Angelica Hafström named new board chair of IoT Sweden

It is incredibly exciting and a great honour to have been put forward by the Nominating Committee and given the confidence of the Programme Board to take on this important role, especially at a time when the programme is entering a new phase. We are moving from focusing primarily on calls for proposals and funding of IoT projects to now prioritising efforts to ensure the preservation and up-scaling of the valuable results, experiences and knowledge generated by the 140 projects and the SEK 350 million in funding provided through the programme.

At the same time, I am approaching this role with great humility. The very positive evaluation of the 9 years of the programme has set a high level of ambition, both for the Board and the Programme Office. Our chosen exit strategy goes far beyond submitting a final report in an archive – it seeks to lay the foundation for long-term impact and benefit.

Could you tell us a little more about yourself and your background?

I currently work as a senior advisor in the public sector at Knowit Insight West in Gothenburg, where I have been for just over a year. My area of expertise is coaching municipalities and municipal companies in improving their ability to adapt through digitalisation and innovation. In practice, this involves developing culture, structure and capacity to accelerate the change process. I am one of Knowit’s representatives in Adda’s partner programme for suppliers, which promotes digital maturity, as well as in IoT Sweden’s sister programme Viable Cities, a programme promoting climate-neutral cities in which Knowit is a member organisation. In addition to this, I am currently chair of the Swedish computer society’s local chapter, Dataföreningen Västra, and a board member of the national society, Dataföreningen i Sverige.

What did you work with before that?

Previously, I spent seven years working as an innovation developer in Uddevalla Municipality, where I was part of the Municipal Management Office and the Sustainable Growth Department. My role centred around strengthening innovation capacity in the public sector. Among other duties, I led iCare4Fyrbodal, a project conducted by Vinnova to foster innovation in the public sector, as well as the municipal council’s assignment to develop a group-wide growth and transition strategy.

You have been active in many different fields. Could you tell us more about this?

Yes, my background is generally interdisciplinary. I began my career as a registered nurse and midwife. I’ve also worked as an IT consultant, eHealth research coordinator at the Department of Applied IT (Chalmers and the University of Gothenburg), in start-up companies and as an entrepreneur. In addition, I’ve run cross-border networks as part of Dataföreningen, participated in the SIS Standardisation Committee for Innovation Management and been an expert assessor in Vinnova’s calls for proposals in IoT for societal benefit and AI in municipalities and civil society.

What will you contribute in your new role as board chair of IoT Sweden?

My main contribution is my systems perspective on IoT/digitisation and my focus on implementation and impact capture. The aim is to strengthen organisational capacity to use digital technology as a catalyst for smarter welfare and sustainable societal development. I am not a technical expert at the detail level – we have many competent technical experts on the Board. What I contribute is knowledge from a municipal group perspective based on strategic governance and management. I think this can be valuable in the phase of the programme we are now in.

IoT Sweden is a stakeholder-driven innovation programme, with representatives from municipalities, regions, companies and research institutes on the Board. What are the advantages of this?

It’s a fantastic asset! For one, in terms of all the valuable skills and perspectives around the table, which helps to create exciting and challenging dialogues, thereby refining our work. Secondly, because of the breadth of contacts and networks that the Board possesses, which will be extremely important in this final phase for the dissemination, scaling and further development of the results. The Board has now been bolstered with new, valuable forces.

IoT Sweden works with IoT applications in the public sector. But AI is currently high on the agenda and many people are not talking about IoT. How are IoT and AI connected, and is a continuation of the programme needed?

I think it will be important for us to highlight the interdependence that exists between IoT and AI, where one plus one equals three. IoT collects large amounts of data via sensors, cameras and connected gadgets that can provide a real-time picture of municipalities’ resources and needs. AI, on the other hand, requires large amounts of data as fuel to analyse, interpret and act on data in real time. The combination offers a powerful tool for municipalities to become more data-driven, efficient and sustainable. Not least through green transition supported by digitalisation (Twin Transition).

What are you looking forward to most in your new role?

Getting started! To work together to shine the spotlight on concrete results for further refinement and utilisation. Only then can they be characterised as innovations. Otherwise, by definition, it’s just a good idea.