Sylvia seeks to understand and contribute to policymaking for innovation and transformation. She has run a think tank and worked in various functions for the swedish government. she has chaired expert groups for the european commission and contributed to the oecd innovation reviews of finland, norway, germany and south korea. She chairs the scientific board of the Swedish Research Ccouncil for Sustainable Development (formas) and the Austrian Council for Research and Technological development, was member of the Swedish Innovation Council, and sits on the board of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute for Human Rights. She has a MA in from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a PHD in economic history from the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is a professor at Lund University where, from 2018-2020, she was Deputy Vice Chancellor.