When eXpression Umeå's accelerator program, Future Retail Lab, opens the application for the third time, companies from the entire north coast with surrounding municipalities will have the opportunity to participate. Through a broad collaboration between innovation support actors, business offices, destination companies and other important business promoters, more entrepreneurs in the North will receive support in their business development. The programme is aimed at businesses in the trade, hospitality and experience sectors with a trade component.

- The collaboration that is now taking off gives us a fantastic opportunity to work with more Northern companies and to develop together," says Annakarin Nyberg, programme manager for eXpression Future Retail Lab.

After two years, the eXpression Future Retail Lab's catchment area is expanded to include coastal and coastal municipalities from Örnsköldsvik in the south to Luleå in the north. This is made possible by an intensified cooperation between municipalities, traders, property owners, universities, destination companies and citizens.

- We stand ready with a strong business development programme built on the knowledge we have gained from previous rounds and the broad expertise of our network. The opportunity to welcome a new group of committed and driven entrepreneurs and to expand cooperation in northern Sweden is important for these vulnerable sectors," says Annakarin Nyberg, Programme Manager at eXpression Future Retail Lab.

The Corona pandemic has changed the conditions for regional and local business support structures and has put considerable pressure on private companies. These pressurised industries clearly need strong support structures to cope with the rapid transition. The current development of the accelerator programme is partly a result of the deepened cooperation that Piteå municipality and eXpression Umeå's owner, Umeå University, have recently entered into - in which the cultural and creative industries are an explicit focus area.

- Many cities and municipalities are currently facing major challenges that require new forms of cooperation between those of us who promote business and industry. The ongoing sectoral shifts that are taking place, accelerated by the pandemic, make this cooperation particularly urgent and important. Deepening the cooperation with eXpression Umeå is a natural step for us, given the letter of intent we signed with Umeå University," says Stefan Lundmark, business developer at Piteå municipality.

Applications for the next round of the programme are now open and the programme will start in August 2021 and run until March 2022.16 companies will have the opportunity to join a business development journey with industry experts, researchers, business developers and entrepreneurs. It is hoped that some meetings can take place physically, with the business incubator eXpression and Umeå as a base. The programme is also adapted to be delivered digitally.

The accelerator programme eXpression Future Retail Lab is an initiative between the Swedish Commerce Federation via the Merchants' Association Foundation and Umeå municipality and is part-financed by EU structural funds.

For more information:

Annakarin Nyberg, Programme Manager eXpression Future Retail Lab
annakarin.nyberg@expressionumea.se
070-667 94 43