Olof Zaring

Olof Zaring is a Professor at the University of Gothenburg, affiliated with the Department of Economy and Society and the Unit for Innovation and Entrepreneurship. His work focuses on innovation governance, entrepreneurship education, and knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship. He holds dual roles as a Professor and Head of Department, emphasizing institutional and policy frameworks for fostering innovation.

Research interests include regional innovation systems, university-industry collaboration, and the governance mechanisms shaping entrepreneurial ecosystems. Notable work explores how universities mobilize resources for social innovation, and how founder knowledge impacts firm performance in knowledge-intensive sectors.

Key contributions span empirical studies on entrepreneurship education design in Swedish universities, evolutionary governance models, and case analyses of interdisciplinary projects like engineering-equestrian sports collaborations. His publications highlight institutional dynamics in medical innovation governance and policy implications from crises in regenerative medicine.

Zaring’s research also addresses strategic choices in higher education, the internationalization of innovation processes, and the embeddedness of entrepreneurial ventures in creative industries. He actively engages in policy discussions on innovation ecosystems and has co-authored works on Sweden’s entrepreneurial ecosystems and Schumpeterian perspectives in innovation policy.