Future Living & Spaces

Innovation companies pitch to Brunnshög’s builders

Caroline Wendt
November 13, 2020

The ambition for the Brunnshög development is for the area to be at the forefront of using new sustainable solutions. Therefore, during the autumn, a digital event was arranged where innovation companies were able to showcase their ideas to construction companies working on the site. "The interest exceeded our expectations and it showed that there is a desire for innovations," says Eva Rydén Dalman, project manager for Brunnshög.

In mid-October, the Brunnshög project organized a pitch & match event ahead of a land allocation competition at Brunnshög. The land allocation applies to three building rights in Parkkvarteren. In the digital event, construction companies and architectural firms were given the opportunity to listen to presentations from ten innovation companies.

– We aim to make Brunnshög a test bed for innovations, says Eva Rydén Dalman, project manager for the Brunnshög project. It should be noticeable that the area is adjacent to Scandinavia's leading research university and the research facilities ESS and MAX IV. This is done through, for example, land allocation competitions where we ask the participants to display the innovations they plan on using in the project. Through our pitch & match event, we help to establish contact between builders and innovation companies.

Cleantech Scandinavia assisted with the event and delivered a total list of about 50 entrepreneurs. Based on that list, representatives of Brunnshög selected the innovations they thought were the most interesting. A total of ten innovations within the sectors of water, energy, materials, and smart houses were presented. Afterwards, construction companies and architectural firms were given the opportunity to schedule individual meetings with the companies behind the innovations. The actors also gained access to material from the innovation companies that were not involved in the pitch event.

– To me, the international perspective was important, says Magnus Agerström, CEO of Cleantech Scandinavia. In addition to the Swedish companies, companies from the Netherlands, Norway and Denmark participated, which gave the event a good dynamic.

Registrations were open to anyone interested in taking part in innovations of the future of construction. By participating in the pitch & match event, participants were not obliged to join in on the land allocation competition. The event was met with great interest and received about eighty registrations.

– I think it went great! The interest exceeded our expectations and it showed that there was a craving for innovations, says Eva Rydén Dalman.

– I think this was a really great way to present different companies. It was clear that real estate companies and architectural firms appreciated the event. They were active throughout the event and we noticed that pretty much everyone stayed for the entire event, says Magnus Agerström.

Several of Lund's innovation actors were involved in the event. Cleantech Scandinavia delivered a basic material with fifty innovation companies and coordinated the event. Ola Hansson, project manager at Win Water, and Per Garvell, business coach at Ideon Innovation, moderated and Peter Kisch and Mikael Edelstam from Future by Lund formed the expert panel. The event was broadcast from Medicon Village's building The Spark.

What then that made the event so successful?

– The digital format is well-suited as the participants can listen in to the parts they are interested in. It was also important that we linked it directly to the land allocation competition. I definitely think we will do this again, it is a good way to get innovations to Brunnshög, says Eva Rydén Dalman.

– An important ingredient in this event is that there is a context. The Brunnshög area will be developed and this will be done partly with the help of sustainable innovations. The fact that everyone was in a business situation and that there was a purpose to the presentations heightened the event - although there may have been some who listened out of general interest, says Magnus Agerström.

– An important part was that there were several actors that contributed to the event together, says Peter Kisch, project manager for Future by Lund. The format can be used in other new development areas. It gives insight to the technology that is available. Simultaneously, it provides a contact between SME and construction companies. This type of offer and the way it has been executed should also be used within Future by Lund.

A film from the event can be found on the following link.

Translation: Ben Dohrmann

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