Nordic EdTech News #76: 2022-10-31
Your Weeks 42 - 43 update from the Nordic and Baltic EdTech ecosystem
Hello and welcome to this week’s Nordic EdTech News!
As the ultimate source of funding for many businesses, what happens in national ministries of education is of vital importance for the regional EdTech ecosystem. Historically, change has been gradual and has happened over a number of years. Indeed such political stability is often quoted as one of the key reasons why the Nordics have such a strong global reputation and attract such significant attention from international investors.
This makes recent proposals to transform Icelandic school-age education all the more significant. The plans mean that Menntamálastofnun, the national Directorate of Education, will be abolished and all staff dismissed (Link, Link). The changes aim to deliver a comprehensive national approach that combines provision across all ages to better “coordinate services with students, school staff and teachers” .
According to Minister of Education and Childrens’ Affairs, Ásmundur Einar Daðason, the rationale is clear: to deliver “faster and more efficient resources for children and young people. Everything we do should be aimed at their success.” Mathieu Skulason, CEO at Evolytes, has a good post on the changes here.
Change is also afoot in Sweden with the announcement that three companies (Atea, LäroMedia Bokhandel and Skolon) have been awarded places on a framework agreement to supply digital teaching resources to customers nationwide. This is the first time that a specific framework for digital content has been available. It will enable institutions and municipalities to buy materials without a formal procurement process.
Separately, Skolon has announced a partnership with UK-based EdTech, Our Learning Cloud (Link). As the press release makes clear: “The collaboration also means that Skolon intends to start a business in the English market.”
For an up-to-date perspective on the Swedish teaching resources market, do check out NE’s recently-released 2022 Learning Materials Survey. 50% of schools who responded state that they do not have learning materials for all students. The survey also continues to show large regional differences in supply / use across the country.
In Norway, the Utdanningsdirektoratet has published its definitive, annual summary of statistics and research on kindergarten and basic education. The section on the state of schools’ digital infrastructure and the use / procurement of digital teaching resources should be essential reading for anyone operating in or looking at this market.
The report also highlights that addressing privacy and data security concerns in schools features in 80% of Norwegian municipalities' plans for digitalisation. The importance of this was reinforced at a recent meeting of Nordic data protection agencies at which a declaration was adopted to prioritise these protections.
If your business is looking at expanding into the US, then have a look at this event from EdBD and First Step Advisors, a US-based EdTech advisory group. They have joined forces to deliver an exclusive seminar focused on U.S. market-readiness.
Also I’m delighted to be a contributing partner for HolonIQ’s Global Impact Summit in Stockholm on 29th November. Registrations are open and subscribers of this newsletter can use the code NEN22 to get a 20% discount on the ticket price.
As always, do let me know if you’ve got any feedback or a story to include in a future issue of this newsletter by emailing hello@10digits.org. Sharing this email with your network is also always much appreciated!
Thanks for reading, Jonathan
News from Denmark
Hanne Salomonsen, the former director of Gyldendal Uddannelse, has been appointed as managing director of Gyldendal A/S. Henrik Gejlager is acting director of Gyldendal Uddannelse. (Link)
Labster now has over 300 STEM curriculum-aligned virtual lab simulations in its portfolio for institutions. (Link)
Shape Robotics sees the first results from their partnership with Altex, who have placed an order of just under €900,000. (Link)
UNIwise wins a 2022 Børsen Gazelle Award for “thinking innovatively and creating growth.” (Link)
News from Estonia
Congratulations to everyone involved in the EdTech Hack 2022 - 57 teams with 328 participants from 50 countries were involved. The pitches are available here, the wrap video is here and you’ll find a roundup of who won what here.
EdTech Estonia is a strategic partner of Estonia’s Ministry of Education and 8 of their members recently had the chance to present to the Ministry. (Link)
Lingvist has been named as an Editors’ Choice app by Google Play (Link). They have also hosted a group of startups (including EdTech Estonia members) as part of the EU’s Digital Education Hub Accelerator programme (Link).
News from Finland
Exports of Finnish educational products reach almost €1 billion and are set for further growth. (Link)
Two great interviews with leading Finnish EdTech CEOs - Sari Hurme-Mehtälä from Kide Science (Link) and Henri Muurimaa from Eduten (Link).
EduCluster Finland has signed an agreement to establish and operate the first Finland International School in Istanbul, Turkey. (Link)
EdTech companies lead the way on the Kasvupolku programme. (Link)
Sanoma issues an interim report on January to September 2022 trading. (Link)
Jukka Meklin, CEO of Studeo, on their recent acquisition by Germany’s Klett Group. (Link - $$)
News from Iceland
Mussila confirms partnership with Digitales to provide access to Mussila Music and Mussila WordPlay for libraries in Australia and New Zealand. (Link)
News from Latvia
Programme of online "Teachers' school" talks gets underway. (Link)
New initiative launched as 88% of educators admit that they need support in promoting children's digital safety. (Link)
News from Lithuania
The digitization of Lithuanian schools is expanding as the government confirms that €6 million will be allocated to build digital tools next year. (Link)
Nice round-up of the first year’s operation of EdTech Lithuania by CEO, Šarūnas Dignaitis (Link) as the organisation signs a deal with Israel’s MindCET. (Link)
Turing College’s first Web 3 course, sponsored by Tezos, started in early October. (Link)
News from Norway
Girl Tech Fest will take place on 14th November this year in locations across Norway.
Kahoot! were named on Fast Company’s “Brands That Matter” list. (Link)
Ludenso has made it onto the shortlist in the startup category at the Bookseller’s FutureBook Awards. (Link)
NTNU collaborates with Microsoft and HP to create a new cyber security course. (Link)
Redd Barna (Save the Children) have raised concern that some students have poor or no access to computers / the internet and struggle to keep up at school. (Link)
News from Sweden
Albert announces expansion into Finland as part of a plan to strengthen their Nordic market position. (Link)
Dugga started a new initiative (the Democratization of Education Project) to transform education in developing regions, starting in Tanzania. (Link)
Kognity is working with the IB to co-publish new IB Diploma Programme science courses in Biology, Chemistry and Physics, ready for autumn 2023. (Link)
Studentlitteratur launches Studora, a new digital study platform for students at college or university, that combines course content with “podcasts, chapter summaries and videos.” (Link)
Swedish Edtest won funding for a new research project: AI Literacy for Swedish Teacher Education‐ A Participatory Design Approach. (Link)
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thanks for the shout-out! great roundup.