This week, The Park has the pleasure of welcoming Samiya Abdulkadir Godu—a dynamic leader passionate about research, innovation, and entrepreneurship. With a background in applied chemistry, Samiya is deeply engaged in the life sciences and startup ecosystems, both in Ethiopia and globally. As the founder and president of the Ethiopian Youth Entrepreneurs Association and CEO of Aim View Educational Consultancy, she has dedicated her career to fostering innovation, collaboration, and impactful change.
Exploring Sweden’s Innovation Landscape
During her visit to the TechArena, we met up at the International and Life Science track here at The Park Forskaren. Samiya expressed a sense of belonging at here where science and technology drive real-world solutions. She highlighted the importance of bridging research and commercialization, ensuring that groundbreaking ideas translate into tangible business opportunities.
A key part of her visit included a tour guided by Armando, The Park’s Head of Community, where she explored Sweden’s advanced life science hubs and engaged in discussions on technology transfer and investment exchanges between the Nordic region and Africa. She also visited EpiCenter and met with the Ethiopian ambassador, reaffirming the strong diplomatic and business ties between Ethiopia and Sweden.
The Nordic-African Connection: Unlocking Untapped Potential
One of Samiya’s primary missions is to foster deeper engagement between Nordic innovation hubs and African markets. She sees vast opportunities for collaboration in Life Science, technology, circular economy initiatives, and sustainable business models. Samiya emphasized that while Africa’s startup ecosystem is growing rapidly, particularly in countries like Nigeria and Ethiopia, there is a strong need for structured incubation, acceleration programs, and mentorship networks—areas where Sweden excels.
“Africa presents both challenges and incredible opportunities,” Samiya noted. “The Nordic region has perfected its ecosystems. Now, it’s time to expand beyond its comfort zones.”
Strengthening Startup Ecosystems in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has undergone transformative changes in recent years, including the launch of its capital market, new startup legislation, and major regulatory reforms. However, the ecosystem still faces challenges, particularly in structured business incubation and acceleration. Samiya envisions a model where Nordic incubators like The Park can play a pivotal role—not by merely setting up physical spaces, but by sharing knowledge, best practices, and business methodologies.
Her approach is pragmatic: start small with a high-potential cohort in a focused industry like health tech, then expand based on results. She has already secured agreements with Ethiopian banks to finance startups once they become investment-ready, meaning what’s needed is not just funding, but the right ecosystem to support scalable growth.
Building Sustainable Partnerships
Samiya is also deeply involved in global innovation initiatives and got very interested in our collaboration with Hack for Earth, a United Nations-affiliated hackathon tackling sustainability challenges founded by Ann Molin and one of The Park´s close partners. She sees this as an opportunity to connect Nordic and African entrepreneurs, co-develop solutions, and build lasting partnerships.
She believes in private sector investment over-reliance on grants but acknowledges that early-stage funding is crucial to establishing strong foundations. With Ethiopia’s economy heavily dependent on agriculture, she sees massive opportunities for Nordic technology in sectors like milk processing, animal feed, and precision farming—sectors that could benefit both African and European markets.
A Future of Collaboration
From her time in Sweden, Samiya has been impressed by the humility, commitment, and excellence of the people she has met. However, she encourages Swedish innovators to think globally and engage in emerging markets where their expertise can drive real impact.
“We have the infrastructure and the talent; now we need the right partnerships,” she said. “Let’s start planning real initiatives, working together to create sustainable and scalable solutions.”
Her visit to The Park is just the beginning of an exciting journey, one that has the potential to reshape innovation collaborations between Sweden and Africa. We look forward to continuing the conversation and building meaningful partnerships with Samiya and her team.
