To become Barents Entrepreneur of the year you should set a good example in terms of values; be an ambassador for the region; display creativity beyond the ordinary; and actively work to increase cross-border cooperation within the region. Co-founder and General Manager of Ramsalt Lab, Yngve Bergheim possesses all of these qualities according to the jury. He started his entrepreneurial journey 13 years ago and has a burning passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.
In connection with the inauguration of IKEA HaparandaTornio, Ingvar Kamprad donated 1 million SEK per year throughout the period 2007-2016 to fund an annual convention, Barents Reunion. The convention always culminates in awarding the Barents Entrepreneur of the year. The award is given to an entrepreneur who during the year has carried out unique achievements in the Barents area and who inspire others.
Bergheim participates in a Kolarctic project called Young Innovative Entrepreneurs (YIE) where he expands his network, shares knowledge and reinvests in the entrepreneurial ecosystem in Barents. Ramsalt Lab’s latest effort is setting up a Murmansk branch of their Tromsø-based company.
“My co-founder at Ramsalt Lab, Martin Lund, and I would never have considered making North-West Russia a target area for our business without the influence from the Young Innovative Entrepreneurs project by the Norwegian Barents Secretariat. The opportunities highlighted influenced us to think in a west-east perspective in contrary to the common north- south perspective”,
Bergheim says in a humble manner flattered by the jury’s decision. Ramsalt Lab recently delivered, in cooperation with Arctic Turn from Murmansk, their first joint product to a client. The client was, suitably for a cross border product, Borderstories.no. Behind this project is Trine Hamran: A journalist, documentarist and social anthropologist with a passion for North and a desire to tell stories from a northern perspective. This project is about and for those who challenge borders, in cooperation with Barents Observer.
Morten Brugård, Project Manager of YIE, elaborates;
“I am very pleased that Yngve was given this prestigious award. It shows that the work we put in yields results. For me personally it’s a pleasure to see how the cooperation between IT companies run smoothly as they have two common languages; English and programming language. I hope that Yngve’s story will inspire more people within the project, and others of course, to follow the entrepreneurial path to create value, increase employment and create positivity in our region”.
