Swedish Metals and Minerals: Impact Innovation Report

In this first Impact Innovation Report, Swedish Metals and Minerals summarizes the period 2024-2025. How is the work towards the mission going, what has the program focused on and what is happening going forward?

Swedish Metals and Minerals is guided by the mission to enable a sustainable and resilient supply of metals and minerals for societal transformation. The program brings together actors from industry, academia, institutes, the public sector and civil society. Together, they have built governance, working methods and tools to translate the mission into practical efforts.

A theory of change describes how the efforts will drive development towards the mission. A roadmap has been developed that specifies how the theory of change will be translated into priorities and efforts over time.

Calls for proposals as a tool for change

The program's main tool for bringing about change is calls for proposals. In the start-up phase, the ambition was to quickly establish an initial set calls for proposals that provided a broad and stable foundation and at the same time built knowledge about needs, opportunities and knowledge gaps in the system.
The program has conducted 11 calls for proposals and built a portfolio where early feasibility studies and follow-up calls for proposals have created a path from idea to continued development.

The program has built an extensive project portfolio in a short time. This demonstrates a high mobilization capacity and strong commitment across the entire value chain – from exploration to recycling.

The importance of perseverance

The report notes that mission-oriented work is characterized by delayed effects, where a growing project portfolio in itself does not equate to goal achievement. Against this background, a need for sustainable implementation power emerges: To allow the theory of change and roadmap to work over time.

The program in numbers

The program has built an extensive project portfolio in a short time, demonstrating high mobilization capacity and strong commitment across the entire value chain – from exploration to recycling.

• 11 completed calls for proposals

• 285 applications, of which 135 were granted project

• In the approved projects, the gender distribution is 58/42 percent men/women among the project leaders.

• 254 organisations participate
• Total funding: SEK 316.5 million (of which SEK 190 million external funding)

The report states that mission-oriented work is characterized by delayed effects, where a growing project portfolio in itself does not equate to goal achievement. Against this background, a need for sustainable implementation power emerges: To allow the theory of change and roadmap to work over time.

Curious about the other programs in Impact Innovation?

Explore the reports from the other programs and learn from their results and lessons learned.

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• SustainGov
• Water Wise Societies

About Impact Reports

Impact Innovation Reports is produced by the programs and summarizes results, learning and insights. The reports show how the work develops over time and how the programs are moving towards their missions. During the ten years of the initiative, each programme publishes five reports that together provide a comprehensive picture of the transition.

About Impact Innovation

Impact Innovation is Sweden's major innovation initiative that tackles the challenges of our time and the future with groundbreaking innovations. In collaborations between actors in the private, public and non-profit organisations, the programs within Impact Innovation meet real technical and societal needs with groundbreaking solutions - and show the way to a sustainable and continuously competitive Sweden, rich to live in for all.

Impact Innovation is a joint effort between the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova. The initiative is based on Agenda 2030, the EU's mission and social policy objective.

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Swedish Metals and Minerals website

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