From left to right: Charles Edquist and Rafael Garesse, Rector of UAM
In this first edition of the UAM-Accenture Visiting Fellowship program, the UAM-Accenture Chair has decided to grant this recognition to Professor Charles Edquist (University of Lund, Sweden), for his outstanding work in the field of innovation policy studies.
Top among his contributions has been his role as one of the scholars who gave birth and substance to the concept of national innovation systems –together with Christopher Freeman, Richard Nelson and Bengt-Åke Lundvall. More recently, his pioneering research in the field of innovative public procurement has also been very well received by both academics and practitioners.
In addition to his academic contributions, his work has deeply influenced innovation policy and strategy in Europe, through his numerous activities as advisor for various international organisations such as the European Union, OECD, ILO, UNCTAD, Finnish and Swedish governments, and companies like SAAB and Volvo, to name a few. Since 2015, he acts as a member of the Swedish National Innovation Council, chaired by the Swedish Prime Minister. The depth and sharpness of his academic contributions, as well as his continuous efforts to bring this knowledge to practitioners in the field of innovation, make Prof. Edquist most worthy of this recognition.
As a UAM-Accenture Visiting Fellow, Prof. Edquist will spend the whole month of March at the Autonomous University of Madrid, working within the research group of the UAM-Accenture Chair. During this period, he will give several research seminars and participate in policy workshops with Spanish policy-makers and experts in the field of innovation. He will also interact with researchers and students of the Master and PhD Programs in Economics and Management of Innovation.
