Pia Wågbergs CV

Background:

My career of almost 40 years started in the forest company SCA with a focus on technology development and technical support for SCA's factories in Europe. During the latter part of my employment at SCA, I focused more on innovations where the collaboration between academia and the company was central. I ran several large innovative projects where they explored how fiber raw materials could be used in new ways. The academic collaborations spanned both local actors (MiUn) as well as national (LiUn, KTH, LTH) and international (MIT, Stanford, Berkeley). During the latter part of my career, I moved to an institute (Innventia) that supported the forest industry in various ways and later became part of an institute with a broader customer focus (RISE). My great interest in collaborations between large and small companies has been the basis for much of my experience.

Since about 6 months, I have ended my employment at RISE and started a consulting company to be able to use my experience to help companies in sustainable development.

Business development:

  • With the help of a proprietary patent that was developed in collaboration between SCA and MIT Media Lab, we built a company (Addmarkable) that would commercialize the invention. I was chairman of the board for a few years in the late 90s.
  • Has worked with business development for many major customers at Innventia and RISE, mainly with the help of innovation strategies and workshops
  • Have worked with various SME customers in various projects where the focus has mainly been to understand how to collaborate with large companies for win-win.

Production and organizational development:

  • Through a long experience of innovation work on several levels, I have used different strategies for both product development and for organizational development.
  • Has helped various companies with innovation and organizational development with a helicopter vision and collaboration ability that has come in handy regardless of whether the goal has been to develop new products or bring about a change in the company (perspective or organization).

Supply chain development:

  • In several of the major customer projects that I have participated in, the importance of working with the entire supply chain has been an important element. This has required collaboration and networking, which has been a valuable element in the projects.

Mentor and coach:

  • Has worked as a mentor and coach both internally and externally, informally and in mentoring programs within e.g. the Swedish Forest Industries Federation

Education

1975-1979 Na-line upper secondary school, Umeå (including 1 year as an exchange scholarship holder in Colorado, USA)

1980-1981 Chemist, Stockholm University

1982-1986 Chemical Engineering Education, KTH

1988-1992 Licentiate Degree in Paper Technology, KTH

1993-1994 Leadership training LMM (company-adapted for SCA)

2005 Project Management Training PRIME

2010 4 months in Silicon Valley, Vinnova innovation fellowship

2011 SRI (Stanford Research Institute) training "Five Disciplines of Innovation"

2018 Design thinking for Business Innovation, Aalto University, ESADE business school

2023 Board Academy training for board members

Work experience:

1986-1988 Researcher and PhD student, STFI

1988-1993 Research engineer at SCA Research with responsibility for building an advanced printability lab

1993-1996 Group manager for a group at SCA Research. Built up a service organization

1996-1998 Prinability manager at SCA Fine paper in Stockstadt and helped build up a new group there.

1998-2002 Major project manager SCA Packaging and led an interdisciplinary team with members from SCA and Ericsson for the development of new products

2002-2003 Marketing Manager, STFI

2003-2007 Head of the Paper as Information Medium Division, STFI-Packforsk

2007-2016 Head of Innovation, Innventia

2016-2020 R&A (Research and Business Development Manager), RISE Bioeconomy

2020-2024 Responsible for the development of collaboration projects between RISE and KTH

2024- Started the consulting company InnScight AB together with my husband who until now worked as a professor at KTH in fiber knowledge (Innovation, Inspiration and Science). We expect to be able to jointly and separately use our experience to support companies working with sustainable solutions for the future.

Competences and skills

  • Easy to create new contacts and networks in both your own area of expertise and new ones. Has an ability to connect new and old and see new opportunities
  • A driven and appreciated facilitator for workshops with up to 80 participants, mainly with a focus on business development and innovations
  • Experienced moderator for larger meetings and conferences
  • Have a "helicopter view" that makes it easier to identify new challenges
  • Has adapted a commercial idea management system (https://www.hypeinnovation.com/en/) to the institute's special challenges and implemented it in the business
  • Has extensive experience in managing employees, both in the role of manager and as a project manager
  • Very experienced and enthusiastic presenter

Network:

  • Innovation Pioneers
  • NOX consulting
  • Board Academy
  • IVA
  • Entrepreneurs through STING, KTH and Epicenter/Elements in Stockholm A large network in industry in different positions

Private:

Married to Lars Wågberg, professor emeritus KTH, the children are Linus born -88 and Felix born -93. Interests: skiing, mainly downhill, hiking and nightlife, traveling with children and grandchildren. Music and choral singing.ter your text here...