Reflections from Nordic Tech Week
Thank you, Nordic Tech Week, and especially Sofie Marin from Arts Dynamics, for inviting me to be part of last Friday’s inspiring panel on creative technology. It was a privilege to share thoughts alongside such passionate minds at the intersection of innovation, creatives, and society.
Afterwards, several attendees asked me to elaborate on my views about the Nordics and our potential in the creative tech space. Here’s a brief summary of what I shared—and why I believe the Nordic region holds a unique position on the global innovation map.
To Know Your Superpower, You Must Know Your Kryptonite
Understanding your weaknesses is the first step to unlocking your strengths. For the Nordics, our “kryptonite” is often our size. We’re not a superpower in terms of scale—unlike the U.S. or China—but we do have something just as valuable.
Rather than trying to out-scale the giants, we can dominate niche frontiers:
- Climate tech
- Gaming
- Health tech
- Fintech
We don’t just launch fast—we build things that last.
Regulation as Innovation Catalyst
What some see as constraints—like complex European regulations (GDPR, for example)—can actually be catalysts for innovation when approached with curiosity instead of resistance.
Nordic companies, faced with these challenges, have pioneered in privacy tech, explainable AI, and zero-knowledge systems, now leading the charge globally in trustworthy technology.
This ability to innovate within limits isn’t a weakness. It’s a competitive advantage.
Freedom of Expression Fuels Innovation
We’re also living in a time when freedom of expression is under pressure. If cancel culture can silence comedy today, what’s to say it won’t silence code tomorrow?
When ideas are cancelled, innovation is cancelled too. Creativity—whether artistic or technological—requires the freedom to test boundaries, ask hard questions, and sometimes fail. It’s this very openness that fuels breakthroughs in both art and algorithms.
Democracy: The Invisible Engine
One of the Nordics’ greatest strengths is often taken for granted: we are functioning democracies. That matters.
Democracy creates psychological safety—a critical ingredient for creative risk-taking. People feel empowered to speak up, challenge assumptions, and propose radically new ideas.
In contrast, authoritarian systems may push fast execution, but they rarely produce paradigm-shifting concepts. Innovation without freedom is often just optimization.
Creativity Thrives at the Edges
The future might not come from the usual suspects. Some of the most original ideas emerge not from “tech people,” but from those who’ve never seen themselves as part of that world.
Outsiders often bring the freshest perspectives—just like in the arts. The intersection of disciplines, backgrounds, and viewpoints is where real creative tech happens.
As I said during the panel:
“We don’t just export tech—we export how to build it.”
Slowness as a Strength
In a world obsessed with speed, we can dare to go slow. Why? Because trustworthy tech can’t be rushed. It needs time, care, ethics, and interdisciplinary thinking.
If we do this right, “slow” becomes our superpower—because we’re not just building for the next quarter. We take the time to build sustainably.
Thanks again to everyone who joined the discussions last week. I left inspired and hopeful—and more convinced than ever that the Nordics have something truly unique to offer the world of creative technology.
Let’s build it together.
Pic credit: Anna Olin Kardell