10 years of science-based optimism

These are the words of Malin Frenning, who shares her thoughts as RISE celebrates its 10th anniversary. In this interview, she shares her perspective on the institute's history, current situation, and future. As the CEO of Europe’s fourth-largest research institute, which is tasked with helping industry and the public sector develop products, processes, and operations that are sustainable, Malin plays a leading role in the Swedish innovation system.

"The idea behind establishing RISE was to strengthen interdisciplinary research and collaborate closely with industry and the public sector, and that is exactly what we are doing. Over 50 per cent of our revenue comes from direct commissions from industry, which demonstrates that we are truly making a difference and creating value. At the same time, we are seeing a large and growing proportion of our work consist of European research projects in collaboration with academia and industry, which also demonstrates our relevance," says Malin.

From idea to market entry

When the business sector collaborates with RISE, the aim is to advance products, processes, or even entire operations along the innovation value chain, thereby strengthening Sweden’s competitiveness. In industry, there is sometimes talk of 'the valley of death', referring to the fact that many innovations fail to progress from the idea and pilot stages to industrialisation and market entry.

"Technological development is constantly accelerating, which is why RISE’s role in bridging the gap between academia and industry is becoming ever more important. New ideas and technologies need to be implemented to strengthen our competitiveness, so we must become more efficient at transitioning from basic to applied research and then to market entry."

'We cannot afford not to work together'

In addition to being the CEO of RISE, Malin Frenning is the Vice-Chair of EARTO (the European Association of Research and Technology Organisations) and sits on its steering group. The EU is currently negotiating the framework programme for research and innovation, known as Horizon Europe 2028–2035 or FP10, and the proposed European Competitiveness Fund (ECF). The proposed budget amounts to nearly €2 trillion, but many fear that it will be reduced during the negotiations. The forthcoming EU framework programme is crucial to technological research institutes' ability to strengthen Europe's competitiveness.

"It is of the utmost importance that the EU stands firm and invests in our future competitiveness. Rather than spreading its investments across a geographical area, the EU should build on its strengths and view the whole of Europe as a single, collaborative entity. Sweden is at the forefront of areas such as digitalisation, life sciences and biotechnology, and we need to prioritise these areas", says Malin.

"The balance between basic and applied research is also important for Sweden and Europe. To ensure our initiatives have the greatest possible impact, we need to work together within a clearly defined ecosystem. Collaboration is essential. If we are to seriously strengthen Sweden’s and Europe’s capabilities, research policy and industrial policy must be integrated into a seamless system."

Focus on total defence

Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the work of Malin and RISE has also become more focused on preparedness and total defence. The current geopolitical situation has, of course, reinforced this trend. RISE plays a pivotal role in Sweden’s total defence strategy, focusing particularly on the adaptability of industry and supply security.

"Within the field of total defence, our role is to support companies and public authorities, equipping them to play an effective part in Sweden’s emergency preparedness. The major challenge ahead is to manage data effectively, keep pace with technological developments and, at the same time, help employees develop the skills and confidence to navigate and take action in uncertain times. One could describe it as a major systemic transformation within total defence, affecting the whole of society. In this context, RISE's interdisciplinary expertise in technology and change processes is invaluable."

"Another key insight from ongoing wars and conflicts is that civilian innovations are quickly being adopted for military purposes. While the focus has traditionally been on defence research generating civilian spin-offs, it is now becoming increasingly clear that the opposite is also true. RISE therefore needs to consider ‘dual use’ more often, recognising that innovations and products can have both civilian and military applications."

Technology infrastructures for development, testing and demonstration

In this context, Malin also emphasises the importance of RISE’s 130-plus technology infrastructures. These test and demonstration environments are open to industry, academia, and the public sector. Materials, products, processes, and services are tested here under real-world conditions, and scaled up from prototype to pilot production.

"The technological developments currently taking place in the business sector and being implemented across the defence industry require significant investment and advanced technological infrastructure. This includes gigafactories for digitalisation and AI, the energy system, battery development and the industry's overall transition to more efficient, sustainable solutions. At RISE, we ensure that our technology infrastructures are open, which is why industry comes to us. However, if Sweden and Europe are to gain control and become self-sufficient, we must decide where to focus our investments, as they are costly."

Optimism based on scientific evidence

Yet, despite the current global uncertainty, Malin emphasises throughout the interview the foundation on which RISE is built. As Sweden’s research institute, RISE aims to foster innovation, competitiveness and a sustainable transition based on scientific evidence, working closely with industry and society. This is encapsulated by the phrase 'optimism based on science'.

"I believe it is incredibly important to have a forward-looking and constructive outlook. What’s so exciting about working at RISE right now, as we celebrate our tenth anniversary and look ahead to the next ten years, is that we are driven by challenges. We thrive on solving problems. So, if you’re curious to find out how we’re going to solve tomorrow's problems, you should join us!"