Beautiful Equations

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.

Blueprints for Progress: Winning Strategies from Three Rising Innovative Cities

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.

Space Exploration: Possibilities and Challenges for the 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 test pilot and head of flight operations.

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.

Space Exploration: Possibilities and Challenges for the Future

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.

Blueprints for Progress: Winning Strategies from Three Rising Innovative Cities

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.

Blueprints for Progress: Strategies from Three Rising Innovative Cities.

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.

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.

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.