The EU's first evaluation of mission work – observations and reflections from a Swedish perspective

The idea behind a "mission-oriented" approach is that society should avoid fragmented processes and efforts, and find solutions to the problems that can arise when changes are implemented as separate project.

- We can describe missions as strategically targeted investments in research and innovation. The investments focus on complex societal challenges that require innovative solutions and system changes, says Nannan Lundin, chief analyst at strategic analysis at Vinnova and lead author.

The EU's first evaluation of missions

This report is the first evaluation that the EU has made of the five missions that have been launched so far. Sweden has actively influenced and participated in three of them:

• Climate adaptation,
• Cancer
• Climate-neutral and smart cities.

The goals will be achieved through policy coordination, cross-sectoral collaboration and citizen engagement.

The evaluation can be seen as a checkpoint in the initial phase of the transformation work that missions aims to do. Nannan Lundin points out that the evaluation contributes to the understanding of missions. She also believes that it can provide insights into both the complexity and what is required for the transformative potential of the instrument to become a reality.

- The evaluation is important for Sweden! Dels. Several large Swedish cities and municipalities are involved in the EU's two climate missions, and there are many actors in cancer prevention and treatment who participate in Cancer Mission, says Nannan Lundin.

Sweden plays an active role in the EU's missions

Sweden, and in particular Vinnova, has been a driving force and forerunners in developing a challenge-driven and mission-oriented approach in innovation and policy development. Sweden's perspective on the EU's evaluation contributes to the ongoing discussions on how missions can be developed and implemented in the next Framework Programme for research and Innovation, FP10.