Newsletter editorial #11 2024
Twenty years ago, an idea was born in Dalarna - an idea that an incubator with new tools for the region's entrepreneurs would create growth. Today, we see the results of Dalarna Science Park's incubator, which over the years has supported companies with a combined turnover of SEK 1.2 billion and employing 600 people. These are not just numbers - they are a reminder of what innovation and development power can mean for a region.
An incubator supports new businesses to grow and succeed. It offers advice, networks and resources to help entrepreneurs turn their ideas into reality. The incubator has become an engine for growth and a platform for innovation. By giving start-ups access to networks, knowledge and capital, it has created the conditions for sustainable success - and a stronger future for Dalarna. It is a development that not only strengthens our local economy, but also shows that small ideas can grow into something big when given the right support.
I would like to highlight some of the companies that have passed through the incubator. One is Smartsign, which today is a global leader in digital signage. With its user-friendly platform, Smartsign has put Dalarna on the global tech map and shown how local innovation can create international success. When talking to Smartsign, they highlight Dalarna Science Park's activities as a shining example of how to get transparent support and professional guidance without feeling like you have to "buy more". Another example is NOSA, a Swedish medical technology company that improves the quality of life through its innovation that solves problems related to breathing and smell, such as allergies and infections. Today, the company is listed on Nasdaq First North Stockholm.
Right now, we are following our new future stars in the incubator. Some examples I would like to highlight are Daje Prevent, which is working to reduce the risk of brain injuries in sports with the help of innovative head protection, while Alder Olmai is developing environmentally friendly textile dyes that can help the textile industry towards a sustainable transition. Mood is investing in a revolutionary ski pole that will change the face of skiing, perhaps leading to new world records, and Green Buffers is creating solutions to reduce fatalities in train crashes.
The innovation competitions we announce annually mean that we now find innovations among a broader target group. We have more good examples where healthcare-related innovation is now coming into the incubator, where we often have women as founders, and that we also reach foreign-born people in a completely new way. Which is important for the future and also a reason why it has been an active goal for us in recent years.
So the range of innovations we are working on in the incubator right now is enormous and can be found in the following sectors: food, software development, consumer goods, sports and athletics, green industrial development, and medicine and health.
Twenty years of innovation have put Dalarna on the map. As we look ahead, I shudder to think what we can achieve in the next twenty years.
