National collaboration for startups
There are many different ways to secure talent – that’s why we created Bridge to Sweden, offering Swedish companies the opportunity to borrow expertise from international startups. Bridge to Sweden is a national collaboration between Linköping Science Park, Arctic Business in Luleå, Create and BizMaker in Sundsvall, established by Switch to Sweden.
It can be described as a “soft transit” concept where international cutting-edge expertise is lent to Swedish companies to fertilize existing organizations and thereby increase the ability to innovate Swedish companies. Together, the partners exchange startups, networks and knowledge across their programs to create clear added value for participating companies.
Bridge to Sweden connects regional programs and incubators such as Forest Business Accelerator, IndX and Collab Composite. These programs give startups access to broader expertise, industry connections and growth opportunities. The collaboration has already led to connections between startups and companies like IndX’s partners Husqvarna Group, Saab, Väderstad, Toyota Material Handling, NIRA Dynamics, SICK and Hitachi, as well as Forest Business Accelerator’s partner Svenska Cellulosa Aktiebolaget (SCA).
The purpose of Bridge to Sweden is twofold: to learn from each other and to offer greater value to startups by opening access to a broader set of opportunities across the Swedish innovation system.
“We believe collaboration is the best way forward for a country like Sweden if we want to attract both talent and companies,” says Robin Eriksson, project manager at IndX. “At the same time, we borrow competence and learn by opening dialogue with more startups – including international ones.”
A national perspective and international ambition
The collaboration is deliberately open. When a startup is a good fit for another partner’s program or network, it is shared – always based on what’s most relevant for the startup. This openness between programs is seen as a critical factor in strengthening Sweden’s national innovation capacity.
Bridge to Sweden also has the ambition to attract more international startups. The partners are developing a shared framework that allows startups entering one program to gain access to others. This has already happened in practice – for example, startups entering IndX have been connected to Forest Business Accelerator and vice versa.
In the end, the collaboration is about taking a national perspective, putting startups at the center and removing silos between regional ecosystems.
“Bridge to Sweden is one of the most inspiring initiatives I’ve been part of within the support system. Putting on the ‘Sweden hat’, collaborating, and placing our startups at the center has been both meaningful and powerful. By sharing interesting companies between our programs, we create new opportunities – and show that openness between innovation environments is a key to success for Sweden AB,” says Jonny Nissilä at Bizmaker.
Questions? Contact
Robin Eriksson
robin.eriksson@linkopingsciencepark.se
+46 70 350 93 86
What’s Switch to Sweden?
Switch to Sweden is a national initiative that connects Swedish companies with highly qualified international talent already living in the country. The program aims to increase the number of successful matches by supporting companies in recruiting international professionals, guiding talent in navigating the Swedish job market and facilitating meaningful connections through matchmaking activities such as an AI-powered matching tool, networking forums and events.
Read more about Switch to Sweden and try our matchmaking tool here.
What’s IndX?
IndX is an open innovation arena for startups interested in connecting with our partners Hitachi, Husqvarna Group, NIRA Dynamics, Saab, SICK, Toyota Material Handling Europe and Väderstad. By just applying startups and scaleups unlock a considerable engagement from our partners.
