Q1) What are the success criteria for NOME – Nordic Mentor Network for Entrepreneurship?
NOME has three overall goals and success factors:
To give the most promising life science startups access to the most experienced and influential leaders in the life science industry. Access to independent and unbiased advice from people with the right connections is a critical component for the success of young life science companies. NOME provides this on an international scale with the ultimate success criterion of helping life science startups to develop faster and more successful.
NOME also aims to provide personal development to the people behind the startups we work with to create new leaders with robust skills and a significant network of people who can help
Finally, it is an important objective of NOME to connect the Nordic life science ecosystems. This is done through our partnerships with major Nordic and Northern European innovation organisations who provide the pipeline of companies and mentors and who partake in the coordination and development of NOME.
Q2) What are the key challenges facing NOME in different parts of the Nordics?
The key challenges of NOME have changed over time but can today be boiled down to resources and pipeline and partners.
When it comes to resources, NOME has a broad range of activities as well as new developments that all need coordination and planning. The major bottleneck here is basically hands to do the job.
When it comes to pipeline and partners, NOME is expanding into new geographies and expansion into new industries that overlap with life sciences (sustainability and quantum technologies) is planned. It is critical to get the right partner organisations onboard to help generate a good deal flow in these new geographies and industry areas.
Q3) What do you consider the greatest upside of being a part for the Medicon Valley life science cluster?
The Medicon Valley region is home to a large part of the private life science sector in the Nordic countries and is therefore of very high importance for an organization like NOME. More than 50% of the companies in NOME are located within this area, and the same is the case with our mentors.