Austrian delegation visits Norrköping for inspiration on innovation and new collaborations

After arriving on Monday and getting acquainted with some of the local team, the visit officially began on Tuesday with an introduction at Norrköping Science Park, where CEO Jonas Nilson welcomed the delegation and presented the park’s facilities and operations.

One of the Austrian participants was Marcel Winklmüller, Software Solution Architect at Cirqular.

With Cirqular, we decided to tackle quite a difficult problem. But often, when we talk with people who might benefit from our solution, they ask for features that would help them—features that are easy for us to solve or that we’ve already integrated as part of a different system. We just didn’t know someone else might benefit from it. So getting input, feedback, and questions helps us gain new perspectives and solutions. Additionally, of course, we were open to finding potential partners or customers for the future, and overall to growing our network.

The following day included a tour of the Printed Electronics Arena (PEA), where guests gained insights into the latest research on printed electronics and sensor technology. The program continued with a presentation and dome theater show by Lisa Lindgren, CEO of Visualization Center C. Following this, the group returned to the electronics-focused environment at Norrköping Science Park where matchmaking sessions were scheduled.

I am impressed by the support and consulting structure available for students and startup prospects. In general, I am very impressed by the inviting, relaxing, and genuinely heartwarming friendliness, competence, and authenticity I felt throughout the visit. Also, the smooth experience of using the offices and the genuine motivation and engagement shown to assist us as both a company and as visitors, says Marcel Winklmüller.

Tanja Kolm, Partner Management and Business Development at Autonoma Energy added:

It’s a well-thought-out concept to connect research and industry, and to support startups and entrepreneurs at different stages. I was impressed by Printed Electronics Arena, Visualization Center C, the well-organized program, and the workspaces that allows creative thinking.

The matchmaking session provided the delegation with opportunities to establish new contacts and potentially initiate partnerships with companies from both the Nordics and the Baltics, who were also visiting Norrköping that week with the project Scaleup Launchpad, where NOSP is one of the partners.

Study visit at Printed Electronics Arena, where Duncan Platt and Anurak Sawatdee showcased the lab and some of their demonstrator components.

The intensive visit concluded on Friday with a breakfast at Norrköping Science Park and LEAD, the business incubator, where the Austrian delegation met with additional startups and external contacts. After a week filled with inspiring conversations, Norrköping Science Park and the participating companies hope that this visit will serve as a launchpad for new collaborations that benefit both Swedish and Austrian companies, establishing this partnership between the regions as a platform for ongoing development.

The takeaways from Tanja and Marcel were clear.

It’s a supportive ecosystem of various programs and initiatives, which is crucial for startups and entrepreneurs. I also learned that it’s essential to provide a creative space to successfully connect research and industry, says Tanja Kolm.

Sharing experiences benefits everyone, and connecting in different spaces and contexts helps too. Having lunch together, coffee breaks, or walking from one site to the next were important aspects of the program. On a personal note, every time I visit Sweden, I feel people take responsibility more than I’m used to. There’s a sense that people take care of things in a way they’d want to find them. Streets are clean because people seem to understand that they are just as responsible for that as they are in enjoying a clean street. I think of the phrase ‘this is why we can’t have good things’ a lot less up here. I love that, and I hope I can bring some of that back home, Marcel Winklmüller concludes.