Bridging innovation ecosystems between the Nordics and Singapore 🇸🇪 🇫🇮 🇸🇬
Nordic Singapore Innovation Days 2024 just kicked off with a fully seated Inauguration at Singapore Week of Innovation and Technology (SWITCH), giving us inspiring insights into how Singapore serves as a gateway for innovation in Asia.
🌍 How can we work together to drive impactful change, globally?
Some key takeaways from the #NSID Inauguration:
✅ The Singapore government is investing $25 billion in R&D (2021-2024), creating unique opportunities for deeptech innovation. Luuk Eliens - Singapore Deep-Tech Alliance (SDTA) emphasized that deeptech requires partnerships across sectors, from research to commercialization, with VCs stepping in at the crucial prototype-to-product phase.
✅ Singapore boasts mature IPR, ample funding, and robust academia-industry-government collaboration, but faces challenges like high living costs, limited late-stage funding, and a small home market.
Nordic countries exemplify Triple Helix collaboration, with cities like Tampere pushing for climate neutrality, we learned from Kristian Valkama - Business Tampere.
✅ Joanna Boquist - Vinnova informed that Vinnovas innovation programs offer over 5000 open calls, emphasizing the need for connected ecosystems and cross-border innovation.
And a few panel insights:
💡 “Strategy is about choosing what not to do" said Rickard Levin - Business Sweden in Singapore, urging a focused approach in innovation strategy.
💡 Annabelle Chiong - SGInnovate stressed the importance of securing the first five commercialized contracts for startups to get further investments.
💡 "Deeptech startups need specifik long-term programs" said Boel Rydenå-Swartling - Sting.
💡 Nastaran Baleng-Soultani - RadCap highlighted the need to address global challenges, while asking the right questions; “Is this a problem and are they solving it the right way”?
💡 "Is this something someone is going to pay for?" Harry Krkalo - GLy Capital Management Limited added.
11 Swedish and Finnish startups and research projects pitched in a compromised one-slide-pitch format: Ekkono Solutions, Graphmatech, CeroHero, Hopsworks, Tampere Smart City project, Nobula, Mimbly, rollyy, Tampere University-Renewable Energy Technologies Group, The Train Brain, Quandify 🚀
The Nordic Singapore Innovation Days Inauguration 2024 reminds us that building bridges between ecosystems is the path forward for climate tech and deeptech. Singapore’s collaborative sandbox approach, connecting research, startups, corporates, public sector and investors, is a model worth following!
🤝♻ Here’s to a sustainable, innovative future powered by partnerships!
Enterprise Singapore, ACE.SG (Action Community for Entrepreneurship), SGInnovate Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), Business Finland Nordic Innovation House - Singapore SISP - Swedish Incubators & Science Parks Ignite Sweden
#NSID2024 #climatetech #deeptech #collaboration #startupecosystems