The Scipreneur Sessions at Iceland Innovation Week

Empowering the Next Generation of Science-Driven Innovators

During this year’s Iceland Innovation Week Auðna TTO Iceland had the pleasure of hosting The Scipreneur Sessions in collaboration with RetinaRisk — a panel discussion dedicated to exploring how we can strengthen the bridge between scientific research and real-world impact.

The conversation brought together voices from across academia, innovation ecosystems, and entrepreneurship to discuss a growing and urgent need: empowering STEM-educated professionals to become the entrepreneurs and changemakers of tomorrow.

Despite the critical role science plays in addressing global challenges, many researchers and graduates feel unprepared to navigate the entrepreneurial landscape. The panel explored how we, as a community, can do more to support this journey by improving academic-industry collaboration for example and fostering policies that encourage risk-taking and innovation.

A Powerful Panel of Perspectives

We were fortunate to be joined by four dynamic panelists:

• Margrét Helga Ögmundsdóttir - Professor at the University of Iceland and Co-Founder of ARterna Biosciences
• Svava Björk Ólafsdóttir - Project Manager of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Akureyri and founder of IceBAN
• Oddur Sturluson - Head of the Department of Innovation at the University of Iceland
• Jón Skírnir Ágústsson - VP of AI and Data Research at Nox Medical

The panel was moderated by Sandra Mjöll Jónsdóttir Buch, Ph.D., innovation consultant and executive coach at Fönn Consulting.

Sparking Ongoing Dialogue

Following the session, attendees stayed for informal discussions over light refreshments - a chance to connect and keep the conversation going. It was inspiring to see so many individuals energized by the future of scientific innovation in Iceland.

At Auðna, we believe in building the systems that support bold ideas and brave researchers and we’re committed to being a part of that effort.

Thank You

We’d like to thank all of our speakers, attendees, and partners for making The Scipreneur Sessions a success — and for continuing to push the boundaries of what science can achieve when it’s given the right conditions to grow.