The Kveikjan entrepreneurship centre has moved to new premises.

The Kveikjan incubator, run by the Innovation Centre of Iceland in partnership with the municipalities of Hafnarfjörður and Garðabær, recently moved into new premises at Flatahrauni 14 in Hafnarfjörður, which was formerly home to the Hafnarfjörður fire brigade.

The cooperation agreement between the City of Hafnarfjörður, the City of Garðabær, the municipality of Álftanes and the Innovation Centre of Iceland regarding the Kveikjan entrepreneurship centre was first signed on 1 May 2009. The incubator was then housed at 11 Strandgata in Hafnarfjörður, and from the outset, the centre's aim was to support entrepreneurs and start-up companies in the area by providing them with professional assistance and facilities intended to foster innovation, increased employment opportunities and the establishment of new businesses.

The agreement was renewed between the Innovation Centre of Iceland, the City of Hafnarfjörður and the City of Garðabær in the spring of 2012, and as a result, the centre moved to another, larger premises at 31 Strandgata in Hafnarfjörður.

The entrepreneurs working at Kveikjan have now settled into their new premises at Flatahrauni, and a new partnership agreement has been signed between the aforementioned parties regarding the use of the premises and the operation of the Kveikjan entrepreneurs' centre. The agreement is valid until 2018.

A wide range of business ideas

Throughout this long-standing collaboration, the Innovation Centre of Iceland and the local authorities in Garðabær and Hafnarfjörður have worked to encourage individuals within their municipalities to implement their own business ideas by providing a place in the entrepreneurs' centre and access to professional assistance and information. It is fair to say that the success of this collaboration is unequivocal and visible. The companies operating in Kveikjan employ between 25 and 30 people. The business ideas are diverse, and in the years that Kveikjan has been operating, many of the start-ups have outgrown their space in the incubator and have subsequently moved to larger premises that can accommodate a larger workforce and the growth of their business ideas. These include companies such as Remake Electric, which has developed a new type of sensor, Luminox, which produces computer games, and Mussikids, which produces Icelandic entertainment and educational content that opens up the world of music to children.

Cooperation with the municipalities is extremely important.

„The Kveikjan incubator not only provides businesses and entrepreneurs with premises for their operations, but also a vital network and a platform for experience and collaboration across various fields. We are extremely pleased with the collaboration we have had with the City of Hafnarfjörður and the Municipality of Garðabær in recent years, and they deserve credit for their goodwill and interest in creating a good environment for entrepreneurs in this area to achieve great things. It would be desirable for more municipalities to follow the example of these boroughs in this matter and emulate the approach of Hafnarfjörður and Garðabær in their involvement in running entrepreneurs“ hubs, as the activity we lead there in partnership with the municipalities has demonstrated an unequivocal impact ona win for them and an increased diversity of the business community, making the municipalities a more attractive place for progressive and creative people to live and work in," says Sigríður Ingvarsdóttir, Managing Director of the Innovation Centre Iceland and Operations Manager of the institution's incubators. 

Pictured are the Mayor of Hafnarfjörður, Harald L. Haraldsson, Sigríður Ingvarsdóttir, Managing Director and Operations Manager of the Entrepreneur Centre at the Innovation Centre of Iceland, together with Gunnar Einarsson, Mayor of Garðabær, at the signing of the agreement.