Singapore businesses can tap on Nordic region with expanded GIA network

SINGAPORE startups and tech small and medium enterprises (SMEs) can now scale their business and access opportunities in the Nordic region as the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) pilot programme will be extended to Stockholm, Sweden.

Enterprise Singapore on Thursday (Apr 21) launched the first GIA acceleration programme of the year in Stockholm, to support the access of Singapore companies into the Nordic region, as well as offer opportunities for companies in Singapore and Sweden to collaborate.

The GIA is already currently running in 15 cities worldwide, including Jakarta, Bangalore, Berlin, London and San Francisco, and the programme in Stockholm will make it the first of such GIA programmes in the Nordic region.

Enterprise Singapore chairman Peter Ong expects Sweden can provide tech and innovation opportunities for Singapore companies in areas such as sustainability, health tech, gaming and smart cities, having produced some top tech unicorns.

Ong said: "As borders reopen and global economies recover, it is timely for Singapore companies to resume growth activities, strengthen innovation collaboration with international partners and expand overseas."

Enterprise Singapore will partner Swedish digital accelerator Epicenter to run the programme, with support from government agencies Business Sweden and Vinnova.

The 8-week-long hybrid GIA programme includes activities such as online coaching sessions on Sweden's business regulations and culture, and market entry strategies.

Participants will also attend physical business matching sessions and meet potential partners such as investors, research institutes, corporates or fellow startups, to test bed and scale their solutions to other Nordic countries.

Besides the GIA programme, Enterprise Singapore noted that Singapore and Swedish companies can also collaborate through co-innovation initiatives within the Eureka Network - an intergovernmental network that supports market-oriented research and development and innovation projects with which Singapore and Sweden are associated.