Academia and finance met to advance sustainability in agriculture and business

How can knowledge about sustainable primary production and sustainable business development make a difference in practice?

This was the question in focus when the Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Enterprising (SSCEN) at Lund University, the SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production, and Sparbanken Skåne met in Alnarp in September.

Introductory presentations from each of the organisations were followed by a panel discussion on barriers and bridges between research, finance and practice.

The panel was moderated by Kes McCormick, SLU. Panelists were Annie Drottberger from the SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production, Susanne Arvidsson from SSCEN, and Karin Lintrup, sustainability coordinator at Sparbanken Skåne.

The participants then split into three groups for thematic conversations. The outcomes were summarised in front of the whole group.

Track 1. From field to finance: bridging primary production and sustainable investment

Fredrik Nilsson, LTH, said that one keyword in the first track was market readiness – how ready the market is for a particular investment or innovation.

– As a business owner, you need knowledge and skills to be able to benefit from investments in sustainability. How can the market adopt these investments? And how do they fit into the wider system? said Fredrik Nilsson.

In connection to this, the group also discussed the important role of advisers.

– It can be difficult to have all the skills needed to invest in sustainability on a single farm. Business advisers can act as a guide and support the dialogue with the bank or other investors, he said.

The group also discussed the importance of measurability and data in making the right investments for different types of businesses.

Track 2. Innovation in practice: new ideas for sustainable Skåne

Nicholas Jakobsson from SLU Holding opened the summary of the second track by describing Skåne as one of Europe's most productive agricultural regions, and home to several research-intensive universities.

– So what would need to change for this combination to generate more sustainable innovation? said Nicholas Jakobsson.

The group noted that there is no shortage of innovation among companies in the region. However, greater exchange between the universities and the business sector would further benefit sustainable innovation.

One suggestion was to open up the universities physically, so that companies could set up operations close by or their employees could work on campus.

Another discussion focused on the importance of universities understanding companies' needs before initiating new research.

– We often complain that the industry doesn't adopt our research findings, but sometimes that may be because we haven't understood their needs well enough, he said.

For example, universities may adopt a particular technical perspective that isn't necessarily what the sector needs.

– So perhaps we should go out and ask companies even more questions. And since we now have these two centres, maybe we should do that together. Some of the companies' needs might then be better suited to research at SLU and others to research at Lund University, and we could divide them up accordingly.

Track 3. Knowledge into action: how research reaches the people who need it

Annie Drottberger said that the third track discussed, among other things, the fact that farmers alone bear the financial risk of investments, which can prevent research findings from being put to use.

Another topic was that research and business operate in their own bubbles, and that knowledge transfer would benefit from greater exchange, echoing the discussion in the previous track.

– Farmers could also be more involved in setting the research agenda, which could make implementation within businesses easier, said Annie Drottberger.

The group also discussed the importance of advisers as agents of change, greater involvement of government agencies in knowledge transfer, and the use of new technology to make scientific knowledge easier to understand.

As the meeting drew to a close, Annie Drottberger was happy with the outcome, with several synergies identified between the two centres and the bank.

– It was very interesting to gain insight into the work that both Sparbanken Skåne and academia are doing to create better conditions for sustainable growth in businesses and in primary production. Despite the sustainability challenges society faces today, I'm taking positive energy with me into our continued collaboration, said Annie Drottberger.

Links

Sparbanken Skåne's owner foundation Finn

Sparbanken Skåne Centre for sustainable enterprising

The SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production

Join our conference!

On 25 November, the SLU and Sparbanken Skåne Centre for Sustainable Primary Production is hosting Primärt, an innovation-themed conference in Alnarp. The programme covers crop production, horticulture and livestock production. Listen to knowledgable speakers, join in-depth thematic discussions and make valuable connections in the industry. Read more here.