Darko Pervan, founder of Välinge Innovation and the Bjelin Group, was awarded a Swedish Royal Patriotic Society Enterprise Medal “for transforming the flooring industry with a clever invention and building a world-leading company” at its annual ceremony on May 21 at the House of Knights.
The Enterprise Medal, established by the Royal Patriotic Society in 1982, honors individual contributions to Swedish enterprise.
Pervan founded Välinge Innovation in 1994 to create a clickable floor that can be installed without glue or nails.
Välinge Innovation has grown into a technology powerhouse, holding over 3,500 patents with 300 licensees worldwide.
“What I am most proud of is that I have developed the mechanical locking system for laminate, parquet and vinyl flooring,” Pervan said in a statement. “I think I'm quite analytical, because everything you develop is new. There’s no demand, no market. So, if you only go by feelings, you’d think it won’t work because no one uses it. But if the calculations show that the product is very good, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, and so on, why wouldn't it work? To be a successful entrepreneur, you have to start with the most important thing: identifying a genuine problem.”
