EU project Southern Sweden Going Global – success for startups

Smile Incubator, in collaboration with Medeon Science Park & Incubator and Invest in Skåne, has supported globalization for life science startup companies in southern Sweden through the three-year Southern Sweden Going Global EU project. The project is now coming to an end, and with it an excellent closing of accounts: over 50 startup companies have participated in about 5 programs, attended 50 conferences, and held more than 2,000 partnering meetings.

 

An evaluation and interviews with participating companies show the following results:

• 60 percent secured at least one customer contract
• 95 percent participated in activities that otherwise would not have been possible
• over 50 startup companies participated
• 50 training programs were held
• 50 conferences were attended
• 2,000 partnering meetings were held with industry representatives and partners

The support provided over the three-year period included seminars and workshops on subjects related to international business development, advisory services, help with marketing, introduction to contacts and exposure at international conferences.

The project aimed to create business opportunities between companies based in southern Sweden and international partners.

“The project has made it possible for us to contribute financially and otherwise to startup companies that want to step out onto the international market. In particular small startup companies usually cannot afford travel or conference fees. We’ve received substantial positive feedback from companies that have grown and created business opportunities,” says Ebba Fåhraeus, SmiLe Incubator in Lund.

Comments from some of the companies that received new contracts include:                                                     

Nattaro Labs, an alumnus company from SmiLe that specializes in bed bug remediation, attended the “Pest Protect” conference, which resulted in a deal with a German distributor.

“Attending that conference was an important part of our growth strategy,” says Carl-Johan Gustafson, CEO of Nattaro Labs, an alumnus company of SmiLe Incubator.

“SSGG has made it possible for us at Truly Labs to participate in several partnering meetings both in Sweden and in Europe. These meetings resulted in a number of new customers, but they also helped us to find partners together with which we’ve been able to expand our range of services,” says Karin von Wachenfeldt, CEO of Truly Labs, a SmiLe Incubator company.

“Thanks to the support that SOLVE received through the project we’ve been able to find new customers, primarily from Europe, but also from the US. Initiatives like this one are crucial for small companies like ours to be able to grow,” says Sebastian Hansson, business developer at SOLVE Research and consultancy, a SmiLe alumnus company.

Maria Ahrén from Invest in Skåne was the project leader. 

“The project helped to provide life science startups in southern Sweden with experience of international business development and the participants have gained important new contacts abroad. In the long term, the project will hopefully stimulate growth in southern Sweden’s life science industry,” says Maria Ahrén.

About Soutern Sweden Going Global: The SSGG project began in September 2015 with the purpose of helping life science companies to become globally competitive by increasing international relationships, business opportunities, partners and visibility in the international arena. The project was financed in part by the EU, with participating organizations SmiLe Incubator, Medeon Science Park & Incubator and Invest in Skåne.



For information about SmiLe Incubator, contact: Ebba Fåhraeus, CEO at SmiLe Incubator
+46 (0)734000433, ebba@smileincubator.life ; Or visit our mediaroom

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