Student Startups to Receive NOK 26.6 Million in Funding
NHH launches major push for student startups together with UiB and HVL.
Two new educational programs, a mentorship scheme, and access to international entrepreneurship expertise – these are among the benefits awaiting innovative and ambitious students in the coming years.
NHH is joining forces with the two other major educational institutions in Bergen, along with Western Norway’s innovation company VIS, in a major initiative to support the value creators of the future.
With NOK 26.6 million in funding over three years from the Agenda Vestlandet foundation, the initiative “TILT Student” is now fully financed. The program aims to make it easier for students to develop their own ideas – from the classroom to a growth company.
– Research is clear: to inspire students to pursue entrepreneurship and turn their ambitions into reality, they need access to the right expertise, networks, and resources. That’s exactly what we’re delivering through the TILT program, says Professor Bram Timmermans from the Department of Strategy and Management and head of the DIG center at NHH.
Timmermans is one of the main architects behind the new program.
NHH expands range of programs
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL), the University of Bergen (UiB), and NHH all have their own entrepreneurship initiatives. NHH is already set to roll out new programs this year.
This autumn, NHH plans to launch NHH Innovation Sprint – an innovation program for 50 students from various academic disciplines across the Bergen region.
Next year, a new practice-based master’s course will follow: NHH Business Venturing. In this course, students will gain access to a world-class lineup of entrepreneurs, investors, and guest lecturers.
A key goal of the TILT Student initiative is to help more student ideas reach the market.
With funding secured, Bram Timmermans believes the project has what it takes to succeed.
– Through the activities at NHH, we aim to mobilize resources and expertise both within and beyond the entrepreneurial ecosystem of Western Norway. This initiative will strengthen the business community in Bergen, Vestland, and across Norway, and the support from Agenda Vestlandet is crucial to our success, says Timmermans.
TILT Student
- Duration: Three-year student entrepreneurship program
- Institutions involved: UiB, HVL, and NHH
- Coordinator: VIS – Western Norway’s Innovation Company
- Goals:
- Reach 1,000 students
- Submit 50 STUD-ENT applications to Innovation Norway
- Create 3–5 new growth companies annually
- Program components: shared digital platform, scholarships, mentorship program, international exposure etc.
– Unique opportunity
The NOK 26.6 million grant is one of the largest ever awarded by the Agenda Vestlandet foundation, according to Frode Nergaard Fjeldstad, who is responsible for grant allocations.
– This initiative represents an unprecedented effort and a unique collaboration between academia, innovation environments, and industry. We want to help create a region that attracts bright minds and fosters an environment where good ideas can take root and grow,” says Fjeldstad.
Western Norway’s Innovation Company (VIS), one of Norway’s largest innovation hubs, will coordinate the project across the educational institutions.
– Bergen and Western Norway should be a place where young people with creative drive not only receive an education – but also have the opportunity to help shape the business landscape of the future. We’re here to give them the support they need along the way, says Stine Fiksdal, CEO of VIS.