School children in Härnösand and Sundsvall create the ice cream of the future.

What will the ice cream of the future look like? This is one of the challenges that primary school children in Sundsvall and Härnösand are working on in the Innovation Hack for Future Entrepreneurs initiative. "A win-win for everyone," says project manager Klara Ördell.  

It is never too early to think innovatively. This is the start of an initiative where primary school children at five schools in Sundsvall and Härnösand are working to solve challenges from three companies in the hospitality industry.  

- "We want to give children the tools to implement ideas and at the same time let them participate and influence. In return, we develop Västernorrland as a tourist destination," says project manager Klara Ördell at BizMaker.  

During five lessons in April, the classes are working on proposals for the hotel of the future, ice cream innovations and how we can tour slowly. The clients are Hotell Södra Berget and Restaurant Berg & Hjort in Sundsvall and the Sofia Institute in Härnösand. 

Teachers start from a guide and then organise their work freely.  

- Entrepreneurship and innovation are very much in vogue. My class will speculate on the shape of ice cream, beyond the usual sticks, balls and cones. What fun," says Christina Nordlander, teacher of a first grade class at Östero/Bergsåker school in Sundsvall.  

On April 26, the children will present their solutions to the companies.  

- We will produce a ten-minute presentation, which can be a movie, drawings, photos or anything else we come up with during the journey," says Christina Nordlander.  

Innovationshack for future entrepreneurs is a collaboration between BizMaker, Technichus in Härnösand, the school and the business community.  

Maria Gråhammar, a teacher at Technichus, sees great advantages in allowing children to carry out process-oriented problem solving for real clients.  

- It builds creativity and entrepreneurship in our future generations," she said.  

Klara Ördell also emphasizes that the initiative has a long-term goal.  

- It is about empowering and informing the entrepreneurs and leaders of the future and harnessing their ideas. I also hope that businesses will gain insight into a new and important target group.

Missions from companies:

Hotel Södra Berget in Sundsvall: What does the hotel of the future look like - and what do you do there?
Restaurant Berg och Hjort in Sundsvall: What will the ice cream of the future look like?
Sofiainstitutet in Härnösand: What will the slower way of tourism look like in the future?