In connection with the inauguration of the new upper secondary school in Arvika, Matilda Ernkrans, S, Minister for Higher Education and Research, visited the Arvika Näringslivscentrum. There, she got to take part in several of the ventures DigitalWell Arena and SCAALER are running.
The basis for the visit to the Arvika Business Center was the YH training courses offered. Not least the brand new training "Digitalization leader in the welfare sector" caught the minister's interest. A training where both DigitalWell Arena and SCAALER participated in the preparatory work.
- She became attached to both the orientation, which she considers important for the future, and that it is the fruit of further collaboration, says Birger Pettersson Wiik, director of operations at Arvika Näringslivscentrum.
Technology for better health in schools
During the visit, SCAALER, Compare and DigitalWell Arena had the opportunity to tell more about their joint ventures. Among other things, the ongoing IoT project at the newly opened upper secondary school, which will be a national test environment for how technology can be used to create a safer school environment and promote the health of students. In this context, Matilda Ernkrans pointed out the value of new technology that can contribute to solving the major challenges the school is facing, for example around exclusion and mental illness.
A larger discussion was also about how to build new clusters to increase Värmland's attractiveness, where SCAALER, Compare and DigitalWell Arena run several joint ventures. The main line for the cluster of the future is that new intersections for innovation are created when business, academia, civil society, the public sector and investors work together.
Cooperation for increased innovation power
- We are already looking at possibilities with what can be called a super cluster, where the interaction between clusters is formalized and stimulated so that the power of innovation is strengthened. We believe it is necessary so that together we can solve many of the difficult social challenges we face, says Magnus Bårdén CEO of Compare and DigitalWell Arena.
Digitization of welfare services is one of the areas of strength included in Värmland's strategy for smart specialization, but digitization also plays a central role for other areas of strength. An important part is also about creating an expanded market, where Värmland becomes part of greater Oslo. Here, DigitalWell Arena has a strong foothold through DigitalWell Ventures, an accelerator for companies that create the digital health services of the future, based in both Värmland and Oslo.
David Holm and Robert Rhönnnstad, two of SCAALER's founders, in conversation with Matilda Ernkrans. (Photo Matilda Ernkrans: Kristian Pohl/Governingskansliet)
Among SCAALER's member companies are a number of Norwegian companies and organizations. SCAALER is currently building a new office in Arvika Näringslivscentrum, which is a combination of cluster and co-working space, and can add important expertise in several areas.
- An important function for SCAALER is to increase competence in both Arvika and the region in order to strengthen the competitiveness of the business world. It is, among other things, about further training and retraining the workforce so that they match the needs of the future, where we as a cluster have an important function, says Robert Rhönnstad, one of SCAALER's founders.
Gateway to the EU
Matilda Ernkrans also thinks that SCAALER's investment in a "Fast Track to EU" sounded interesting, where, for example, English and Norwegian companies should be able to create a Swedish company in Arvika in 48 hours. She therefore promised to contribute with contacts to both countries' embassies, and at the same time underlined Arvika's strategically important location as a gateway to the EU.
