In a short time, an idea went from vision to reality. The Bünsow Challenge made its debut at this year’s Bünsow. It is a new initiative in which young participants use creativity, entrepreneurship, and AI to tackle real-world challenges from the business community and develop solutions for the future.
Ahead of entrepreneur Peter Vesterbacka’s appearance as the keynote speaker at this year’s Bünsow event, Maria Åslin and Bengt-Göran Persson met with him in Finland. Inspired by Peter, the idea for the Bünsow Challenge was born, with the vision of a platform where young talent and companies come together to solve the companies’ major challenges. To bring this vision to life, we received valuable assistance from Peter and his student team from Oulu, OuluES, led by Farhan Fuad, as well as from AI developer Rrita Canelloni from Kosovo. They all contributed their experience, inspiration, and an international perspective on how young people can become a driving force for innovation and change.
After a few weeks of planning and meetings with the Finnish team, we decided to hold the event during Bünsow Week. We put together a dedicated project group with the students from Oulu. Three companies—Zmartrest, Aim Sweden, and Develog AB—stepped up with real-world case studies. And several partners recognized the potential of the initiative early on: Mid Sweden University, Knowit, Flatmate, Lilium Fastigheter, SEB, Arkaden, Frosting, Hotel Baltic, ICA Maxi, and Nordpuls. Thanks to this wonderful collective commitment and our partners, the Bünsow Challenge was able to take place as early as this year.
During the challenge, participants worked on real-world problems from the business community. Creativity and collaboration were at the forefront, supported by the AI tool Ikon AI. The result was a host of new ideas and solutions. It also led to valuable meetings between young talents and companies that share the ambition to develop the future of northern Sweden.
For Bünsow, the Bünsow Challenge is more than just a single event. It is an investment in the entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders of the future. The inaugural year demonstrates what is possible when the business community, young people, and dedicated partners work together toward a common goal.
Bünsow Challenge 2026 marked the beginning of something new, and together with our partners, we are now preparing to take the next step. Registration for Bünsow Challenge 2027 is already open. Sign up via our website!