About

A database of Swedish Innovations, 1970 to the present

The SWINNO project is an ongoing series of research projects into Swedish innovations and the Swedish innovation system. Many of these projects are based on the SWINNO database of Swedish innovations, often with additional data from for example surveys, interviews and policy documents. The project is currently headed by Josef Taalbi, and funded by VINNOVA, with additional funding from LUSEM. SWINNO 3. Significant New Products and Processes in Sweden 1970 to the present

In 2020, the SWINNO project has gone into its third phase (SWINNO 3). This phase focuses on the themes of the impact of innovations and social, environmental and economic sustainability. Basic questions and topics are the long-run trends of innovation across different fields; assessing the drivers and obstacles of innovation, e.g., in environmental transitions; network analysis of collaboration patterns and industry ties; and the role of public funding and STI policies.

Beside the research projects, SWINNO 3 continues and expands the data collection of the previous phases. From 2010 onwards, the database has grown from a single spreadsheet into a full-blown relational database that has been developed according to the needs of the SWINNO project and its research. The initial dataset comprised the years 1970 - 2007. SWINNO 2 extended this to 2019 and SWINNO 3 will continue to update for the duration of the project. A historical extension is available for 1908-1969 and is currently extended further back to the late 19th century.

The richness of the SWINNO data allows it to be linked to for example particular regions, the innovating companies (from Sweden’s statistical office) and patents. Patent data is being added to the innovations from 1970 to 2015.

SWINNO data and meta data is publicly available (as far as privacy and copyright allows) as a spreadsheet that can be downloaded here.

The SWINNO project has resulted in a number of papers in high impact academic journals, two PhD theses, a number of student papers, working papers and policy documents.

If you are working with the SWINNO database, please cite the documentation paper:

Sjöö, K., Taalbi, J., Kander, A., & Ljungberg, J. (2014). A Database of Swedish Innovations, 1970-2007. Lund Papers in Economic History, 2014:133.

publication details pdf

@misc{sjoo2014DatabaseSwedishInnovations,
  author       = {{Sjöö, Karolin and Taalbi, Josef and Kander, Astrid and Ljungberg, Jonas}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Working Paper}},
  number       = {{133}},
  publisher    = {{Department of Economic History, Lund University}},
  series       = {{Lund Papers in Economic History. General Issues}},
  title        = {{SWINNO: A Database of Swedish Innovations, 1970-2007}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/5522430/7868934}},
  year         = {{2014}},
}

If you are using the historical data 1908-1969, please cite:

Taalbi, J. (2021).Innovation in the long run: Perspectives on technological transitions in Sweden 1908–2016. Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions, 40, pp. 222-248.

publication

@article{taalbi2021,
title = {Innovation in the long run: Perspectives on technological transitions in Sweden 1908–2016},
journal = {Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions},
volume = {40},
pages = {222-248},
year = {2021},
doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eist.2021.07.003},
url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210422421000502},
author = {Josef Taalbi},
keywords = {Innovation, Wavelet analysis, Technological transitions, Development blocks},
}