After two weeks in Finland and Sweden, Nordic Edge and cluster members have made new and enhanced relations with startups, investors, companies and public actors in the smart city marketplace.
– Joining Nordic Edge on tour was a unique experience opening possibilities and laying the foundation for further expansion in the Nordics, says Werner Olsen, product manager at Innocode.
A promising start
Attending Arctic 15, Tampere Smart City Week and H22, enabled Nordic Edge with the opportunity to exchange experiences with other smart city actors, and introduce cluster members to new possibilities abroad. In Tampere, cluster members Innocode, Easee, Ducky, Stavanger Kommune, Trefadder and Signify were all gathered.
– Getting the chance to connect with other cluster members and actors abroad can be the start of exciting and innovative solutions, says Werner.
The Nordics as one
As Nordic Edge aims to position the Nordics as a vibrant and vital smart city region, exchange of experiences and collaboration with others is essential to achieve this goal.
– A close cooperation with Tampere, Helsingborg and others will help elevate the Nordics as a unified unit, paving the way for joint export to the rest of the world, says Trygve Meyer, Head of the Nordic Edge Smart City Cluster.
Expanded network
At Arctic 15, a matchmaking event between startups and investors, the aim was to find more collaborators to join the Nordic Edge ecosystem, increasing the potency of startup-investor matching.
– Expanding the network broadens funding opportunities, thus more innovative solutions for smarter and more sustainable cities. The event also gave good input and inspiration on how to facilitate matchmaking between new innovative ideas and funding, says Karl Fjelde Nevland, Head of Nordic Edge Innoasis.
While in Finland, Nevland visited co-working spaces, such as Start Up Sauna and Maria01, to gain inspiration on how Nordic Edge will run its new tool box for innovation, Innoasis.
– Innoasis will be a community where members can connect, collaborate and evolve. Visiting other co-working spaces allowed for valuable knowledge on how to achieve this in the best possible way, says Nevland.