onsdag 17 februari 2010

Hasta la vista, hasta luego

So, yours truly is on the airport, soon embarking on the three hour flight back to Stockholm. Four days of intense business and meetings, getting to know the mobile industry a bit more and with a couple of hundred of business cards in our bags, we can summarize this year's event as nothing less than a success.

It is very obvious, when we talk with the entrepreneurs, that the GSMA is an important event. It is about being represented in the right context, and meeting the right people. But it is also about pride of the industry, and the sense of being connected.

Thank you for following us. If you want to read more about what is going on in Stockholm and in Kista, follow us on Stockholm- the Capital of Scandinavia, or KistaScienceCity blog.

Hasta luego - see you soon!

The winners of the Living Labs Global Showcase Awards - the short version

There was a pressrelease sent out to the media on Sunday night, about the winners of the Living Labs Global Showcase Awards, handed out in Barcelona nearby city of Sant Cugat del Valles. We would like to present a short version of the event, and the winners.

The cities of Barcelona, Caceres, Chicago, Eindhoven, La Selva, Oeiras, Sant Cugat, Stockholm and Taipei, were cathegory patners in selecting mobile and internet solutions that address (and solves) major societal challenges. Many entries: 317 from 28 countries and 140 cities around the world to be exact. There are 11 winners, and they get to implement their solutions in the participating cities.

The Stockholm jury, chaird by Anette Scheibe, CEO at the Electrum Foundation/KSCAB (to the right in the picture) elected the Open Green Map (to the left) to be the winner.

All the winners city by city:
Barcelona: Autonomous Sensors to Monitor Garbage Capacity in Urban Dumpsters
Caceres: Energy Saving through Smart Applications
Chicago: Sustainable Food
Eindhoven: Local Innovation Plan
Oeiras: Central intelligent irrigation controller
La Selva: Sustainable Food, Wikiloc Active Routes
Sant Cugat: Real-time parking management in a city.
Stockholm: Open Green Map
Taipei: Wikiloc Active Routes, Taxi2

More about the award is found on http://www.livinglabs-global.com/award-about-showcase.asp

tisdag 16 februari 2010

At the "fira" - Ericsson and Swedish Trade


We are at Ericsson's huge complex on the very end of Monjuic at the "fira", or fair. Hundreds upon hundreds of business men (and women) are having business meet ups, lunch and enjying demos in the magnificent location. Ericsson has (heard word by mouth) also launched their new and enhanced "fair"brand, in light blue and red. Tonight the big release party will be inaugurated by the new Ericsson CEO mr Hans Vestberg, and the LTE service will be the talk of the town for sure.

In hall 2, the Swedish Trade Council has as usual made an attractive space for the Swedish entrepreneurs, and I must say that the business mingles and meet ups are as intense there as they are here at Ericsson. It is just another sector, and innovation is as present as ever among the entrepreneurs.

- This is without a doubt the best place for Swedish SMEs and entrepreneurs to market themselves and the Swedish mobile industry internationally. By displaying themselves at the Swedish Pavillion, the SMEs benefit and contribute to the good brand that Sweden has abroad, being in the forefront of innovation in telecom, says Karin Hanning project manager for the Swedish presence in Bracelona through Swedish Trade in Spain..

I couldn 't but just agree.

Presence of innovation

Mats Nilsson Wireless@KTH at GSM Mobile World Congress in Barcelona
We meet up with Mats Nilson Director at Wireless@KTH. He is here to represent one of his commercial projects that is somewhat secret - but instead he is more than happy to talk about some of the ground breaking wirelsess/telecom/Internet research that is carried out at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Kista /Stockholm.

The trends in research right now are among others - of course - efficient green technology, he explains. And green technology is not always what you would imagine. For example - green research could be about spectrums and frequencies, and how to use them more effectively. Th Internet is running out on IP numbers, so this is an important field to investigate. The research results could be a way to "expand" the Internet further. - This is an unexploited natural resource, Mats says. The frequescies are already there. This particular research is a necessity so we can continue to be connected in the future too, especially when the fourth genereation mobile systems already have been implemented and the demand just continues to increase. And he continues to point out that much ICT research is about thinking in unorthodox ways, not so much about laboratories and microscopes.

He also emphasizes that the collaboration with the different stakeholders, the business community and the city are key to how the researchers get the insight of what to benchmark and analyse in the world around them.

Partners in many of Wireless@KTH's projects are internationally strong brands:
Ericsson, Telia Sonera, Huawei, PTS, FOI and the VINNOVA Industry Excellence Center that financially supports the research. But also SMEs like Mic Nordic that builds networks. The project also uses the LTE 4G net in Kista and Stockholm as its innovation "test bed" for new services.

Mats Nilsson points out that research is all about breaking new grounds. "Somebody has to make the foot prints in the snow, create the track. Then the rest will surely follow"

Mobile Stockholm agrees.

måndag 15 februari 2010

Barcelonas finest

Barcelona is cold. And rainy. But inside the fair it's warm and cosy. The Swedish Trade Pavillion is already full of startups, entrepreneurs and their guests and curious visitors.

( Martin Schlingman in the picture)

Mobile Stockholm had the chance to talk to Martin Schlingmann, co-founder and CTO at The Institution, a Stockholm based company that are showcasing their product REVIVAL Mobile Management Solutions. Founded in 2007, the company has already grown - last year by more than 700% - according to Martin. This year the first two months exceeded the total turnover of last years, which is a possible indication of two things (according to Martin):
1. The
company obvioulsy has a product with a customer demand
2. The mobile and ICT industry is healthy

With customers like K-Rauta, SAAB and SAS in Norway, and a recently launched office in Hong Kong (international presence, that is folks!) the future looks bright for The Institution.

If you want to know more about the company, log on to http://www.theinstitution.se

Mobile Stockholm also met and talked to legendary Mats Nilsson today - director at the Wireless@KTH research institute in Kista Science City. More on him and the groundbreaking projects they do tomorrow!


fredag 12 februari 2010

Mobile global cities

All does apparently not evolve around just the GSMA conference this coming week.

Many organisations and companies take the opportunity to promote their operations in conjunction to GSMA - on site, in Barcelona. Among many, one of the more interesting things that happen is the Living Labs Global Showcase Award where nine global cities have join forces to showcase innovative (mobile/internet) solutions by opening competition among international solution-, technology- and service providers.

The heart of the matter is to address major societal problems. On Sunday 14/2 the winner will be announced at a special award ceremony.

The winner will then get the opportunity to pilot their solution, hopefully proving the effectiveness and get the chance to take a first step to enter new markets internationally. Check this link out: http://www.livinglabs-global.com/award-about-showcase.asp

The cathegory partner cities are (and their progammes):
Caceres, Spain - Cultural and Societal Participation and Collaboration Tools
Eindhoven, Netherlands - ICT and Increasing Citizen Participation in Public Processes
Taipei, Taiwan - Intelligent Living Services in Taipei
Oeiras, Portugal - Improvements to Water Management in Cities to Reduce Consumption by 50%
Sant Cugat del Valles, Spain - A digitally enabled accessible ecoCity
La Selva, Spain - New Solutions to Integrate Tourism, Innovation in Gastronomy and Rural Landscapes
Chicago, U.S.A. - Solutions for Smart Cities: Integrating Health, Education, Public Safety.
Stockholm, Sweden - eServices for Citizens and Corporations
Barcelona, Spain - Automation for Urban Services for Cities

Hold your finger crossed!

And here is a video documentary about the Living Labs Global

torsdag 11 februari 2010

The World goes Mobile this year too

So, it is time again for Stockholm to visit Barcelona 2010.



This year, the rumour has it that because of the economic down turn, some large international mobile players will skip the GSMA Mobile World Congress, waiting until next year - probably for an upswing.

However will this (unexpected) gap surely provide for a greater number of small- to medium size entreprizes to participate. For one thing - the Swedish Trade Council pavillion will fill up with loads of entrepreneurs - more than 20. The companies that are ready to go are Mobile Arts, Ikivo, Synapse Mobile Networks, Talkpool, myFC, Mobile Sorcery, Transmode, Mobilaris, Aktavara, Global Mediabank, Mobenga, PlusFourSix, Frog2Frog, The Institution with Sweden Mobile Association, Kista Science City and Telecom City.

And some 100 companies within the mobile telecom sector has registered additionally. As far as we know. What we don't know now - on the other hand - are we determined to find out.

So stay tuned on this channel for more formal and informal news on the "Swedish Mobile Wonder" (15-19 March) @ this year's GSMA in Barcelona! Meanwhile, if you want to meet up informally - be sure to add this to your Barcelona calendar:

Monday 15 February

Sweden Mobile Association Media party and mingle14.30 - 15.00
Venue:
The Swedish Pavilion (Hall 2, stand 2 F13)
Contact:
mwc@swedishtrade.se

Tuesday 16 February
Swedish Trade Council Press party 16.00
Venue: The Swedish Pavilion (Hall 2, stand 2 F13)
Contact: mwc@swedishtrade.se