Kirkenes brings the leading startup and innovation festival to the Arctic

This November, Kirkenes, in the far north-eastern corner of Norway, and the gate to the East, is the home of the leading Arctic startup and innovation festival.

Through the ages, the North has attracted people who are not afraid to break new ground and seize opportunities. The Arctic region is facing challenges due to climate changes and dwindling population. In Kirkenes, we are searching for solutions by inviting the world to join us for two days in November as we present the vast, unrealised business opportunities of the region’s natural resources, strategic location and human capital.

Join us for the leading global Arctic startup and innovation festival from November 10th to 11th. A week before Slush, the biggest startup event in the world, Kirkenes will be the centre for innovation in the Nordics.

“People tend to romanticise a picture of what a place is,” says Maja Kruuse, one of the ICE team co-ordinators working on the festival. “Then expectations don’t meet reality. In Kirkenes, it is the opposite: you will always get more than you ask for. In Kirkenes, the stories are not biased.”

The festival programme is divided into five different tracks that introduce startups, investors, entrepreneurs and students to the opportunities and challenges in the Arctic. You will learn more about Arctic Startup, ArcTech, Creative North, Experience the Arctic and the ICE Innovation Challenge here.

We have gathered a team of internationally acknowledged speakers and mentors to guide participants through two days of practical entrepreneurship, the latest tech solutions and other tools to help shape the business future of the Arctic. Our goal is to provide sustainable economic growth to the region by empowering and encouraging people to build and scale their business ideas here.

The ICE Innovation Festival will create remarkable business opportunities and unforgettable regional experiences. The five tracks are built to showcase the uniqueness and authenticity found at the northern frontier of innovation and will make an impression that is not soon forgotten. We encourage our participants to leave the safety and comfort of the lecture room, interact with the Arctic wilderness and the people of Kirkenes and go on the adventures organised as part of our Experience the Arctic packages.

“This place of opportunity requires focus, determination and grit due to its harsh conditions. On the other hand, it offers everything the modern nomad or entrepreneur needs: working connections, work-life balance and a tightly knit entrepreneurial network. Kirkenes is at the edge on the map, but it is the centre of the future. It attracts world-class talent, from chef Gordon Ramsey to musical masterminds Tiesto,” says Ronny Eriksson, one of the young founders of the ICE Innovation Festival.

ICE Innovation Festival takes place in Kirkenes from 10-11 November 2022.

This article was provided by Norders Oy, in collaboration with ICE.

For more information about the event and tickets visit www.iceinnovationfestival.com.

More information about ICE is available at www.icekirkenes.no.

This article was produced by ICE .

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