On 23 August, the County Governor Helene Hellmark Knutsson eXpression Umeå to talk about the importance of the artistic, cultural and creative industries for the region. Some of the incubator companies had the opportunity to present their businesses and discuss life as an entrepreneur. The visit also included a tour of the co-working space and the creative workshops.
There have been few physical meetings recently. It was therefore a long-awaited opportunity to showcase the activities at eXpression Umeå and to discuss the importance of the creative sector for sustainable development with the Governor of Umeå, Helene Hellmark Knutsson.
It was really exciting and interesting to visit eXpression Umeå and learn more about some of the incubator companies that are there. It's so nice to see all the creativity and inventiveness that exists, and in so many different areas," says the Governor. Helene Hellmark Knutsson.
We are grateful to the Governor for taking the time to visit us. We also see it as an acknowledgement that our business is doing something good and interesting. For us it is important to build good relationships and to have the opportunity to showcase our business with the unique conditions that our incubator offers creators in the region - including prototype workshops, experienced business coaches and an extensive network of experts, says Barbro Renkel, CEO of eXpression Umeå.
During the visit, the Governor had the opportunity to meet some of the entrepreneurs who are active in the incubator. The creators talked about their companies and they discussed life as an entrepreneur in Västerbotten. The presenters were: Karin Björk (Design by Björk), Magda Andersson, Erik Modin (MoMotion), Johan Björn and Kim Granberg (Mural Architecture), Erik Glas (Kaaos Kaamos).
It was great to meet the Governor and to be able to show and describe the need for my clothes for people who are wheelchair users. Helen was curious and asked a lot of questions. It seemed like she was really interested in all of us companies and understood what eXpression Umeå means for small companies in the cultural sector but also what we bring to Umeå and the region," says Karin Björk, who runs the clothing design company Design by Björk.
eXpression Umeå would like to thank the chairman of the board, the entrepreneurs and the County Governor for the nice talks and the visit.