Danmark og fremtidenDanmark står overfor store udfordringer. Vi skal i 2020 være et af de rigeste lande i verden, være førendevækstiværksætternation og samtidig være blandt de stærkeste økonomier i verdenSamtidig er vi en del af den globaliseret verden, hvilket betyder at vi handler og kommunikere med hele verdenog deltager aktivt i den internationale arbejdsdeling, hvilket betyder, at vi bl.a. konkurrerer på lønnen med lavt-lønsområder.Desuden har Danmark siden 60’erne oplevet stigende demografisk forskydning forårsaget af faldende fødselstalog faldende dødelighed. Dette har ført til en stigende demografisk forsørgerbrøk, eftersom andelen af erhvervs-aktive falder og dermed faldende opsparing, produktivitet og skattegrundlag. Samtidig stiger udgifterne til offent-lig service og overførselsindkomster og det betyder, at den danske velfærdsmodel er under pres.Der er derfor behov for innovation i både den private og offentlige sektor. Den offentlige sektor skal skabe bedreog billigere resultater for borgerne, levere nye serviceydelser og indføre nye arbejdsprocesser med øget effektivi-tet. Samtidig skal den private sektor skabe bedre og billigere produkter og services for kunderne og indføre nyearbejdsprocesser med øget effektivitet og herigennem styrke vores konkurrenceevne.Men for at den private og offentlige sektor kan blive mere innovative, så er der ifølge OECD1 behov for at sættefokus på det enkelte individ og dennes innovative kompetencer. Derfor er målet, at etablere en højskole medfagligt fokus på innovation, som gør det enkelte individ myndig til at forstå, handle og tænke innovativt.

Innovationshøjskolen

Højskolen er valgt som platform, fordi højskolen siden sin opståen har stået for et tidssvarende dannelsesideal,der har forbundet individ og samfund, borger og stat, bygget bro mellem det hjemlige og det fremmede, detgamle og det nye.I forventning om at dannelsesidealet for fremtidens vidensamfundet i udpræget grad indeholder innovation sombegreb, er højskolen derfor en ideel institution til at understøtte denne proces.Det nye og skelsættende ved Innovationshøjskolen er en målrettet fokus på innovation i kombination med denklassiske højskoles mulighed for mangfoldighed og fordybelse.Innovationshøjskolen henvender sig til unge og ældre, studerende, selvstændige, private- og offentlige ansatte,som ønsker at lære mere om emnet innovation og ønsker at opbygge kompetencer til brug ’i den virkelige ver-den’.Innovationshøjskolen er det instrument, som ved at gøre innovation til en del af dannelsesidealet, løser Dan-marks fremtidige udfordringer. Derfor vil Innovationshøjskolen virke som et ’epicenter’ for innovation.

People should be empowered toinnovateHuman capital is the essence of innovation. Empowering people to innovate relies on broad and relevant educa-tion as well as on the development of wide-ranging skills that complement formal education. Curricula andpedagogies need to be adapted to equip students with the capacity to learn and apply new skills throughouttheir lives. At the same time, education and skills development systems require reform to ensure they are effi-cient and meet the requirements of society today. Improving teacher quality is particularly important for enhanc-ing outcomes; this might include better initial selection of teachers, ongoing evaluation to identify areas for im-provement, and recognizing and rewarding effective teaching.Universities, colleges and vocational training centres are essential nodes in the innovation system, both produc-ing and attracting the human capital needed for innovation.These institutions act as essential bridges between players – businesses, governments and countries – inbroader and more open systems of innovation. The major policy challenge is to recognize the essential role ofuniversities in the innovation enterprise rather view them, as is all too commonly the case, simply as providers ofessential public goods. This requires a greater focus of policy makers on ensuring independence, competition,excellence, entrepreneurial spirit and flexibility in universities.Entrepreneurs are particularly important actors in innovation, as they help to turn ideas into commercial applica-tions. In the United States in 2007, firms less than five years old accounted for nearly two-thirds of net new jobs.Successful entrepreneurship often comes with practice, hence the importance of experimentation, entry andexit. Yet, only a small part of the population receives entrepreneurial education. Education and training policiesshould help foster an entrepreneurial culture by instilling the skills and attitudes needed for creative enterprise.Internationally mobile talent contributes to the creation and diffusion of knowledge, particularly tacit knowledge.To encourage this circulation of knowledge, governments should build absorptive capacity, open labor marketsto foreign students, and ensure that the tax regime does not penalize mobile skilled workers. For their part,sending countries can put into place policies that provide opportunities for expatriate researchers to re-enter thedomestic labor market. Migration regimes for the highly skilled should be efficient, transparent and simple andenable movement on a short-term or circular basis. Related policies need to be coherent with the wider migra-tion agenda, and with development and aid policies, so as to contribute to the effective management of migra-tion.People participate in innovation not only by creating, diffusing or adapting technologies in the workplace, butalso as consumers. Consumer policy regimes and consumer education should improve the functioning of mar-kets by helping to equip consumers to become active participants in the innovation process and enable them tomake informed choices. This has the added benefit of strengthening competition between businesses. It is es-sential to ensure that the information provided to consumers is easily understandable and takes account of howpeople process information.