In April 2021, Nordic Innovation published an invitation to tender to search for a partner to build a globally leading scaleup ecosystem in the Nordic region.

“We are happy to announce that Ideon Science Park will lead this important work. We are convinced that their strong understanding of scaleups and well-proven track record with community building will help build a Nordic scaleup community that can add value that currently does not exist”, says Svein Berg, Managing Director of Nordic Innovation.

Adding value for Nordic scaleups

Ideon will begin their work immediately by assessing the needs of Nordic scaleups, before working to mobilize and begin building the Nordic scaleup community before the end of 2021. The immediate goal is to connect with existing scaleups, including Nordic Scalers 1.0 alumni, to create a digital-first community, one that is responsive to the unique circumstances and challenges facing scaleups in the region.

As Lotta Wessfeldt, interim CEO of Ideon Science Park, put it, “We are thrilled to partner with Nordic Innovation to build this community of scaleups. As Sweden’s oldest science park, Ideon has long been at the forefront of the Swedish innovation ecosystem. But we know that our future economic success, not just here in Sweden, but for the entire Nordic region, depends on creating robust and resilient scaleups that are dedicated to solving the biggest challenges of our time. This is the right work for us to be doing at precisely the right time.”

The community will support Nordic scaleups to increase peer-to-peer learning and strengthen networking between them, as well as build connections with international scaleup communities, investors, serial entrepreneurs, and other relevant stakeholders. The focus will be on building a regional scaleup ecosystem, with strategic networking and collaboration as key elements.

According to Scott Young, Ideon’s Nordic Scalers community building partner, “We see the Nordic Scalers community as the opportunity to create a 21^st century Mittelstand for the Nordics, unapologetically focusing on the high-growth companies that sit at the leading edge of innovation. These five countries have earned a well-deserved reputation for supporting outstanding startups. We want to build on that success by putting in place the necessary foundation to build and sustain world-class scaleups.”

The Nordic scaleup community building project is part of the larger Nordic Scalers 2.0 program that was launched by Nordic Innovation earlier this year.

Tender background

For several years, there has been a focus on how to help nurture startups in the Nordics. This has made the Nordic region one of the best in the world when it comes to starting and developing new companies. However, even though the Nordic countries are above the OECD average with regard to starting new companies, the challenge is that many startups don’t always reach their full potential.

Scaleups are rapidly expanding companies which account for an above-average proportion of economic growth. By supporting Nordic scaleups, Nordic Innovation aims to address the following perceived gaps in the Nordic entrepreneurship ecosystem:

• Inadequate support system for scaleups and SMEs with high growth ambitions;
• insufficient competence base in high growth venturing
• a relatively low number of scaleups; and,
• a low level of scaleup community building and cross-border collaboration in the Nordic region around scaleups.

Through this tender, and building on our previous work with the Nordic Scalers pilot, Nordic Innovation, together with Ideon Science Park, will develop a globally leading scaleup community in the Nordic region.

Read more about Nordic Scalers»

About Nordic Innovation

Nordic Innovation works to make the Nordics a pioneering region for sustainable growth by promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and competitiveness in Nordic businesses. Nordic Innovation is an organization under the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Read more at www.nordicinnovation.org.

Contact Ideon

Lotta Wessfeldt
Interim CEO
lotta.wessfeldt@ideon.se
+46 708 264 428

Scott Young
Special Projects Manager
scott.young@ideon.se
+46 737 408 020

Contact Nordic Innovation

Anna-Maija Sunnanmark
Senior Innovation Adviser
a.sunnanmark@nordicinnovation.org
+47 469 31 967

Svein Berg
Managing Director
svein.berg@nordicinnovation.org
+47 415 07 256