Successful innovation is vital to a countrys prosperity and economic growth. This is nothing new. But what do the innovation systems look like in reality, and what sorts of innovation policies are actually being pursued? Is there a Nordic model? Should there be? This book presents a systematic and condensed account of an extensive survey and analysis of innovation systems and innovation policies in the Nordic countries. It describes the most important actors and their activities, the investments made in research and development, the strategies and action programmes adopted by the different governments, and so on. The author comments and compares. Both this volume and volume two of the study, which contains detailed chapters on all five Nordic countries, paint a picture that is new and in places will surprise even the best informed. The author Håkan Gergils, Ecofin, has written this study as part of the SNS  project New Dynamics in the Swedish Innovation system.