Slush is the biggest startup event in the Nordics, a remarkable event bringing 12,000 people from the world of startups and technology together in November, in the otherwise dark and grey Helsinki, Finland. Y Science is one of the official side events of Slush, and gives stage to that neat intersection between life science and business.
This year there were around 600 Y Science attendees, and plenty of ideas for different science-based businesses were heard. There were three sessions, focusing on Health & Pharma, Food Systems, and Environment & Forest respectively. Each session had its own set of interesting talks and panel discussions, and additionally the day encompassed two pitching competitions and provided plenty of networking opportunities. We not only heard dialogue between startup founders and venture capital investors, but we also heard from scientists and students. This all combined, led to a unique day filled with many perspectives on the world of science-based business.
Laura and Katja from The Science Basement, joined the ranks of a team of eleven Y Science volunteers as social media volunteers. Let’s hear a bit about their Y Science experience:
What is your name and scientific background? What do you do with The Science Basement?
K: I’m Katja, a first year PhD student in the Neuroscience Center, at the University of Helsinki. Our group studies the effect of antidepressants on brain plasticity, or in other words, how antidepressants affect the flexibility of your brain networks. Currently, with The Science Basement I’m a co-Social Media Manager and one of the podcast hosts! Next year I will begin as Chairperson of the organisation.
L: I’m Laura, a second year PhD student at the Faculty of Pharmacy. I study drug transporters at the blood-brain barrier and how their genetic variation can affect the brain permeability of drugs. At The Science Basement I work with the social media team.
Why did you choose to volunteer at Y Science?
K: Y Science initially caught my eye due to its multidisciplinarity; I thought this would be a good chance to hear a bit about innovations from other fields, as well as see science through a new lens of science-based business.
L: I think it’s always nice to volunteer in different events because then you get to experience the event but also what’s happening behind the scenes. Super interesting! And of course it’s a great opportunity to meet and network with new people. Y Science was especially interesting since I’ve never attended it before even though I heard about it during my master studies.
What was one of your favourite things/the highlight of the event for you?
K: Getting to hear about the different topics from completely new perspectives; the science-based business world is in the realm of science but they use a different language. I was particularly impressed by the pitching competitions. I also found seeing the behind-the-scenes of the event organisation very interesting.
L: I really loved learning about all the new innovations and science startups that I had never heard about.
Anything you learnt or took away from the event or volunteer experience that you’d like to share?
K: Attend the sessions outside of your own field as well if you can; these might just lead to the most out-of-the-box thinking. Also chat with people while you’re at the event, there are a lot of interesting people around.
L: I highly recommend attending all the different sessions. Even though I’m a pharmacist, I actually enjoyed the food and environment sessions more than the health session. And if you volunteer, choose social media as your main task so you’ll be able to see the whole event 😉
Would you recommend others at your stage to attend (or volunteer) at the event and why?
K: Definitely! It’s a great chance to get a glimpse outside of the world of academia and learn a bit about what is happening in the world of science-based business. Attending and volunteering at the event are also great ways to meet new people and network with people outside of your usual bubble.
L: Yes, definitely! It’s a great opportunity to learn about new innovations and network with like-minded people from various fields. Maybe you’re even considering starting your own startup or moving from academia to industry? Then this event will be perfect for you.
Article contributors:
Katja Kaurinkoski
Laura Suominen
The Science Basement is a platform for early-career researchers to learn about and practice science communication.