Nordic Bridge moves from co-design to MVP testing

On 7-8 September 2026, Nordic Bridge partners, associated partners and Steering Group members gathered in Reykjavík, Iceland, for the project’s 3rd in-person Partner Meeting. Two days of presentations, discussions and workshops gave the consortium an opportunity to reflect on our progress and plan what comes next.

The idea behind Nordic

Nordic Bridge makes it easier for organisations to bring real challenges to universities and to find the right expertise, wherever it is. Businesses, municipalities, NGOs and regional actors can connect with students and researchers across the Northern Periphery and Arctic to co-create solutions. Instead of pushing academic research outward, the portal lets society pull relevant academic solutions in.

What we discussed

The meeting was also an opportunity to learn from the Icelandic innovation ecosystem, including how universities and partners there support entrepreneurship, innovation and regional engagement.

Partners saw a live walkthrough of the portal prototype, centred on a challenge board where organisations post real-world problems for students and researchers to tackle. Workshops and discussions explored regional testing, links to coursework and thesis supervision, the role of AI, long-term sustainability, and more structured cross-border university collaboration.

With the prototype taking shape and pilot testing on the horizon, the partnership now moves into a period focused on turning that concept into a working, tested platform.

Join the MVP testing

Over the coming weeks and months, we will invite businesses, municipalities and public organisations, NGOs, regional and innovation actors to test the portal and share feedback on what works and what can be improved. Organisations interested in participating are warmly invited to get in touch :)