How INDEK will strengthen industry engagement and student–ecosystem connections
INDEK accelerates entrepreneurial learning by engaging directly with individuals who have already built ventures, encountered failure and accumulated practical experience. The very first FORGE lunch event took place in May.
About THE FORGE
THE FORGE is a monthly lunch event series initiated at KTH to strengthen the relationship between entrepreneurship education and the Stockholm startup ecosystem. Each session features an experienced founder, operator, or technical builder sharing a key lesson from their journey.
The format is practical and discussion driven. The first session, Issue 01: The Problem Issue, features entrepreneur Siam Choudhury. The initiative also aims to deepen industry engagement and expand student connections with the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
For students, early-stage founders, young professionals
The event targets students, early-stage founders, young professionals, and individuals interested in entrepreneurship and innovation. While rooted at KTH and INDEK, the ambition is to create a broader meeting point where students from different disciplines can interact with practitioners and entrepreneurial communities beyond the university.
A hub for technology, entrepreneurship, and industry
The long-term ambition is to strengthen KTH Royal Institute of Technology as a meeting place for technology, entrepreneurship, and industry by complementing education with practical insights and networking.
For the Technology-Based Entrepreneurship programme, the series aims to deepen industry ties, increase student–practitioner engagement and visibility, and inspire future applicants, while serving as a low-threshold entry point into KTH’s entrepreneurial environment.
Participants are expected to leave with at least one concrete, actionable insight from real-world experience. Equally important is the informal setting, which fosters conversations, connections, and potential collaborations.
A few principles that have been in focus so far:
- Start quickly and build with the resources available.
- Support student-driven initiatives and experimentation.
- Keep formats practical, accessible, and community-oriented.
- Create recurring touchpoints between students and industry.
- Curate strong speakers with real operational experience.
- Listen actively to participants and evolve continuously.
- Focus on building long-term communities, not one-off events.
FORGE gives INDEK and KTH a unique opportunity to strengthen the bridge between technological excellence and entrepreneurial execution by creating more informal, recurring, and cross-disciplinary meeting spaces. The goal is not only to inspire entrepreneurship but also to help students understand pathways to bring research, prototypes, and innovations to the market and society.