The quite controversial Jack Werner was the first curator to tweet and the news made it to publications such as Time, Mashable, and all over the world.

Another interesting Twitter occasion was created by Swedish Stockholms Stadsmission, which built a paywall on Twitter. During one week (December 14-21) famous Swedes tweeted under the @betalvaggen handle and all the money raised went to help homeless people. With the words “People who are homeless can’t fill their stomachs with Facebook likes. Retweets will not keep them warm at night,” followers were encouraged to donate 25 SEK (about $3.50) each. Among the celebrities tweeting were well-known Swedish characters such as author Susanna Alakoski, TV-profiles Felix Herngren and Gry Forsell, and pop singer Niklas Stromstedt. Find more information here.

Both campaigns are proofs of how Twitter can be a tool for innovative marketing techniques. When it is for a social cause, such as @betalvaggen, it makes it so much better.

Anna

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This was my last day attending Innovative Sweden. I’m sad it’s over, but happy to have had the chance to listen and learn from so many interesting speakers, been introduced to so many great innovations, and met so many fascinating and intelligent people.

Today’s topic was gamification and I have to admit that when I arrived at Stanford University this morning I had World of Warcraft and Lara Croft in mind. Now I now that gamification is so much more than that. E.g. Karin Ryding and Bobbi Augustine Sand from Ozma told us how they used gamification for change management. By using Ozma’s WeProject, staff at four Swedish hospitals were encouraged to change behaviors and communicate about power consumption.

Karin and Bobbi Augustine also had the audience participate in a workshop where their Gamification Implementation Chart was used. I can see many uses for this chart at Herringbone. Get it yourself here.

Good luck to the Swedish Institute and Innovative Sweden as you promote Sweden and Swedish innovation throughout the World. Next stop: Toronto, Canada, January 23-February 12, 2012.

-Anna

All my photos from Innovative Sweden are on Facebook.
Couldn’t you attend Innovative Sweden? Or is there a session you would like to see again? Check out Innovative Sweden’s Bambuser channel.

It’s hard to beat the remarkable opening day at Innovative Sweden, but this may have been my favorite day so far. Today’s topic was Cleantech and how to build sustainable cities for the future. Sponsor was ABB.

I learned so many new cool things today.
Did you know that:

- The City Hall building of San Jose, CA is LEED Platinum certified? Scott Green and Chris Burton from the City of San Jose shared “San Jose’s green vision.” They also said that 1/3 of all VC funds in the US are invested in the San Jose area.

- Swedes are the heaviest users of energy per capita in the EU –but also of bio energy? Tomas Kaberger from Chalmers University said so. Tomas also said Sweden is a leading country within Smart Grid.

- If everybody lived the Western lifestyle we would need three globes? – Tomas Dahlman, from Electrolux revealed this alarming fact.

- Outside Stockholm there is a new, upcoming vibrant district for sustainable living, business and recreation called Stockholm Royal Seaport? A former brownfield industrial area is being transformed into one of Europe’s largest urban development projects using modern architecture and environmentally adapted energy-efficient solutions.

- Electrolux organizes an annual global design competition for industrial design students – Electrolux Design Lab? The student who presents the most innovative idea for household appliances reflecting Scandinavian design values (being sensitive to the environment, providing intuitive ease of use and aesthetic appeal) wins 5,000 EURO and a 6-month paid internship at an Electrolux global design center. I can’t wait for the future to be here if that means I can have a Bio Robot Refrigerator – watch it in this video featuring the finalists in 2010.

Enjoy the weekend. I will have a new blog post from Innovative Sweden for you on Monday.

-Anna

Follow my tweets @herringbonefm. #InnovativeSweden
Check out photos on Herringbone’s Facebook page.
Innovative Sweden is livestreamed here.

Silicon Valley is the innovative hotspot number 1, and today’s topic at Innovative Sweden was What key factors are necessary to create other hotspots? Sponsors were Vinnova – Sweden’s Innovation Agency, and Innovationbron, which focuses on turning research and innovation into business – who could be better suited?

Magnus Lundin from Swedish Incubators and Science Parks (SISP) told us about Kista Science City, which is home to almost 1,100 companies, 5,000 university students and 1,100 researchers within the IT and telecommunication sector (ICT). How cool!

Well… back to the question. A panel consisting of e.g. Carrie Walsh, Silicon Valley Bank and Tamara Carleton, Innovation Leadership Board LLC, concluded that some key factors needed to create hotspots elsewhere than in Silicon Valley are: a talented work force, service providers, and a sense of adventure.

I’ll end this blog post with a few well-said words by Professor Ingvar Sjoberg from Stockholm University discussing art and innovation:

“If you don’t do it, it doesn’t exist.”

-Anna

I’m tweeting from Innovative Sweden @herringbonefm. #InnovativeSweden
See my photos on Facebook.
Watch Innovative Sweden livestreamed via the Swedish Institute’s Bambuser channel.

Phew… I’m totally exhausted from a long, but fun and enlightening, day at Innovative Sweden.

Today’s topic was The Future of Mobile and companies such as Sony Ericsson, Ericsson, and Innovationsbron were sponsors.

The day started with an opening ceremony with Swedish hors d’oeuvres and lunch buffet by Chef Pelle, which was to die for… I could not stop eating, and wine from West Wines that produced the wine for the 2010 Nobel Banquet. The exhibitors and startups that were pitching were still dropping in from the airport after a long flight from Sweden and others looked somewhat jet lagged, but excited.

After opening speeches by Annika Rembe, Director General, Swedish Institure; Barbro Osher, General Consul of Sweden in San Francisco; and Dr. Arthur Bienenstock, Professor Emeritus Stanford University, Special Assistant to the President for Federal Research and Policy and Director, Wallenberg Research Link Stanford University, the sessions and panel discussions started. The speakers and panelists were true experts in their areas and it was very interesting to hear their views on the future.

Since it was a lot of information to soak in the coffee breaks with kaffe och kaka were really appreciated and also great for networking and talking to people. All of the exhibitors had booths in the exhibit hall, where guided tours were also offered. I was quite amazed by all the cool inventions and ideas these Swedish startups had created, and eager for the evening’s pitches.

Twenty five startups (many of them were also exhibitors at the event) had 1 minute each to pitch (+ 2 minutes Q&A) to a panel consisting of VCs and experienced entrepreneurs, e.g. Nicolai Wadstrom, BootstrapLabs and Wendy Lung, IBM Venture Capital Group, on why they should receive funding.

All the companies pitching seemed great, but the ones that stood out to me were Saplo and Solvatten. Saplo basically because its CEO Mattias Tyrberg pitched in a bright green suit. Solvatten because of their incredible product, a portable 10-liter container designed to purify water saving millions of lives.

What a great event! I can’t wait for tomorrow when the topic is The Key Factors In Creating Innovative Hotspots.

-Anna

Don’t forget to follow my tweets @herringbonefm. #InnovativeSweden
I also posted a few photos on Facebook.
Watch the different sessions livestreamed via the Swedish Institute’s Bambuser channel.

The week-long event is sponsored by the Swedish Institute, which is a public agency that promotes Sweden around the world. And that is exactly the purpose of Innovative Sweden, which is a worldwide tour to generate interest in Sweden. The first stop is Stanford University before it travels on to Toronto, Washington DC, Rio de Janeiro and other parts of the world.

 Traveling around the world and increasing awareness around Sweden will help the Swedish Institute to reach its goal: the creation of “mutual relationships with other countries around the world, whether the issue is culture, politics, trade, or development cooperation.”

Its website also reveals that the Swedish Institute:

• Puts Sweden on the map by using strategic communication,

• Creates intercultural relations through meetings, exchanges and the building of networks,

• Focuses on culture, society, education and science,

• Has some 90 members of staff in Stockholm and Paris,

• Receives annual government funding of approx. SEK 300 million.

Innovative Sweden emphasizes all the great inventions that have come from Sweden (the safety belt, the zipper, tetra pak, the pace maker… the list is long) and the fact that we Swedes still are world leaders of innovation in a variety of fields.

Innovative Sweden offers an event focused on the fields of Information and Communication Technology, Clean Technology, Gaming and Life Science and is filled with exciting speakers such as Rikard Steiber, Global Marketing Director – Mobile & Social Advertising, Google and Barbro Osher, General Consul of Sweden in San Francisco.

Twenty Swedish companies and startups, such as Solvatten and OrganoClick, are showcased in the exhibition and many of them will pitch for VCs tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

- Anna

Don’t forget to follow my tweets @herringbonefm. #InnovativeSweden

Watch an introduction video from Innovative Sweden.