After seven intense months, this year’s edition of the Entrepreneurs in Residence (EIR) trainee program at LEAD has now ended. The program gives young talents the opportunity to develop technical ideas into future growth companies. For this year’s four participants, Karl Persson, Johanna Davidsson, Tilde Skrealid and Rickard Bolinder, the time has been characterized by both personal development and work with real innovation cases. And the best thing of all? The journey continues.
Since its launch in 2018, LEAD’s trainee program has become an important stepping stone for aspiring entrepreneurs. Every year, two to four participants are accepted and receive education, practical training and coaching in business development, entrepreneurship and company building for six months. The work is done in close collaboration with researchers, startups and experts in the LEAD ecosystem.
The program is also continuously developed based on the experience of previous rounds.
– We are evolving the program between each round, based on the lessons we learn about how best to support this rather complex dynamic of advanced technologies from research, market needs and cross-functional competencies on the way to market,” says Åsa Glavich, Business Coach and Program Manager at LEAD.
Has exceeded expectations
For Johanna Davidsson, the program has met, and to some extent exceeded, expectations.
– I was hoping to work on interesting cases and to learn how to develop a business idea, and I have certainly done that,” she says.
At the same time, the program has also given her new insights into how she wants to work in the future.
– I’ve learned that I want a lot of freedom in my work. I like to think for myself and here I have been given a very free rein, which has been fulfilling.
Karl Persson describes a similar experience, highlighting in particular the breadth of expertise in the market.
– What surprised me most is how much is already in place. There are experts in almost every field,” he says.
New insights about themselves
For several of the participants, the program has also been a journey of personal development. Tilde Skrealid says she has discovered new aspects of herself.
– I am more extroverted than I previously thought. I really like talking to people and understanding how they think.
Karl Persson agrees on the value of human contact.
– I like direct contact with people. You get so much energy from it, especially when you work on developing something together.
Everyone moves on with their cases
The program is now formally closed, but the work continues. All participants are moving on to the next steps linked to the innovation cases they worked on during the program.
Johanna Davidsson continues to run the Precision Pulmo project, a spirometer that measures airflow during breathing in a simple and user-friendly way to monitor respiratory diseases in both humans and animals. The technology is based on an invention by Anders Brodin and has been developed with the support of research by Professor Matts Karlsson and Senior Lecturer Magnus Andersson at Linköping University. During the trainee program, Johanna has worked on market verification and developed a business model for the technology.
Karl Persson is moving forward with a technology case in radar-based communication for the LEAD company Radar Reticence, where the next step is to verify the technology and find partners to help develop a first prototype.
Tilde Skrealid continues to work on the so-called Impact case, which deals with helmets and impact and is developed together with ACTIA.
Rickard Bolinder will in turn start working with the LEAD company Dubblett in Norrköping, which he worked with during the trainee program.
Successful program
This year’s program has led to all participants choosing to continue on the entrepreneurial path, which, according to Åsa Glavich, shows that the approach works well.
– Competent, courageous entrepreneurs with the right mindset are a key factor – without them, development often stops. “Now, after nine completed programs, we are quite sharp at this and this year’s results are proof of that; full pot, four trainees who all choose to continue on the entrepreneurial path and good chances that several new companies are formed,” she says.
She also highlights that the results have been equally strong in recent years.
– In fact, the last three programs have had the same outcome – the two previous ones with two trainees, and this year with four. It couldn’t be better.
Recommends the program to future entrepreneurs
Looking back on their time in the program, participants agree that it was a unique opportunity to test entrepreneurship in practice. They particularly recommend the program to people who are curious about new technologies and innovation – and to those who have thought about starting a business but do not yet have an idea of their own.
– “It’s perfect for those who want to run a company but perhaps don’t have their own idea from the start. Here you get the opportunity to take a technology and develop it into a company,” says Tilde Skrealid.
