Jakob Trollbäck is the main architect behind the language and visual identity of the UN’s 17 Global Goals, launched in 2015. He is also one of the initiators of the Inner Development Goals, a framework of individual skills and qualities needed to accelerate the work toward Agenda 2030. Jakob has a branding agency in New York and founded The New Division in 2017, a Stockholm-based agency for change that makes complexity easy to understand and gives oxygen to new ideas with simple, smart, and beautiful communication. The team is currently working on the new UN framework for biodiversity.

We tend to look at change in silos. We have long to-do lists of areas that include climate, biodiversity, justice, equality, diversity, democracy, and economy. But what if we have got it all wrong and it’s actually part of the same thing? The creator of three important sustainability frameworks: the SDGs, the IDGs, and now The Biodiversity Plan for Life on Earth, talks about our connection to nature, each other, and ourselves, suggesting that sustainability is only about one thing — our relationship to the world.

Fostering Innovation: Cultivating the Conditions

Darja Isaksson is the Director General of Vinnova, the Swedish Innovation Agency, since 2018. She serves as an expert advisor to the EU commission in the high-level expert group ESIR, as well as the Swedish Governments’ Digitalisation Council.  She has previously served on the Prime Ministers Innovation Council in 2015-2018, and served on the boards of research institutes RISE Interactive and RISE SICS. With a background as an entrepreneur, she has been recognized as one of the worlds’ 50 most influential leaders navigating disruption by Apolitical, and helped develop innovative products touching millions within the space of consumer electronics, banking and e-commerce.

Vinnova
Vinnova is the Swedish Innovation Agency, with a mandate to fund needs-driven research and innovation, and develop effective innovation ecosystems. The annual budget of Vinnova is approximately 300 MEUR.

ESIR
ESIR is a high-level expert group that provides evidence-based policy advice to the Commission on how to develop a forward-looking and transformative research and innovation policy.

Innovation is sometimes viewed in isolation, focusing narrowly on one sector at a time. But what if these sectors are interlinked components of a broader ecosystem? Darja Isaksson, Director General of Vinnova, Sweden’s Innovation Agency, illuminates the essential conditions necessary for innovation and assesses today’s European innovation climate. Exploring the concept of mission-driven innovation, Darja argues that the future of innovation lies not only in advancements within discrete areas but also in fostering an integrated approach. Understanding that the world is interconnected – and that innovation must be as well – is essential to address complex global challenges and shape a sustainable future.

From graduating high school to becoming an airborne ranger, Marcus’s journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. His academic prowess led him to Chalmers University of Technology, where he earned a master’s degree in electrical engineering while excelling in military leadership at the Karlberg Military Academy.

As a fighter pilot with the Swedish Air Force, Marcus participated in international exercises and operational deployments. In 2006, he founded Intuitech AB, focusing on tactical pilot training, before joining SAAB Aeronautics as an experimental test pilot. Rising through the ranks, Marcus now serves as Chief Innovation Officer at SAAB.

Recognised for his exceptional performance, Marcus was selected for the ESA astronaut reserve in 2022. He joined the European Astronaut Corps as an ESA project astronaut in 2023, embarking on a commercial spaceflight mission with Axiom Space. Marcus’s journey epitomizes excellence in aerospace exploration.

Marcus and Christer, our Swedish astronauts have experienced the thrill of pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. And the future of space exploration is filled with exciting possibilities, including the exploration of new celestial bodies, the development of innovative technologies, and the potential for human colonization beyond Earth. In addition, global collaboration will be crucial for successful space missions, fostering a deeper understanding of our universe and the role humanity plays within it. But there are also great challenges. How do we overcome these? Come and listen to our Swedish astronauts talk about the future of space exploration.

Since April 2017, Christer has held the prestigious position of professor in Space Travel, following four years as an adjunct professor seconded from the European Space Agency.

At KTH, Christer serves as the director of the KTH Space Center, a role he assumed in March 2014. Under his guidance, the center has flourished as a hub for cutting-edge research in space exploration.

Christer’s research focuses on particles in space, particularly radiation aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and he leads a pioneering project studying ultra-high energy cosmic rays through the JEM-EUSO initiative.

In academia, Christer oversees the AeroSpace Master program, where he teaches the course Human Spaceflight (SD2905), imparting invaluable knowledge from his extensive experience.

Marcus and Christer, our Swedish astronauts have experienced the thrill of pushing the boundaries of human knowledge. And the future of space exploration is filled with exciting possibilities, including the exploration of new celestial bodies, the development of innovative technologies, and the potential for human colonization beyond Earth. In addition, global collaboration will be crucial for successful space missions, fostering a deeper understanding of our universe and the role humanity plays within it. But there are also great challenges. How do we overcome these? Come and listen to our Swedish astronauts talk about the future of space exploration.

Valentina Schippers-Opejko is an expert on public procurement, motivated to share her experience and push forward public procurement as a strategic tool to accelerate innovation, circular economy, sustainability, economic recovery, energy transition and other challenges public authorities are dealing with.

Valentina Schippers-Opejko, representing the city of Haarlem, a recipient of the European Rising Innovative City award in the iCapital Award, will participate in a panel discussion at the Future Now Forum. She joins other representatives from award-winning cities, sharing both knowledge and know-how on fostering innovation and sustainability.

As sustainability specialist at the city of Vantaa in Finland, Lotta Alajoki is responsible for developing the city’s efforts to systematically advance all aspects of sustainability through a holistic and strategic approach. Previous experience includes for exemple immigration, employment, and development cooperation, with many years of international experience.

Lotta Alajoki, representing the city of Vantaa, a recipient of the European Rising Innovative City award in the iCapital Award, will participate in a panel discussion at the Future Now Forum. She joins other representatives from award-winning cities, sharing both knowledge and know-how on fostering innovation and sustainability.

Sofia Malander has extensive experience of broad cooperation between various public entities, especially in transport and infrastructure as evidenced by her previous role as CEO of the regional transportation company, Östgötatrafiken. These aspects are vital for Linköping, as a rapidly growing city. To stay at the forefront as an attractive and innovative city, collaboration, internally as well as externally, is key.

Sofia Malander, representing the city of Linköping, a recipient of the European Rising Innovative City award in the iCapital Award, will participate in a panel discussion at the Future Now Forum. She joins other representatives from award-winning cities, sharing both knowledge and know-how on fostering innovation and sustainability.

Mattias Josephson is a visionary entrepreneur and co-founder of Epishine, where he currently serves as Chief Strategy Officer. Epishine’s groundbreaking technology in printed organic solar cells has positioned the company as a pioneer in the renewable energy sector, focusing on innovative solutions that capture indoor light to power electronics.

A panel discussion that delves into the practicalities of fostering thriving innovation ecosystems at the local and regional levels. The panellists will share their experiences and insights on how stakeholders can effectively support entrepreneurs throughout their journeys, from ideation to implementation. Additionally, we’ll shed light on strategies for bridging the gap between the private and public sectors so that the creativity and innovative power of entrepreneurs and innovators can be harnessed to address the concrete challenges lying on the public sector’s tables.

Stina is an entrepreneur at heart, and have founded several startups and scaled scaleups internationally. In 2017, she was one of the founders of Ignite Sweden, a national non-profit with the mission to support startups with real business deals. Now she is the CEO of Swedish Incubators and Science Parks, devoting her time to make Sweden more innovative and startup-friendly. 

A panel discussion that delves into the practicalities of fostering thriving innovation ecosystems at the local and regional levels. The panellists will share their experiences and insights on how stakeholders can effectively support entrepreneurs throughout their journeys, from ideation to implementation. Additionally, we’ll shed light on strategies for bridging the gap between the private and public sectors so that the creativity and innovative power of entrepreneurs and innovators can be harnessed to address the concrete challenges lying on the public sector’s tables.

Catharina Sandberg is the CEO of LEAD, one of Sweden’s top business incubators, where she plays a pivotal role in supporting and accelerating the growth of innovative startups. Her expertise in early-stage business development was further honed during her time at LiU Innovation, where she helped commercialize research and foster entrepreneurship. Under her leadership, LEAD continues to drive innovation and sustainability, making significant contributions to the regional and national startup ecosystem. Recently, Catharina was appointed to Sweden’s Defense Innovation Council, reflecting her strategic influence in bridging civilian technology and defense innovation.

A panel discussion that delves into the practicalities of fostering thriving innovation ecosystems at the local and regional levels. The panellists will share their experiences and insights on how stakeholders can effectively support entrepreneurs throughout their journeys, from ideation to implementation. Additionally, we’ll shed light on strategies for bridging the gap between the private and public sectors so that the creativity and innovative power of entrepreneurs and innovators can be harnessed to address the concrete challenges lying on the public sector’s tables.

Mr. Arnaud Mercier is a Councillor and Member of the Board of the Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, responsible for the Digital Metropolis, Data Public Policy, and Innovation. He is also the Mayor of Venelles and a Councillor of the Département des Bouches-du-Rhône in France.

A panel discussion that delves into the practicalities of fostering thriving innovation ecosystems at the local and regional levels. The panellists will share their experiences and insights on how stakeholders can effectively support entrepreneurs throughout their journeys, from ideation to implementation. Additionally, we’ll shed light on strategies for bridging the gap between the private and public sectors so that the creativity and innovative power of entrepreneurs and innovators can be harnessed to address the concrete challenges lying on the public sector’s tables.

Joana Oliveira Costa is 22 years old, a final year Law student at the Portuguese Catholic University, and a regular volunteer with the Portuguese League Against Cancer, Refood and Banco Alimentar Contra a Fome. Since May 2024, she has been a Deputy Mayor in Lisbon City Council.

She is a member of the National Political Commission of Juventude Popular (JP) and Vice-President of JP Lisbon, having stood out in these roles for her defence of local communities, entrepreneurship and focus on sustainability issues.

Lisbon’s innovation journey and the city’s role in addressing environmental and societal challenge.

Since May 2022, Birgit Weidel is heading the department responsible for the implementation of parts of the Single market programme, Horizon Europe and ERDF in the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency. Her department deals with the SME Pillar, standardisation, consumers, EU and placed based innovation ecosystems. Previously she was heading the unit responsible for promoting the competitiveness of SMEs and designing SME support policies in the European Commission Directorate General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs. She has extensive experience in the internal market for goods and in industrial policy. Before joining the SME unit, she served as Deputy Head of Unit in the advanced engineering industries, dealing with standardisation, digitalisation and trade negotiations. Previously, she worked as assistant professor at the Vienna University of Economics, where she conducted research on the external economic relations of the EU.

Birgit holds a law degree from the University of Vienna as well as a master degree in “European Community law” from the College of Europe in Bruges.

Birgit Weidel, Head of Department at EISMEA, illuminates the critical role of innovation in addressing societal and environmental challenges. Drawing on insights and experiences shared during the conference, Weidel will highlight the key lessons learned about fostering innovation in urban environments. Additionally, she will provide an overview of EISMEA’s impactful work in supporting innovators and entrepreneurs across Europe, demonstrating how collaborative efforts can drive meaningful change and create resilient, forward-thinking cities.

Moderator of the Future Now Forum

Catarina Rolfsdotter-Jansson is an expert moderator and TV programme host, initiated lecturer and devoted workshop-leader facilitating sustainable development in many aspects and arenas. Her work is based on her journalistic profession and a lifelong passion for making the planet a better place.

Catarina hosts broadcasts for millions of viewers on the channel We Don’t Have Time and moderates for the EU Commission, the Swedish Government, UNDP, local municipalities, corporations and universities.

She is content director and program host for A Sustainable Tomorrow and was chairman of the independent think tank Global Utmaning (Global Challenge) 2020-2023.

Catarina lectures internationally about sustainability and is a TED-X speaker.

Catarina was awarded Region Skåne’s Honorary Environmental Award 2019 for her 25 years of engagement in environmental issues and is ranked among the 100 most influential people when it comes to sustainability in Sweden according to Aktuell Hållbarhet 2021, 2022 and 2023.