Entrepreneurs and start-up trends today

Both in Spain and in Norway, ie at the geographical extremes of Europe, we see the same trends for focus areas and fields that these new companies and their prime movers are targeting. In that sense, they are a reflection of changes in society in general. A good number of them aim to meet needs that the market, we consumers, did not really know that we had. Although the corona virus and the pandemic have made it more challenging, innovation has not stopped. Both Spanish and Norwegian companies have the digital change in the lead role. Furthermore, it is clear that sustainable development and the environment, and also social co-responsibility, take a large part of the attention in innovations.

Everything is more and more connected digitally. Information is translated into a binary system of millions of 0s and 1s. Here in Europe, we live in societies that are increasingly connected, and less dependent on individual, specific physical facilities. Therefore, it is not surprising that the word connectivity is repeated.

Home office and remote working, digital nomads ... Words that have been repeated, even though in the pandemic there have probably been few nomads around .... Cloud storage and data processing, artificial intelligence (AI) even. Smartphones and APPs with modern, youthful technology that is adapted to 'adult' people ... Devices and gadgets in medical use and also in health services are exciting, and open up for a better quality of life for many.

Fintech is also a buzzword, a word that recurs and rings the bells that create special associations to what is happening in the financial world. Because there too it is the technology that is at the center. And we are talking about technology that is so innovative and almost revolutionary that it also offers quite large upheavals both in terms of regulation all over the world and in the international economy, but also purely politically speaking.

We see a lot of new in payment solutions, how we can pay for goods and services. APPS that enable us to manage multiple banks and accounts in the same program. Not to forget blockchain and cryptocurrencies. It's bigtime! Cryptocurrency based on blockchain technology is spreading. This has already contributed to a lot of exciting and new things in logistics and transport.

Innovation also happens on a large scale when it comes to what we eat and how we eat. New businesses targeting vegans, organic food, non-sprayed food, sustainable food, short-hauled food. Food that is kinder to children, help for parents to teach children to eat correctly and well ... Furthermore, Fair Frade and solidarity are repeated.

Everyone thinks about climate change and the challenges they create. And targets have been set for emission reductions and environmental improvements that are more or less ambitious. So much innovation is happening here, both when it comes to alternative energy sources within wind and solar energy, hydrogen etc. And transport and mobility is then a key field. Drones, electric cars and fuel cells are a part, but also this with transport and mobility becoming more and more a kind of service. It is assumed that fewer people will own their own car in the future, and rather move by way of paying for one or another service provider.

Education and training is another field that experiences a lot of new things happening. And in the pandemic, we have been able to benefit from distance learning, eLearning, programs and services that allow us to use mentors online. All of this helps us adapt to change, and especially that teens who may have a special need for emotional backing at this age have been supported digitally by new programs, products and services launched in the pandemic. Yes, 5G communication technology is the starting point for much more new in all the fields mentioned above. The digital speed that 5G promises is supposedly enormous.

The word "autónomo" is very important in Spanish working life. A large part of the employment is organized by "autónomos", that is to say, freelancers or sole proprietorships. Almost 20%. Perhaps due to the fact that the self-employed depends largely on themselves in their own progress to be successful, there is also a lot of activity from small and new companies in Spain, although a large part of these operate in the hospitality or construction sector and with such a work situation. In Norway, in 2020, entrepreneurs received three times more money in government appropriations compared to the previous year. And Innovation Norway (which is responsible for helping the business community in this field, domestically and in export markets) experienced record pressure from start-ups across the country.

Originally, the word gründer in Norwegian had a negative meaning, because it came from the so-called Gründerjahre in Germany after the founding of the German Empire where great economic growth inspired speculative investments. Now gründer (entrepreneur) (from German: founder) means a person who has taken the initiative to start a company or a business, and who is responsible for part or all of the risk involved in the company. In English, the word entrepreneur is used to refer to an entrepreneur. And inspired by the use of the English language, a similar name is also used in Norwegian, although it actually means something more technical or or related to construction in Norwegian.

In Spanish, it is said that an "emprendedor", entrepreneur, is a person who designs, launches and runs a business, based on an innovation. The founder is an innovation entrepreneur; In addition to launching the company, opening a new line of business, his creativity opens the doors to other entrepreneurs and other new products. In the EU, there are many programs and resources available to support start-up, innovation and start-up.