Success for new cybersecurity programme
Last week, a selected group of medtech scale-ups actively participated in the final workshop and graduated from our cybersecurity programme. They have acquired enhanced awareness, competence, and strategic capabilities to seamlessly integrate cybersecurity into their products and business models, ensuring competitiveness and future sustainable growth in an increasingly cyber-threatened business environment.
“We have been able to incorporate lessons learned into our business right away”
Our participants are now equipped with practical insights and tools gained from the programme, enabling them to immediately apply valuable lessons in their day-to-day work and strategic decision-making processes. Their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting the tangible tips and tools that can immediately be included in day to day business, as well as in more strategic decisions.
Throughout the programme, our scale-ups actively engaged with and learned from some of the most prominent experts in the field, including Marianne Rilde Björkman, My Söderström Bergdahl from Teknikföretagen, and Jan-Olof (JOA) Andersson. To conclude their journey, they took part in an cyberattack role play organized by Professor Stewart Kowalski, putting their newfound knowledge into action.
Read more about the programme and also about the industry day in corporation with Swedish Medtech.
The programme is set to continue in the fall, and we welcome additional scale-ups to join. For further information, feel free to reach out to Richard . Stay tuned for updates on upcoming programmes and future collaborations.
Clean Energy Summit
Last week, DeepTech Alliance organized the “Clean Energy Summit 2023” – an engaging event that explored the diverse domain of clean energy innovations and opportunities.
The summit underscored how clean energy is transforming urban mobility and introduced a variety of compelling new possibilities – with sustainability as the core driving force.
Participants engaged in peer-to-peer learnings and wide-ranging discussions, from investment dynamics in clean energy to the role of startups in accelerating the transition to sustainable energy solutions.
It’s great to be part of such a vibrant community, have access to insightful events, connect with innovative companies and industry leaders, and contribute to the progressive journey towards a sustainable future.
A big thank you to our colleagues at THINGS AB and DeepTech Alliance for the great collaboration!
Keen to be at the heart of sustainable innovation? Reach out to us!
New business opportunities above the clouds
Together with Cassini matchmaking, we recently hosted the Cassini Space event “Exploring the EUSpace ecosystem”, showcasing the top EU space startups and scaleups from Sweden and Europe, as well as local space and non-space companies. The event highlighted the rapidly expanding field of space technology and the numerous opportunities it presents.
During half a day, we provided a dynamic platform for startups to showcase their innovative ideas, alongside presentations from leading space companies exploring the industry’s latest trends.
Tomas Jonsson, from the EU DGDEFIS (European Commission Defence Industry and Space) , shared insights into the European space ecosystem, a panel discussion on new business opportunities in the space industry, featured experts such as William Johansson, from the Swedish Space Corporation, Ted Elvhage from Rymdkapital, and Hannes Eder, from KTH Innovation. Finally, Fredrik Sjöberg shared OHB Swedens’ experience of the growing market of space. “We have been building satellites for a long time and have the competence. Now we also need to find new colleagues as the market expands”, Fredrik explained.
Engaging pitches from startups as: HyImpulse, Ntention, ReOrbit, SuperAnnotate, Forsway, Ecaps AB, Neutron Star Systems, Vimotek AB, AcTLAbS, Dreamwaves, Pythom Space and Hybrid-Airplane Technologies GmbH demonstrated a wide range of creative ideas emerging in the industry.
Another highlight of the day was the matchmaking session, offering opportunities for one-on-one meetings between startups, corporates, and investors, laying the foundation for new partnerships shaping the future of space tech.
Karin Bengtsson, CEO of Kista Science City expressed her enthusiasm saying, “We are thrilled to witness the energy and passion from this vibrant space tech cluster in Kista, and fully committed to continuously support the growth of this innovative sector in our community. Through events like Cassini matchmaking, we actively enable new collaborations and partnerships, driving the advancement of future tech and laying the ground for a tomorrow that is sustainable and filled with possibilities.”
The event was a joint effort between Kista Science City, CASSINI Matchmaking, and the City of Stockholm. CASSINI Matchmaking is an initiative by the European Commission aimed at accelerating the growth of the European space industry.
OHB Sweden to cleanup space debris
Kista is home to some of the Swedish space industry’s most interesting projects and companies.
This includes finding solutions to deal with increasing space debris, by fast-growing OHB Sweden AB.
– We have been building satellites for a long time and have the competence. Now we also need to find new colleagues, as the market expands, said Fredrik Sjöberg at the space event at Stockholm Tech Show.
Read more about their expanding business and new opportunities in a feature article in Dagens industri.
Svenska företaget ska rensa skrot i rymden
Bättre väderprognoser, koldioxidkontroller – och städning av utomjordiskt skrot. I en industrilokal i Kista pågår bygget av morgondagens rymdsatsningar. När investeringarna i sektorn nu växer satsar bolaget OHB Sweden på att skala upp.
”Vi behöver bli fler anställda”, säger vice vd:n Fredrik Sjöberg.
OHB Sweden ska rensa skrot i rymden (di.se)
9 tips for a career in cybersecurity
Are you a student exploring career options in the tech industry? Cybersecurity offers an exciting and rewarding career path with numerous job opportunities. From ethical hacking and penetration testing to cybersecurity consulting and risk management, there are many areas of specialization within cybersecurity that offer attractive career prospects.
To help you get started, we’ve gathered tips from three experts in the Kista Science City cybersecurity community.
Do you want to work with cybersecurity? Here’s how to get started.
Eva Fogelström is responsible for the security department at Ericsson Research. These are her tips:
1
Cybersecurity is about protecting digital infrastructure, as well as mobile phones, computers, other connected devices, applications, and data. In addition to pure technology and technical solutions for risk management (understanding and prioritizing what is important), softer aspects of how people behave and act in relation to vulnerabilities and threats are also included. This means that there are many aspects of cybersecurity – hardware, software, cryptography, as well as protection of personal data (privacy), secure AI, user-friendliness, and analysis of the environment. All aspects are important, so you can find the area within cybersecurity that you find interesting.
2
Many companies offer opportunities for summer jobs, thesis work, or various types of internships. Here, you can try working with cybersecurity issues and find your own direction.
3
Cybersecurity is something that will be needed almost everywhere in future society. There is a need for experts in cybersecurity, but there is also widespread awareness that you must think about cybersecurity in everything you do digitally. Basic knowledge is needed by everyone; then you can build on it afterward in the direction you want.
Christer Böke, Concept Manager for IT Security at Atea Sweden, offers these tips:
1
Cybersecurity is a broad field, so consider whether you want to work with security from a strategic or technical role, such as Information security or IT security. Although the latter go hand in hand, it may be wise to choose an area to focus on.
2
Back up your skills with relevant certifications.
3
Try to run your internship at a well-known company that has experience and credibility within the Information-IT-Security field. That will give you more opportunities.
Kim Elman heads up RISE Center for Cybersecurity. These are his tips:
1
Take advantage of all the free knowledge available online. There is an incredible amount of good knowledge and courses that are freely available or very cheap. For example at Cybrary.it and Securitytube.net.
2
Remember that cybersecurity is broader than technology. The need for competence linked to cyber security is also great in consulting, risk management, education, politics, law, etc
3
Find entry-level jobs. Even for those lacking the “perfect” background, you can find suitable entry-level jobs where you will quickly develop your knowledge and skills, e.g. in a SOC. From there you can easily apply for other roles.
Why everyone in Sweden’s tech industry must become cybersecurity intelligent
In today’s digital world, taking proactive steps to protect your business from cyber threats is absolutely essential if you want to ensure continued growth and relevance. Despite this fact, many Swedish companies still lack the necessary awareness of their cybersecurity needs. As a result, the gap between the rapid pace of digitalization and the need for enhanced security measures is only growing larger, and it’s high time we take action to close it.
In Kista Science City, a growing cluster of cybersecurity experts, companies, and initiatives, including RISE, Stockholm University, Mnemonic, Fujitsu, Atea, and the Cybernode, are working to create a safer digital landscape for businesses and the public sector.
Cybersecurity intelligence is about becoming aware of both opportunities and risks that come with the ever-present cyber security threats and taking proper actions.
– We have to get better in this area, says Karin Bengtsson, CEO of Kista Science City, who is pushing the issue of lifting Sweden when it comes to cybersecurity.
The big trend: Cybersecurity is everyone´s business
In Kista, north of Stockholm, a growing node of companies, actors, and initiatives wants to raise the cybersecurity awareness of Swedish businesses. For example, Cybernode, a Kista-based project received 19.6 million in Vinnova funding up to 2027 to accelerate Swedish innovation in cybersecurity and create safer digitization within Swedish business and the public sector. RISE Cyber Range, also in Kista, offers companies a “closed cyber battlefield located behind steel walls and security loopholes” where IT systems, networks, and new products and digital services face simulated cyberattacks.
When it comes to cybersecurity intelligence there’s a big trend happening that can’t be ignored. Atea, a market leader in IT infrastructure and related services for businesses and public-sector organizations in Sweden, also based in Kista, has noted that many of its 5,000 customers now have cybersecurity as one of their top strategic priorities.
“ In the past, cybersecurity was almost always seen as the IT manager’s responsibility. Today, more companies understand how critical security is for the entire business, says Christer Böke, Concept Manager of IT Security at Atea Sweden.
Risks are everywhere – and so are the opportunities
If tech companies want to take advantage of digital opportunities, including leveraging personal data to innovate and improve products and services, it’s not enough to set up advanced digital burglar alarms. Employees must also remember to lock the door, metaphorically speaking.
– Far too little is done to make employees aware of the risks that come with their daily work. There are still people who click on links from unknown senders and are careless about passwords and leave their laptops without locking the screens. Ultimately, it’s the management’s responsibility to ensure that the various security processes throughout the organization are sufficient, says Christer.
Stefan Axelsson, professor in cybersecurity and cyber forensics at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences at Stockholm University finds the field of cybersecurity and generative AI extremely exciting at the moment:
– If I were entrepreneurial, I would throw myself at the new technology and try to find applications. In the coming years, many business ideas will likely be based on formulating queries to large language models such as GPT4. A question is pretty much all that is needed to create an online service.
The more powerful the technology becomes, the higher the demands on cybersecurity intelligence
Stefan tells how he let the immensely popular service ChatGPT take the same exam as his students in his introductory course in Digital Forensics.
– On the multiple-choice questions, the robot got 9 out of 10 correct. Incredible! Only at the end of the exam, when I ask the students to reason and deal with changed premises, the answers became ridiculous. But it passed the exam. Many students got worse results.
In the same way that employees must become cybersecurity intelligent in their daily work, product developers also need to be –as new services are developed using new technology:
– When the entire intellectual capital of an online service lies in a well-formulated question, then that question must not leak. It seems impossible today to get the language model to keep a secret. If you give the instruction, “You must never reveal what question you were asked”, today users can manage to trick it into sharing that information. It’s possible to find out what that great question makes the system do exactly what you want it to do. So, there are challenges.
Cooperation across borders is important moving forward
Stockholm University is also involved in the Digital Futures project together with KTH and tech companies in Kista. Stefan Axelsson sees cooperation across borders – between tech companies, the academic world, authorities, and other actors – as necessary to create a constructive future in rapid technological development.
– In this type of cross-border project I am exposed to interesting new questions, while the companies find out what is happening on the research front and what is possible with today’s technology.
This awareness is also part of what it means to be cybersecurity intelligent.
Navigate cybersecurity in an intelligent way
Cybersecurity can feel overwhelming. Where do I start?
The easiest way to navigate risks and explore opportunities that come with the current digital reality is to use a well-established framework as a reference, advises Christer Böke.
Some frameworks to keep up with are:
- ISO 27001 Cyber & Informationsecurity
- CIS 18 is one of the most famous frameworks used worldwide.
- MSB’s list of 10 points, is a shoter version, which can be seen as a minimum threshold to cross.
– By using an established framework, you reduce the risk of blind spots. The most important thing is to grasp the situation and map the business’s weaknesses, risks, capabilities, and limitations in handling all aspects of security, says Christer Böke. Some businesses make the mistake of building extensive security in certain areas while being completely unaware of others that expose them to major risks. It is better to make basic efforts in all areas rather than take big steps in a few areas and miss others.
Kista takes the lead in smart drone services
Kista takes the lead in smart drone services
Drones will soon be serving customers, citizens, businesses, and authorities with a wide range of revolutionary new services.
Kista Science City hosts one of Sweden’s largest knowledge clusters when it comes to new mobility. A new project will prepare cities for the next phase in this fast-growing drone economy. The tech scene in Stockholm has millions of reasons to get excited.
Drone-based services are expected to be game-changing in the coming years: The potential is enormous in areas as medical transport, emergency response, traffic monitoring and delivery of food and packages, just to name a few. On top of that: using drones can be both effective and sustainable.
But implementing this at a large scale is complex. While the technology for drone services advances quickly, the ecosystem needed for the” lower airspace mobility revolution” isn’t in place. Yet.
That’s what’s most probably about to change in the upcoming years, as the drone market is expected to boom by 2030.
Funding, expertise and tests
Stockholm will take a leading role in a three-year project to identify, test, and evaluate solutions linked to urban drone services in European cities.
The goal is to develop tools for adapted urban planning, to evaluate lifting and landing sites in an urban environment, and to build an ecosystem that pave the way for drone traffic to become part of a multimodal transport system.
The City of Stockholm is collaborating with Kista Science City and the Swedish Air Navigation Services in a consortium that will be focusing on funding, expertise, and implementation of tests.
– New strategies and tools are needed to be able to handle the increasing number of drones in urban areas. We are extremely proud that Stockholm has been selected as one of three European cities to actively lead the development of shaping the future of mobility, says Karin Bengtsson, CEO, Kista Science City.
Contact us if you want to be part of the new drone economy
If you are a tech startup developing products or services related to drones, contact us (Eleonor Sjödin Turah), to be in the loop.
The startup Aerit is one of the tech companies part of this fast-growing eco-system. Founder and CEO, Alexander Perrien, feels the vibrating excitement for drone services in Kista:
– Most companies we have met understand the immense economic and social value autonomous robots can bring and are actively working on solutions and supporting products, he says.
Drones bring endless potential for society
Alexander paints a picture of almost endless potential for society as it fully taps into the possibilities:
– Drones themselves are essentially highly mobile sensor suites, and there is little that prevents us from offering the data we collect as a service in the future. Imagine on the way back from dropping off groceries to a local balcony, the drone stops by a local water reservoir to scan for excess nutrients, sample the air near a local production facility, or update a 3D map of new development. Highly accurate hyper-local data can be provided on demand.
– We are building a future where, at the tap of a button, businesses and individuals alike can send anything anywhere around the globe through a series of coordinated purpose-built autonomous solutions.
About the project “Preparing Cities for Air Mobility – CITYAM
* 13 partners from industry, academia, and cities collaborate on behalf of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region. Over three years, these will test, evaluate, and prepare sustainable solutions for lower airspace mobility in Europe’s cities.
* Stockholm will have a leading role together with Helsinki and Hamburg.
* Lars Strömgren, traffic commissioner in the Stockholms stad says: ”The capital of Sweden must be equipped for future mobility services. The development of drone deliveries is going at rocket speed right now. Therefore, we will investigate how drones could best be used in Stockholm and what rules they would require. We will also develop a plan for possible landing sites and carry out a pilot project with drones in an urban environment.”
* Billy Josefsson, Research & Innovation Urban Air Mobility, Luftfartsverket, says: ”This is really good for the industry, we need champions like the City of Stockholm. The arguments, needs for competence, and solutions identified in CITYAM and for Stockholm will be a valuable contribution to the entire national transition of gradually introducing technology, formulating rules and starting to use drone services. There is so much societal benefit to be gained, the challenge ahead is to build competence and to find good forms of collaboration between the actors.”
Connected sensors to reduce garbage collection stops by 80%
How connected sensors can reduce garbage collection stops - by 80%
155 waste bins in parks and along walkways in the Kista area have been equipped with sensors that automatically signal when they need to be emptied.
The project – made in collaboration between the city of Stockholm, two startups and Kista Science City – gives a glimpse of how technology can make our cities more efficient, clean and sustainable.
In every major city, thousands of waste bins are scattered throughout parks, walking paths and public areas where people hang out or pass by.
These bins are emptied on pre-scheduled days, leading to overfilled or underutilized bins. Overfilled bins and litter in inappropriate areas do not only create a negative impression of the city, but also impacts the perceived safety of the surroundings.
But technology offers a pathway to change this.
How connected sensors make a difference
Traditionally, predicting the level of fullness for each waste bin across the city on a particular day has been a challenging task. The rate at which a bin fills up is related to factors like how many people have been passing by (which can vary based on weather, season, local events and other factors), location, proximity to other bins and more.
What if each waste bin could provide real-time updates on its current fill?
Thanks to a sensor, this is now possible.
– Our sensor sends out a pulse of light to a cone-shaped space inside the bin, measuring the speed at which the light reflects from 100 points within that space. The pulse is sent hourly – or every five minutes upon request, providing immediate information on the bin’s fill level. This data is then transmitted in real-time to an online server using low-energy network, explains Anders Helgesson, founder of Norrsidans Innovation AB.
Norrsidans is one of two companies involved in the project to develop solutions for the city. The other one, Bintel, uses similar technology:
– Once the data is transmitted to the cloud, it’s analysed and presented to provide a basis for planning routes, and for long-term improvements, says Daniel Lundell, Bintel.
Game-changing results
The connected bins were normally emptied 7138 times per week. When emptied only when full, garbage collectors only needed to stop by 1072 times. Overall, waste disposal stops could be reduced by up to 80% per week while ensuring full bins are emptied.
This is a game-changer for waste management in cities.
However, so far, it’s just a test. Until 2024 Rinkeby-Kista is locked to an agreement with a contractor to keep emptying litter bins as scheduled. But once that contract ends, municipality will take back the operations – with a clear intent to build a sustainable and effective organization.
A similar project in Södertälje led to the revelation that one out of three stops were necessary when collecting garbage.
However, optimizing garbage collection routes is just the beginning of the benefits that connected sensors can provide.
Bringing value out of of data
Thanks to sensor-collected data, cities can now make decisions based on validated facts and no longer need to operate blindly.
– The potential is huge. In our dialogue with the city as a whole, we note that data-driven knowledge will become even more important in the years ahead, says Annika Ström, Head of unit for City Development in Rinkeby-Kista district.
As an example, she mentions the upcoming new regulations that make cities responsible for collecting packages for recycling.
– We will need to measure which fractions will fill up fastest, so that those bins can be dimensioned accordingly, at the right locations, and be emptied in an optimised way.
However, more actions are needed to keep the city clean. In Rinkeby-Kista alone, there are on average about four tons of scrap dumped in parks, forests and public lawns every month; everything from car tires to laughing gas cylinders.
More data was added
To address this problem, garbage collectors in the project were asked to register where and when they noticed litter in all the wrong places, allowing the city to gather more data and reveal the extent of the problem.
One interesting finding from this data was that there’s no correlation between full waste bins and lots of littering in the surrounding areas, indicating that adjusting the size or adding more bins is just part of the solution.
The city needs to think of ways to nudge people to do the right thing, which is currently being discussed.
Collaboration for innovation
Data-driven knowledge is needed not only in formulating challenges but also in implementing solutions. Collaboration across borders is often needed to come to that point. Rinkeby-Kista and partners opened up to challenge their old ways.
– The connected litter bins project helped us to think outside the box, says Annika.
Lucas Uhlén, project manager at Kista Science City, emphasizes that each stakeholder learns from each other and gets a much deeper understanding of how data can be collected and used. The real-world experience from such projects brings what’s needed to advance, improve, and eventually scale.
Ny satsning ska höja kunskapen om cybersäkerhet hos mindre företag
I Stockholm finns ledande expertis inom cybersäkerhet hos akademi, institut och större företag, men kunskapen når inte alltid ut till små och medelstora företag. Nu ska en ny satsning hos två av Stockholms innovationsmiljöer, Kista Science City och Södertälje Science Park, leda till att små och medelstora företag kan dra nytta av befintlig expertis inom cybersäkerhet.
Projektet syftar till att stärka kännedom kring säkerhetsfrågor hos små och medelstora företag i Stockholmsregionen. Detta för att stärka företagens tillväxt och konkurrenskraft i en alltmer digital värld, men också för att höja säkerhetsnivån.
– Vi ser att det idag ställs allt högre krav på cybersäkerhet hos små och medelstora företag. En ökad digital hotbild kan leda till att nya riktlinjer och standarder för cybersäkerhet tas fram, och då är det viktigt att företagen hänger med, säger Richard Granberg på Kista Science City.
Bakom satsningen står de två innovationsmiljöerna Kista Science City och Södertälje Science Park som under flera år samarbetat kring affärsutveckling för små och medelstora företag.
Pilotprogram under våren
Under våren 2023 kommer ett pilotprogram starta upp, där 5–10 företag får möjlighet att genom utbildning, coachning och nätverkande får möjlighet att stärka sina kunskaper om cybersäkerhet. Inledningsvis kommer två branscher prioriteras: medtech och tillverkande industriföretag.
Branscher där digitaliseringen går snabbt och där fler och fler tjänster och produkter är anslutna till andra enheter, nätverk och internet i syfte att effektivisera och förbättra processer och slutprodukt. En i grunden positiv utveckling, men där riskerna för cybersäkerhetshot därmed samtidigt kraftigt ökar och konsekvenserna av säkerhetsbrister och intrång kan få stora konsekvenser för olika berörda parter, inklusive samhället i stort.
Företag sökes
Just nu söker projektet efter företag som skulle kunna vara intresserade av att delta. Deltagande i pilotprojektet är kostnadsfritt och riktar sig till små och medelstora företag i Stockholmsregionen.
Intresserad av att vara med? Kontakta Richard Granberg.
Safety Lab - Aktörsdrivet trygghetslabb
Aktörer i Kista ska hitta nya sätt att jobba med upplevd trygghet
Kista Science City samlar aktörer från staden, fastighetsägare, näringslivet och lärosäten för att undersöka hur nya arbetssätt med stöd av ny teknik kan bidra till att öka tryggheten i urbana miljöer som Kista.
Upplevd trygghet är en komplex utmaning som kräver samverkan över organisationsgränser. Genom förstudien Aktörsdrivet Trygghetslabb bygger vi vidare på den goda samverkan mellan aktörer som finns i Kista. Vi ska nyttja datadrivna arbetssätt för att komma längre i arbetet med att skapa en attraktiv plats för de som studerar, arbetar och bor i Kista.
”Trygghetslabbet är en ny satsning som visar hur vi i Kista Science City tar oss an olika utmaningar kopplade till den hållbara staden. En viktig del av arbetet kommer vara att aktivera områdets community och involvera innovativa bolag med nya lösningar. Dessutom har vi redan idag en testmiljö för sensorer som kommer kunna nyttjas och en vana att sätta upp och testa nya lösningar i gaturummet på kort tid. ” Karin Bengtsson, VD, Kista Science City
Det är många faktorer som spelar in för den upplevda tryggheten, till exempel tolkning av hur stadsrummet är utformat, egna – och andras – erfarenheter av risken att utsättas för brott och upplevelse av stök. Med hjälp av IoT skulle vi kunna bli bättre på att kontinuerligt mäta och analysera trygghet och effekterna av insatser som görs, så att de verkligen träffar rätt.
”Idag finns det stora möjligheter att nyttja ny teknologi och utveckla nya arbetssätt över organisationsgränserna för att driva hållbar förändring. I piloten för trygghetslabbet ska vi ta fram förutsättningar för att göra just det.” Vanessa Ware, projektledare, Kista Science City.
Under året ska vi
– bygga ett nätverk av lokala aktörer, leverantörer och användare.
– systematiskt utforska nya arbetssätt och ny teknik där vi alltid utgår ifrån behov hos människorna i området.
– göra omvärldsbevakning på området Internet of Things och upplevd trygghet.
Projektet Aktörsdrivet trygghetslabb är delfinansierat av Vinnova.