VFT Program at the University of Gothenburg 2018-2019
| Reference number | |
| Coordinator | Göteborgs universitet - Grants and Innovation Office, Gothenburg |
| Funding from Vinnova | SEK 17 924 031 |
| Project duration | December 2017 - December 2022 |
| Status | Completed |
Purpose and goal
Without the VFT program, many ideas would never have had the chance to develop as the innovation office on its own would only have been able to help a limited number of projects. VFT funds are often crucial for potential utilization. For many projects, a significantly smaller amount than the maximum budget is enough to verify or reject the hypothesis of societal impact and determine whether or not it is worth moving forward with the idea, and if so, in what way. The VFT program also leads to increased competence, preparedness and capacity for cooperation and utilization at the university.
Expected results and effects
During the period, 91 projects were financed, 67 new projects and 24 recurring from previous periods. As previously mentioned in the status reports, the inflow has decreased since the beginning of the pandemic. However, we see continued interest and are focusing on spreading the information to increase the inflow again. The VFT program gives the projects a very good opportunity to test their hypothesis early on and get an external assessment of the need in society. Seventeen companies have been formed during the period and 21 collaborations have been initiated with external actors.
Planned approach and implementation
During the period, the administration of the program has been updated and new processes for reporting, archiving and tighter time frames allow projects to complete activities more quickly and can either proceed or be terminated. Although VFT is open to the entire university, it is predominantly researchers from the faculties of science and medicine who apply for VFT. Here we want to put additional effort and lower the thresholds to bring in more impact-focused ideas. The VFT program is well-functioning and our most important tool for supporting utilization of research-based ideas.