Dalarna Talks gathered over 200 participants this time, on site in Borlänge and digitally. With the theme Innovation , the morning offered conversations, insights and meetings that showed how bold ideas and collaboration can drive development locally, regionally and globally.
Sara Wimmercranz, serial entrepreneur and investor, was today's keynote speaker. She highlighted Dalarna as a place where pride, tradition and community meet innovation and faith in the future. She emphasized the importance of lowering the thresholds for entrepreneurship, that more people need to have the chance to influence development, especially in times of rapid technological change.
With her experience of investing in companies outside the metropolitan regions, she pointed to Dalarna as a model, a place where local commitment and a culture of cooperation create good conditions for innovation. Technology such as artificial intelligence is currently changing the entire playing field, but it is the courage to dare to think in new ways that makes a difference, and that is where Dalarna's great opportunity lies.
Two panels followed, one focusing on innovation in the public sector, discussing AI, digitalization and the need for structures to enable testing and learning. The second panel was on startups and business building, where companies such as Hellman Dynamic and Nordic Iron shared their entrepreneurial journeys and visions for the future.
They highlighted the need for capital, collaboration and a long-term approach, especially in heavy industrial investments such as mining and energy transition. At the same time, start-ups demonstrated the power of creativity and the will to grow without leaving the region.
Participants
- Sara Wimmercranz, Entrepreneur and Investor, Backing Minds & Exxo Foundation
- Angelica Ekholm, CEO, Dalarna Science Park
- Klas Palm, researcher in public innovation
- Björn Äng, Head of Research, Education and Innovation, Region Dalarna
- Stefan Rodheim, Digitalization Coach, Dalarna Science Park
- Erika Hellman, CEO, Hellman Dynamic and Dynamic Time
- Ronne Hamerslag, CEO, Nordic Iron
- Brita Klingberg, Business Coach, Dalarna Science Park
The next Dalarna Talks will be held on December 4, with Fredrik Reinfeldt as guest. It will sum up the year and look to the future.
