Science Park — The true gem to the students of JU, both local and international as well as career-oriented go-getters. However, some questions remain; what is Science Park, what do they do and how do they improve our lives? Two vital employees at the company, Ellen Lannemyr, and Simon Hagedorn, were interviewed at the new Science Park Tower to answer these questions and help us gain further knowledge about their company and what they work for.
Have you ever wondered about Science Park’s purpose? Well…
Science Park is an organization and a safe space where entrepreneurs can come forward with their ideas and receive help from the team at Science Park, both young and already established. New entrepreneurs can receive help with establishing contacts and making a name for themselves, whilst already established entrepreneurs and firms can receive help in other areas. Science Park works on multiple projects — such as their AI project as well as sustainability project — where they teach growing firms how to use AI in their day-to-day operations, and how to work towards a more sustainable future.
Other than that, Science Park focuses on further growing and expanding entrepreneurship in our society today and they strive to achieve goals such as having more women in the entrepreneurial field.
During the first few weeks of the new school year, you may have heard once or twice about the new and improved Science Park building and all its modern features.
However, what is truly different with the old building compared to the new one?
In the hope of bringing in more people to the building, changes such as expansion and more hang-out areas such as group rooms and conference rooms were added. The new and improved facilities bring in not only students from the university but also individuals who are trying to start up a company and are looking for a workspace. Simon mentions newly installed rooms that were built for different environments. The new establishment does not only have regular rooms but they also provide a high, medium, and low-focused facility to fit each person’s needs. The high-focus rooms are small and soundproof — perfect for online meetings for example.
The employees at Science Park love what they do for multiple reasons, one of them being all the opportunities they can offer to new entrepreneurs as well as the students of JU. ”We are definitely a huge opportunity for the students,” says Ellen Lannemyr.
But in what other ways can they be an opportunity for us as students?
Science Park is a safe space for students where they can come and express their thoughts and ideas, and Science Park can try and help them make this into reality. With a wide contact network, various resources, opportunities to come to events, and inspiration from others, students get all the help they need. Adding to this, students can get help with planning, finances, and growing their ideas.
When asked what they believe is the best part of working with an organization such as Science Park, both Simon and Ellen agreed on how fun it is to see young and excited entrepreneurs come in with new ideas. The excitement and enthusiasm on their faces make them truly love their jobs. When it comes to the workspace specifically, it was described as a very friendly and culturally filled environment — all the events that the organization plans are also favorites.
Now you may be asking yourself, are they having any upcoming events that students could potentially attend?
Yes! Science Park has many future events that they cannot wait for. Events such as startup programs and seminars for people looking to start their businesses are just around the corner — in both English and Swedish. Other events planned for expanding networks and overall business knowledge are also coming soon. For instance, an event specifically designed for women is planned for sometime this spring to show women how they can use resources to get everything they want in their businesses. All of these events and how to sign up for them can be found on the Science Park website and their Instagram (@scienceparkjkpg).
Their meetings are one of the recommendations that the employees have for those trying to grow their businesses since this can help inspire young minds to work hard and persevere. Other advice they had to offer for students graduating and wanting to pursue a career in entrepreneurship is that “It’s simple. If you have an idea that you want to move forward with — set up a meeting with us here and we can help you get started”.
But does coming to Science Park with an idea indicate that you need to have prepared a business plan and pitch before setting up a meeting?
No. Coming to Science Park as soon as possible with a new idea is important. The idea doesn’t have to be finished and doesn’t need to be perfect. Ellen and Simon explain that Science Park is here to help you with completing your ideas and help improve them, and thereafter consults can help develop the idea further, “Coming to us where one can receive help and resources helps entrepreneurs save a lot of time as well”.
Overall, the new and improved Science Park is a company that helps both old and new entrepreneurs reach their true potential by helping them develop their products and ideas, giving them a safe space to come up with any new ventures. With the love and passion they share for entrepreneurship, they always do their best to try and help their clients conquer the economic field and all it has to offer.
Writer: Andjela Sekaric
