Nordic Innovation Incubator opens in UAE to help Nordic companies pursue opportunities in the Middle East

Nordoest have signed an agreement with Nordic Innovation to run their Incubator in Masdar City, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

The incubator will be focused on providing services to Nordic companies entering the Middle East and will enable them with a place to test and pilot their projects in this market through the Masdar Institute.

Rasmus Wendt, project leader from Nordic Innovation hopes the incubator can be valuable to many Nordic companies, particularly those in the cleantech field:

“It’s a multi-functional office, which offers a soft landing in the UAE through a close collaboration with the Masdar institute and a strong cluster of Nordic cleantech companies.”

UAE, a natural point of entry

Companies will be provided with a physical workspace and practical help and guidance with starting their operation in the region as well as access to local networks.

Roger Bjørgan, managing director of Nordic Innovation is confident of the UAE being a good location for the incubator.

“The UAE is a natural point of entry to markets in the Middle East. The Nordic Innovation Incubator will provide critical mass and a Nordic brand value to SME’s.”

Nordoest, who will operate the incubator, has extensive experience of working with Nordic companies through their role as representatives of Innovation Norway in the UAE, and Matteo Chiesa, a founding partner at Nordoest notes that the synergy is clear:

“The agreement builds on what we are already doing for Innovation Norway, so this was a natural step for us at Nordoest. We now have agreements with Innovation Norway, Nordic Innovation and IRENA (The International Renewable Energy Agency). The Nordics are underrepresented in the Middle East but we have the expertise and network to change that, helping companies navigate the complex market environment and to address the whole region.”

A great example of Nordic cooperation

The incubator is also a perfect fit with another Nordic Innovation backed project. For the last nine months Nordic Innovation have co-funded a program with Green Business Norway in the UAE promoting cleantech solutions from all the Nordic countries on different types of waste management. The programme continues into the summer of 2016 and will now use and benefit from the facilities of the Nordic Innovation Incubator.

Bárður Örn Gunnarsson, director of communication at Nordic Innovation comments:

“The Nordic Innovation Incubator is a great example of Nordic cooperation that is concrete and easy to communicate. It’s a project where economies of scale and scope truly meets Nordic added value, which is the foundation of what we do at Nordic Innovation.”

See more pictures of the incubator opening ceremony earlier this year in our Flickr gallery.

Contact Information

Bardur Orn Gunnarsson

Director of Communications

Nordic Innovation

b.gunnarsson@nordicinnovation.org