By Monika Jönsson, Region Dalarna, Sweden, presented at the 16th TCI Global Conference, Kolding 2013.

1. Mountain Package – an ecosystem boosting
innovation tourism
Monika Jönsson
Academic Summit: Clusters as entrepreneurial ecosystems
4 September 2013

2. Mountain Package
-an ecosystem boosting innovation
in tourism
Monika Jönsson, PhD, Regional Adviser

3. Overview of the study
• Out of a case Mountain package:
– highlight a way of work, regional leadership and
innovations in service sector.
– make some theoretical connections concerning
multilevel governance, cluster development and learning
processes for innovation.
• The aim of the paper is to:
– Present a case and relate some finding to theoretical
concepts of leadership and learning.
– Suggest – how a cluster in the tourism sector can take
lead in an ecosystem to boost innovation.
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4. Overview of the study
• Method:
– Project plans
– Interviews
– OECD peer-review
– Examples of theories – literature
• Result:
– A suggestion of an ecosystem boosting innovation in
tourism – organized by a cluster
• Question:
– Are we on the right way?
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5. Destination Dalarna
Cluster in Dalarna

6. Cluster as a tool for regional
development
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Expected roles:
Highlighting
the branch
strength and
needs
Representing
the branch in
Regional strategic
plans
Regional actor
- Project portfolio
- Commercialization
- National connections
An actor for innovation
and processes for changes
- Applied research
- International connections

7. Mountain Package –
A World Class Destination
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8. 8
Project block:
Local and municipal
context
Project block:
Regional context
Project block:
National context
Coordinating team
Group of Project
leaders from the
tree blocks
Support from
Region Dalarna
expertsLocal, regional and national leadership coordinated
chairperson in Region Dalarna
• Housing and service
• Environment
• Competence supply
• Local infrastructure
• Water, drainage, electricity
and heating
• Environmental testing
• etc.
• Cluster Destination Dalarna
• Visit Dalarna
• Travel and tourism courses College
of Dalarna
• Kurbits
• Export maturity
• etc.
• Travel centers
• Operation & maintenance of
streets etc.
• Signposting
• Test arena E16
• Railway
• County transport plan
• etc.
Efforts for local planning
and business in the
mountain area
Developing business in
Dalarna tourism sector
Accessibility to the destina-
tion of customer and gods

9. Campus Sälen
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10. A biking product developed within
the cluster
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11. An upgrading of roads to the mountains
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12. Innovation in a learning region
• Mountain Package shows:
– Multilevel governance for strategic questions:
• To mobilize and organize public decision makers on local,
regional and national level
• A regional actor takes the lead – Region Dalarna
– Multilevel governance for operative solutions
• Multilevel ecosystem of actors for specific needs (SME)
• A cluster takes the lead in learning processes
– Destination Dalarna
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13. OECD - rekommendations
Strength and assets
• Cultural and linguistic proximity
• A common specialisation in tourism activities and some potential in
forestry-related industries
• Attractive and pristine natural areas
• Presence of knowledge and support institutions oriented towards
regional specialisations
• Cluster policies to develop new knowledge-based niches of
activities
Opportunities
• Growth of ‘nearby’ Oslo and Stockholm regions
• Unique global brand for tourism based on sports, health and green
assets
• Openness to cross-border co-operation with more knowledge-
intensive areas
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14. OECD - rekommendations
• Reducing or removing border obstacles:
– Cross-border public health and care; Cross-border public
transport; building and construction.
• Cluster activities:
– Business development SME; Visibility and profiling; Business
development in National Parks.
• Infrastructure:
– Airport planning in Sälen-Idre-Trysil;
• Facilitating innovations:
– Education; research and building knowledge; Statistics and
databases; networks collaboration and service management for
SME; test-beds and labs. Recommendations for a future innovation
strategy for a learning region – Dalarna/Hedmark.
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15. Smart specialization strategy
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EMC