Method Development and Tools
During 2020–2021, Daniel contributed to the development of the method tool Customers, Insights and Trends for SVID – the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation – with the aim of strengthening rural companies through design-driven business development. See: https://svid.se/guider-och-verktyg/kunder-insikter-och-trender-ett-meto…

- Certification and Memberships
In spring 2020, Daniel became one of Sweden’s first certified innovation leaders according to RISE’s certification criteria, developed in collaboration with the professional association Innovationsledarna, of which he is also a member. Five years later, in spring 2025, he was recertified as an innovation leader for another five-year period. Learn more https://www.ri.se/en/what-we-do/services/certified-innovation-managemen…

- Roles at RISE
Between 2021 and 2024, Daniel worked in two different units at RISE: in the Certification Development unit within the Certification department, and in the Innovation Management unit within the System Transition department of the Built Environment division—focusing on developing innovation management programs for small and medium-sized enterprises and other target groups.

Since January 2025, he has been active in the area of Sales, Marketing and Strategy, also within the Built Environment division.

- Ask Me About
How to build and assure the quality of innovation management systems according to ISO 56001
Strength-based methods in change management and team development
Appreciative Inquiry in the public sector and business
Design methodology for business innovation
Certification of innovation management professionals
Innovation management and innovations pedagogy in collaboration between academia, business, and government
How to operationalize innovation strategies in complex organizations