Blog

By Nicole Linnéa Monavari

The Prince Daniel Fellowship is an organization which consists of a partnership between the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences(IVA) and the H.K.H Prince Daniel of Sweden. The main purpose of the partnership is to inspire young people towards entrepreneurship and encourage them to consider the path to start their own business. Because of this, the fellowship were traveling to learn more about which opportunities exist for students and young entrepreneurs.

Before the event at Gruva started, the innovation hub at NTNU, the Strindens Promenade orchestra welcomed the guests with a musical performance where they among other songs played the Swedish known “Pippi Longstrump”. The event hosted by professor Roger Sørheim from the School of Entrepreneurship, introduced the guests to the history behind how NTNU has managed and achieved to develop one of the best eco systems for student innovation in Europe.Sørheim also points out how dedicated the students at NTNU are, and the importance of young entrepreneurs.

Despite an unexpected fire alarm interruption, it certainly did not stop the show! Furthermore the program featured live case pitches from three student-driven startups with roots from NTNU school of Entrepreneurship, showcasing the diversity and ingenuity of young entrepreneurs in Trondheim. Even though the interruption, the students were eager, willingly and energetic enough to pitch their brilliant ideas.

The first startup to pitch were Naya, a social impact startup offering human labeling of high-quality training data for customers developing machine learning models. Naya operates from their main office in Dehradun, India, and their main focus is helping and employing women from slum areas in India by offer them various benefits which can help them break out of poverty.

Wepost where the second startup to pitch their marketing idea which uses AI as a marketing technology to help companies better their content production. Their main purpose behind the startup is to empower B2B companies to craft compelling narratives for their different social media plattforms.

The last startup to pitch where Arctic Protein whom wants to make the salmon business more environment-friendly by delivering protein through insect production. The team behind Arctic Protein call themselves insect farmers and by producing and process larvae into protein flour, they want to decrease the salmon industry´s greenhouse gas emissions.

After the pitching, the Prince himself seemed impressed by stating that it was a fantastic event. Even though the fire alarm went off this time, it was all together an incredible day for our innovation eco system at Gruva.  

By Pernille Svartveit Osmundsen

The days were celebrated with speeches, workshops, annual acid test presentations, inspirational talks, sofa chats, food and a banquet. Former students at NSE came from all over Norway to take part in the celebration and to get even more professional input from the innovation environment that grows and grows every year. During the celebration, many focus on the fact that ES is a start-up environment that builds on sharing, both ups and downs. Where those who are involved experience a kind of excessive cheering on each other.

Aksel Morris Bjørnø from class 18 was one of the former students who took part in the celebration. When asked about his experience with NSE, Bjørnø refers to Øystein Widding who said that NSE gives all students superpowers, which also comes with responsibility. This was something Bjørnø himself felt after he finished his master’s degree. He goes on to say that being constantly pushed outside your comfort zone does something to you that a typical course of study wouldn’t. Silje Uhlen Maurset from class 19 says that the commitment, interest, and ability to get something done that she had before was accelerated by NSE and taken to new heights.

Current students also speak highly of NSE. Thomas Klingenberg, class 24 and Herman Jørstad, class 25, describe NSE as a growth arena with many different people who are all welcome and allowed to be themselves. The two students believe that NSE will continue to build on the culture, which Jørstad describes as one of the most important reasons why he applied for the course.

The entrepreneurial ecosystem Trondheim has to offer is getting bigger and bigger. There is a culture of sharing that has spread from NSE to other parts of Trondheim, Trøndelag and nationally. NSE ‘s Alumni Association ESAF gets bigger and bigger with each class that starts. It helps to create, maintain, and stimulate contact between previously graduated students, current students, and the academic staff at NTNU’s School of Entrepreneurship. Maurset says that this network, that grows each yare, is important and gives the students something concrete they can reach for.

NSE is a program where students put in many hours, where mistakes are necessary to succeed and where only the most committed get through to the program. The current students Klingenberg and Jørstad are sure that the tough program will be worth it and give them tools they can use later in life. While Bjørnø and Maurset talk unanimously about the mindset as the most important thing they took with them after finishing the program. Maurset says it is not given that things will be done optimally and says you have to do things yourself. What can be done better and how can it be done? Bjørnø also adds that he has brought with him the drive and passion that he felt when he was in the community with the other students. He says he always does his best and then some.

Change agents are often talked about in connection with the budding entrepreneurs at NSE. For Maurset, this means not assuming others will solve things, but taking responsibility yourself. Even if it can be tough or you think it needs to be taken to another level. Bjørnø also agrees with this and further explains it is someone who stands on the front line and does what needs to be done. The students also agree with this definition but takes it a little further to what difference they want to make. Klingenberg describes a change agent as someone who gives a small impact on what the future will look like. Jørstad agrees and explains further that a change agent is someone who uses some of the time you have here on earth to push a small step forward. He says there are quite a few people here on earth, but that it is quite incredible how much difference we can make, just one of us if we have passion and do the job.

NSE already has many success stories with entrepreneurs who have taken their companies to new heights after the master’s degree. Klingenberg believes that NSE will be defined by several new success stories from the outside. But what makes students proceed in the entrepreneurial environment and also with their original idea? Maurset believes that in addition to the fact that these are people who thrive in the entrepreneurial environment, you are also pushed so hard to find the right idea and test it so thoroughly at the start. One must find reasons why it should fail and perfect the idea. Klingenberg also explains that some have already weeded out those who do not have enough motivation to do this, not to mention everything you learn at NSE that prepares you for startups and entrepreneurial life. Jørstad also ads that being thrown into it right away is important and that failing gives them experiences that they take with them further.

Two days of celebration are over and going forward it looks like NSE and the entrepreneurial community in Trondheim will develop even more and aim for 20 new years.