TEDx event in Umeå on 17 January

[2013-01-09] On Thursday, 17 January 2013, the first TEDxUmeå will be held at Umeå University, Umeå Arts Campus. Invited are renowned thinkers and leaders, from Sweden and abroad, to speak on this year's theme: "Leadership, creativity and innovation".

Creativity and innovation are key elements everywhere, especially in a seemingly remote destination as Umeå, and leadership is, as always, paramount.

"Umeå is a young city with two strong universities that is closely connected to the business life, through science, research spinoff companies and incubators. The interest for learning, innovation and creativity therefore comes natural to us. By arranging this inaugural TEDx event, we want to focus on 'ideas worth spreading'", says chief curator Mikael Nygren, founder of Ledarskapscentrum.

"Umeå University want's to encourage collaboration and are actively seeking new ways to enhance knowledge transfer. TEDx is an exciting concept and in line with our ambition" says Agnete Marell, Umeå University's Deputy Vice-Chancellor for External Relations and Innovation.

According to the statues of TEDx, the live audience is limited to 100 persons. It will also be possible to join one of our three nodes, where the event can be experienced via live streaming – at Umeå School of Architecture, Umeå University's main campus and the City Library of Umeå.

Other interested individuals can watch all the inspirational talks via a live streaming feed on the internet.

"People in Umeå are creative and innovative. The "do-it-yourself" mentality is strong among our inhabitants together, which results in a large and growing creative class, new enterprises and innovative research. With TEDx we get a new arena important for exchanging ideas", says Anna Olofsson, Head of City Marketing, City of Umeå.

"We have a mission to bring the world closer to Umeå, and at the same time present Umeå to the rest of the world" says Emanuel Dohi founder of Dohi Sweden and Umeå University alumnus. "Through TEDxUmeå we want to continue exploring how everyone can become more creative and innovative, as individuals, in the context of a group, and in the end - as a city in whole."

TEDxUmeå is supported by Ledarskapscentrum, Dohi Sweden, Umeå University, The City of Umeå and Balticgruppen.