Celebrating the innovation and startup scene: Iceland Innovation Week
Frá Iceland Innovation Week árið 2022. Melkorka Sigríður Magnúsdóttir, managing director is on the right. Ljósmynd/Aðsend
“We wanted to create a marketing window for Icelandic innovation and give both entrepreneurs and start-ups, but also big companies, the opportunity to showcase what they are doing in a new and innovative way,” says Melkorka Sigríður Magnúsdóttir, managing director of Iceland Innovation Week , which begins tomorrow, Monday, May 22, and runs until Friday, May 26.
“What’s exciting about this festival is the scope of it. We have entrepreneurs and start-ups alongside established corporations that will be coming to host various innovation related events. This will include more than 70 events on the festival’s schedule next week; hydrogen grills, hack-a-thon, workshops, entrepreneurial stories, open houses and everything in between. “We often compare the festival to Iceland Airwaves, where the uniqueness is precisely the ability to see those performing in a closer environment than similar festivals abroad.
The festival’s main program begins Tuesday in Gróska, the center for innovation in Vatnsmýri - The Gróska Takeover. “There will be a whole day of lectures and panel discussions, foreign lecturers mixed with Icelandic entrepreneurs,” says Melkorka, adding that young entrepreneurs and different voices will be well represented this year. “For example, entrepreneur Safa Jemai will talk to the Icelandic President Guðni Th. Jóhannesson about language and artificial intelligence, the sustainability manager of Oatly will discuss current and future food innovation strategies, and members of the Ukrainian start-up team along with Icelandic MPs will discuss innovation in the coming years.
The Climate event, Ok, bye, takes place in Harpa Concerthall on Wednesday as well as the Nordic StartUp Awards. Photo/Sent to mbl.is
On Wednesday, the program will move to Harpa with the climate event Ok, bye. “There we bring together renowned climate entrepreneurs, investors, politicians and artists in an amazing spectacle focusing on solutions to the climate crisis. The plan is to establish Iceland as the centre of climate talks, from the perspective of entrepreneurs and innovations.” In the evening, the Nordic Startup Awards will be presented. “This award is like the Oscar for the Nordic start-up scene and over 200 foreign guests come here to compete for titles like this year’s Entrepreneur of the Year.” After the awards is the Iceland Innovation Week Afterparty.
