Innovite – An Innovation Cluster for Sector Coupling

Innovite aims to establish a sector-coupled innovation cluster to accelerate the energy transition. By connecting actors from electricity, heating, industry, real estate and digitalisation, the project strengthens the potential to develop joint solutions to some of today’s most urgent energy system challenges – such as capacity shortages, variable electricity supply and increasing demands for robustness. Innovite is our invitation to everyone who wants to contribute to innovation for a sustainable energy transition. The project is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency.

Project facts
Project title: Innovite – Development of an Innovation Cluster for Sector Coupling
Project period: 2025-04-01 – 2027-12-31
Coordinator: Glava Energy Center
Project manager: Ulrika Siösteen, ulrika.siosteen@glavaenergycenter.se
Funder: Swedish Energy Agency
Call: Innovation Clusters for a Sustainable and Robust Energy System, under the research programme The Future Electricity System.

Why is Innovite needed?

Sweden’s energy system faces major challenges – including limited grid capacity, a rapid increase in variable renewable energy, and growing demands for flexibility, robustness and national security.

Today, different sectors often work in isolation, which hinders holistic solutions. There is enormous potential in connecting the electricity, heating, real estate, industrial and digital sectors – but it requires a new kind of cluster that builds bridges between technologies, business models and stakeholders. This is where Innovite comes in.

What can Innovite change?

By building a sector-coupled innovation cluster, Innovite aims to:

Create new alliances between sectors that rarely collaborate.
Develop innovations that integrate electricity, heating and digital control.
Strengthen local and regional energy resilience through smart and flexible use of resources.
Provide access to testbeds for new solutions and actors.
Increase equality and diversity in energy innovation environments.

The goal is to develop solutions that address concrete regional needs – while also being scalable and relevant at the national and international level.

What does it take to succeed?

Driving real change takes more than just technology. Innovite is built on:

A proven cluster development model – Värmland Model 2.0
Structured and quality-assured processes for innovation and membership.
Active inclusion – both in terms of competence and representation.
Clear and open dissemination – to ensure others can learn and build on our results.
A combination of public and commercial funding.
In short: we invite innovation – but also responsibility, transparency and collaboration.

How does it work?

Innovite follows a four-phase process based on the established Värmland Model 2.0 for cluster development. Each phase includes concrete activities and expected results.

1. Initiation

We map target groups and needs, identify possible solutions, suppliers and knowledge carriers. We also organise matchmaking events between sectors and tailor the innovation process.

2. Pilot

We test, evaluate and refine the innovation and membership processes through real-world cases – including testbeds, business models and training programmes.

3. Establishment

We expand the cluster with new members from key sectors and promote the model regionally and nationally through events, networks and conferences.

4. Sustainability

We explore long-term funding solutions and investigate the potential for cluster certification. The project concludes with an evaluation of gender equality efforts and their long-term effects.

Glossary – What do we mean?
Innovation: A new idea, technology or solution that creates real value – not just something new, but something better.
Sector coupling: When different sectors – such as electricity, heating, buildings and industry – work together to develop smarter energy solutions.
Innovation cluster: A group of companies, researchers and stakeholders collaborating to develop new ideas and solutions.
Testbed: A real-world environment where new technologies or services can be tested before large-scale deployment.
Flexibility in the energy system: The ability to adjust electricity and heat production or consumption based on supply and demand – for example, by using more electricity when it's abundant and less when it's scarce.
Resilience: The ability of a system to withstand disruptions and recover quickly – such as during power outages or crises.
Värmland Model 2.0: A regional four-phase method for cluster development: Initiation, Pilot, Establishment and Sustainability.
Cluster certification: A quality label showing that a cluster meets international standards for structure, impact and collaboration.

Image caption: An energy system in transition needs new connections – between sectors, technologies and people. Innovite creates space for collaboration at the heart of the shift. Photo: Øyvind Lund / Varumärket Värmland.