Innovation Forum 2026 took place at Gróska on Thursday, 29 October, under the theme “Innovation and Opportunities Across Iceland.” The event was organised by Kría Venture Fund, Rannís – the Icelandic Centre for Research, Business Iceland, and the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office. This year's forum focused on innovation in rural Iceland, highlighting the opportunities and challenges involved, as well as the diverse ideas being brought to life across the country.
The day began with a morning coffee event hosted by the organisations behind Innovation Forum, together with KLAK - Icelandic Startups og IceBAN. he event gave attendees an opportunity to learn more about the wide range of services, support programmes, and opportunities available to entrepreneurs and businesses.
Representatives from the participating organisations briefly introduced their activities, followed by an opportunity for guests to engage directly with them, ask questions, and receive advice. The morning coffee event provided a platform for networking, dialogue, and information sharing about the resources available to support the growth and development of innovative companies.
Innovation Forum 2026 placed a special focus on innovation outside the capital region.
Ágúst Hjörtur Ingþórsson, Director of Rannís, officially opened the forum with a welcoming address. He was followed by Knútur Rafn Ármann, founder and owner of Friðheimar, who shared the company's story and explained how innovation has been a driving force behind its development from the very beginning. Sigmar Bjarni Sigurðsson from Drift EA introduced the activities of Drift EA and Ignite Nordic. As Director of Ignite Nordic, he leads an initiative aimed at fostering innovation within established companies and encouraging collaboration with entrepreneurs. Þóra Ýr Árnadóttir, Quality Manager at Primex, Anna Nikulásdóttir, founder and CEO of Grammatek and Sigrún Finna Snædal, founder and CEO of Stökkfiskur, shared insights into their companies and their experiences of building innovative businesses in rural Iceland.
Anna Lind Björnsdóttir, Project Manager at the Association of Municipalities in Northeast Iceland (SSNE), and Guðlaugur Skúlason, Project Manager at the Association of Municipalities in Northwest Iceland (SSNV), introduced the Startup Landið business accelerator and the opportunities it offers entrepreneurs outside the capital region.
Freyr Eyjólfsson served as the forum's moderator and also led a panel discussion featuring Knútur Rafn Ármann, Anna Nikulásdóttir, and Sigrún Finna Snædal. The discussion focused on innovation and the development of businesses in rural Iceland.
At the conclusion of the forum, Hanna Katrín Friðriksson, Minister of Industries, presented the 2026 Icelandic Innovation Award. This year's award was presented to the innovative technology company Treble Technologies. Read more about Treble Technologies and the 2026 Icelandic Innovation Award. Read more about Treble Technologies and the 2026 Icelandic Innovation Awards.
