To reduce accidents in micro-mobility, Circulr Sound Tech ApS offers an open-ear AI sound technology by introducing neckphones for the modern lifestyle. Discover the latest game-changer audio tech startup that has joined Sound Hub in Struer, Denmark.

‘Sound in motion’ is how Circulr describes its brand. They combine; headphones, wearables and loudspeakers – all in one device for customers on the go. Further, the user can easily change the ear pads and also choose different sizes, colours and materials depending on the season and trend.

Circulr has read the market and spotted an urgent need to be safer on an e-scooter or bicycle while still enjoying the ride listening to music or making calls when commuting in the city. Due to their pioneering open-ear sound technology, designed for mobility and micro-mobility, we are pleased they chose our hub for their head office,

CEO of Sound Hub Denmark Peter Petersen explains.

A game-changer in headphones

How can it be a game-changer? Referring to a study made by the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) the number of e-scooter accidents and hospital admissions between 2014 and 2018 has increased by 222% and 365% – a trend that is expected to continue in the coming years. To reduce the situations compromising safety, Circulr has developed a new category of sound wearables with artificial intelligence (AI) and a voice-controlled (VUI) platform that opens a hands-free universe on the go.

According to CEO and founder Enoc Armengol:

The use of headphones has become the number one cause of accidents in micro-mobility in the EU, US & UK. With Neckphones, people can wear them on the neck with the open ear audio technology, feel immersive sound and still hear their surroundings with non-invasive sound. As an example, you can get audible directions and avoid getting lost and be safer while moving without having to pay attention to the screen of the smartphone.  

First launched with crowdfunding

The first hybrid headphones by Circulr were the Buoq Axis. A product launched with over 100k € in crowdfunding to test and validate the need for this new product category on the market. Now they are developing a new sustainable Circulr model, along with freelance expert engineers with background from prestigious brands such as Bang & Olufsen and Harman. Also, they are developing an AI app with 3D audio to extend the user’s unique music experience even more. The launch of this new product is expected by October 2021.

Circulr Sound Tech ApS was established in May 2021 at Sound Hub Denmark, Peter Bangs Vej 17, Denmark.

About Circulr Sound Tech
A start-up founded by a group of award-winning entrepreneurs from various fields such as product design and sound engineering. The revolutionary concept behind the Neckphones is the ability to transform into wearable loudspeakers with an immersive and powerful sound of surprising quality that is being patented. The concept is also helping to reduce electronic waste by its combination of headphones and speakers into one device. Also, it supports the modern lifestyle following the trend of owning less and saving space. Circulr has won several international awards such as the ‘Start-up Launchpad Award’ in Hong Kong and also received the first prize in 2021 in the category Tech for Entertainment at the South by Southwest event held in Austin, Texas.

ANNOUNCEMENT: An active partnership collaboration between the worldwide acknowledged Ole Wolff Electronics A/S and Sound Hub Denmark is now a reality. Ole Wolff Electronics is one of the leading manufacturers of high-quality transducers and magnetics. They provide custom-designed solutions for a broad range of first-tier companies in the consumer electronics industry. 

We have decided to join and partner with Sound Hub because we have a shared target group – the sound and acoustics industry – and see great business potential in the hub concentration of competences. We expect potential synergy with Sound Hub Denmark, which is attracting a lot of innovative and interesting sound companies that will benefit from our solutions,

states Morten Kjeldsen, Specialist in Micro Acoustics at Ole Wolff Electronics.

Ole Wolff Electronics will be establishing a fly-in office at the premises in Struer and will be an active co-worker in several areas. First and foremost, mentoring and sparring to start-ups and with an intent to plan and speak at events and seminars within their line of expertise.

Morten Kjeldsen is one of the first to be present with a desk at Sound Hub Denmark:

I look forward to meeting and working with all the interesting people in these wonderful surroundings. Here you have both a touch of the past and a look to the future in one place. Meeting other like-minded people is always inspiring, and I hope to be challenged by new ideas and be able to offer sparring and input to start-ups and other innovators I’ll meet here. 

For companies at Sound Hub, one of the benefits will be that Ole Wolff Electronics will offer products and solutions for prototypes at highly attractive terms. This will benefit start-ups in terms of cost savings in the early stages of product development. This has already been relevant for the creation of prototypes for the Sound Kit, a sound teaching platform for youth education run by Sound Hub, where STEM topics are explored through sound. Besides, residents will find Ole Wolff Electronics products as part of the materials library.

We are happy to welcome Ole Wolff Electronics, who will be a great contribution to the skill set here at Sound Hub. Our job will be to match them with relevant clients and partners that are here short or long term. We believe they can provide yet another great offering if you work in the sound industry or related areas’,

CEO of Sound Hub Denmark, Peter Petersen concludes.

About Ole Wolff A/S

Ole Wolff A/S is recognized worldwide for its high-quality transducers and magnetics product portfolio. Combining Danish acoustic technology and product design with Chinese manufacturing results in innovative high performing products at a competitive price. Ole Wolff offers unique design capabilities and a high level of expertise in providing customized solutions to a broad range of market segments from consumer to industrial electronics. Ole Wolff is a truly global corporation with headquarters in Denmark, sales offices in nine locations worldwide, three R&D and application support centres with ISO9001, ISO14001, and TS16949 approved manufacturing facilities in Asia.

2020 has been a challenging year, and it hasn’t been any different for the loudspeaker company STEENSSEN. From relying heavily on China for the production of their speakers, they are now moving their entire product-chain back to Struer and the surrounding area.

It has been a while and a lot of things have changed since the last article about STEENSSEN – the Danish speaker company from China that wanted to establish itself in Struer with the help from Sound Hub Denmark – and now did.

A global pandemic and trade wars have changed the way supply chains work, and many companies – including STEENSSEN – have realized that relying on China as a manufacturing hub also comes with a risk.

What has not changed, however, is the founder, Frederick Rickmann, and his Scottish accent. Once again, he has agreed to talk about the present and the future for his speaker company, and what the last year has meant for STEENSSEN.

The supply chain that broke

According to him, the pandemic is not actually the only reason that he now chooses to produce the entire speaker in Denmark.

The supply-chain did not work because of political reasons as well as corona reasons,

he says.

“The more Trump put pressure on China, the more reluctant small businesses in China were to do business.”

STEENSSEN started the year with an event in Sound Hub Denmark that the CEO called a “success”, and despite corona looming over most of 2020, the trend continued. As it turns out, the year ended very upbeat and built on the success from the early launch in Struer. The turnover improved considerably during the winter months.

We thought we would sell more now that people have to stay more at home, and we did,

Frederick Rickmann says.

The supplier in the TV

But STEENSSEN still wanted to move production back to Denmark and avoid being dependent on China as a supplier. This has been a process going on for a long time for the company – finding more suppliers and parts in Denmark. First it was seen as a way to increase brand value in Asia by being able to put a “Made in Denmark” label on the speakers, now as a necessity if STEENSSEN has to stay in business.

So far, the focus has mostly been on finding new suppliers of the technology inside the speakers.

Now that everything has to be produced in Denmark, it has also forced STEENSSEN to think outside of the box.

According to Frederick Rickmann, it is hard to find Danish companies who can compete with China’s centuries of experience with lacquering the wood for the cabinets.

It was a stroke of luck that Frederick Rickmann was watching the news on the TV one night. In a segment about a factory in Herning, he found what he was looking for:

“In the background, I saw that they had piles and piles of the material that we use for our speaker cabinets. Later on, I saw that they had the machines that we need to produce the cabinets as well,” he says.

The segment was actually about a company in Herning producing exhibition stands, but he saw the potential and got in touch with the man from the TV.

I asked him if he would like to make speaker cabinets, and he said that he was interested,

Frederick Rickmann says.

But it is not just the visible parts of the speakers that STEENSSEN now uses the opportunity to upgrade:

“Our speakers from 2017 have Bluetooth 4.0, but the speakers on the market today have the version 5.0. If I had to buy a product as a consumer, I would not pick the product with the old specification,” Frederick Rickmann says.

Something cheaper

The STEENSSEN founder says that the prices of the new speakers will start from around 15000 Danish kroner, although a lot still has to fall in place, before they are actually produced. So far, he is testing the waters by allowing customers to preorder the new speakers at a heavily discounted price.

Since we opened for preorders we have received 56 orders. In addition we have many new business enquiries from North America, India and Europe which all indicate that we are on the right track,

he says and adds that most of the preorders are for the largest speaker in the new lineup.

However, STEENSSEN still has a long way to go before they are a well-known speaker brand like many of their competitors. One of the ways to become more known is by making it more accessible to more people.

The result of the strategy will likely be clear sometime in 2021.

Until then, Frederick Rickmann can look back on a year that has taught him and STEENSSEN a lot:

I think the time has come to bring manufacturing back to Europe and especially to Denmark. It is also really important in terms of the climate challenges that we manufacture more regionally, creating jobs in Europe and also bringing know-how back again to Denmark,

he says and smiles:

If we are to meet the governments climate targets we have to think in these terms. I am confident that we can develop and manufacture the new audio products entirely within the ‘Jydsk Korridor – The Struer Sound Cluster. You can’t be reliant on people on the other side of the planet for making critical components,

Watch Frederick Rickmann in this video, where he elaborates further on the ambitions for the STEENSSEN brand.

The referred to article from January 2020 about the background for the strategic change in supply chain of STEENSSEN can be found here.

Since the article was written, STEENSSEN has established an R&D branch of his company at Sound Hub Denmark.

The legendary Danish loudspeaker manufacturer Dynaudio has joined the team at Sound Hub Denmark to benefit from the talents, network and facilities of an ecosystem dedicated to audio innovation.   

They are joining a world-class workplace and sound-and-acoustics growth hub for start-ups, freelancers, SMEs and corporates. Aside from great interest from start-ups, Sound Hub now sees increasing interest from corporate players to benefit from being physically present among the diverse and versatile group of people in-house.

Dynaudio has been designing, engineering and building legendary loudspeakers in Denmark for decades and is world-famous for making hand-crafted high-end loudspeakers for living rooms, cars and professional recording studios. The company is engaged in an active partnership with Sound Hub Denmark to drive innovation. And future guests at the conference area – The Sound Square – will now also enjoy Dynaudio sound performance thanks to two pairs of pro-audio speakers being installed.

Collaboration is the new way to innovation

Gaining access to and sharing knowledge with other industry partners and start-ups in joint physical locations is a trend you see spreading across many industries. It is quickly becoming the new way to innovation, according to CTO Jens Lynge Petersen:

We’re thrilled to be joining Sound Hub Denmark. We have been a legendary part of the Danish audio landscape since 1977, thanks to our high-end speakers and drivers built in-house. Working with Sound Hub means we can bring our knowledge and skills to new and exciting projects. Our team members will be physically present on a regular basis and can’t wait to get started with our cooperation.

The partnership with Dynaudio brings many years of experience of high-end audio from the international scene into the game. The company’s products are trusted by award-winning producers and musicians, premium automotive brands and discerning home listeners. They offer knowledge and brand recognition – from which newcomers within the sound domain can benefit, too. Peter Petersen, CEO of Sound Hub Denmark, adds:

It is a great pleasure to have Dynaudio on board as a partner, co-worker and contributing sponsor. We see Dynaudio as a global ambassador for us, as well as actively supporting talented start-ups here. A fast way to get to quality sound experiences and enter into a dialogue with a knowable industry player can be essential to drive innovation. We also hope to inspire and contribute to Dynaudio’s corporate innovation in our matchmaking activities.

As a partner, Dynaudio will be introduced to new and exciting business opportunities, as well as gaining access to test and meeting facilities, plus events and networking groups – and all the related benefits you have when sharing a location with brands from other parts of the industry.

About Dynaudio

Dynaudio has been researching, designing, engineering and building legendary loudspeakers in Denmark since 1977, and is world-famous for making hand-crafted high-end loudspeakers for living rooms, cars and professional recording studios. Dynaudio works with one single-minded purpose; to deliver recordings exactly as the artist intended them to be heard. All speakers emerge from Dynaudio Labs, the state-of-the-art R&D centre in Denmark. Their products are trusted by award-winning producers and musicians, premium automotive brands and discerning home listeners for more than 40 years.

Learn more about Dynaudio here

For the founders of the startup ‘Little Otter’, the prospect of moving to Struer does not scare them away despite their close ties to Aalborg. However, it all comes down to what their business needs.

Despite sounding like a company caring for wild animals, “Little Otter” is the name of a sound tech startup in Sound Hub Denmark – but more on the name later.

Dirk Klijn and Kim Otten are the two founders of Little Otter. Originally from the Netherlands, they have come to Struer to develop their business. After finishing their master’s degrees at Aalborg University, they have made Little Otter their full-time job.

For us, Sound Hub is the only option. For a startup, the distance doesn’t play any role. You’re willing to go

says Dirk Klijn.

The Dutch couple needs help developing their product – sound panels that can hang on the wall and work almost like a regular speaker with Bluetooth. The difference between this product and a regular speaker is that the sound from the sound panel is created by a vibrating piece of wood instead of the usual speaker membrane. This makes for a less bulky speaker, which might fit easier into the interior design.

The idea for wall panels making sound emerged when the couple lived in a small Aalborg apartment. They didn’t have room for the stereotypical prominent “manly” speakers and set out to find a solution.

Sound Hub has been exceptionally open

The first time Dirk Klijn and Kim Otten visited Sound Hub Denmark was a rainy day, and the two initially had a hard time finding the place. But despite this rather gloomy first impression, the couple is overwhelmed by the support they have received from Sound Hub Denmark so far:

I think Sound Hub has been exceptionally open from a business standpoint. Even our mentor was surprised

Dirk Klijn says.

Little Otter have a mentor, who urged them to get in touch with Sound Hub Denmark. Aalborg University and Sound Hub Denmark collaborate, and Little Otter was offered a residency and access to all the testing facilities in Struer free of charge. “We kept asking what we have to do to be here. I think we asked at least three times because we did not get that it was for free,” Kim Otten says and laughs.

Move where it feels right for the startup

One thing is the business side of things. Another is the personal side. One of Kim Otten’s hobbies is doing so-called wheel gymnastics – a discipline often seen in a circus where the artist is doing acrobatics with a big wheel. She is part of a circus group in Aalborg where she can do her sport, but a similar group is harder to come by in Struer.

I got a contact from the local gymnastics club and contacted Struer Energi Park. They are super nice. They are open about the possibilities. If you want to do something, there are options, but you have to work for it

says Kim Otten.

Dirk Klijn, on the other hand, says he would feel alright living in Struer as long as he has access to Lego and a hardware store. At the moment, the couple shares a small rented apartment when they are in Struer, which is on average one out of three days.

However, at the current point of Little Otter’s startup journey, the founders are not spending much time considering where they want to live but rather where they have to live.

“In the end, I would say that if you have a startup, you follow what the startup needs. So if the startup requires us to move here to Struer, we would,” Kim Otten says and adds that they do like the surroundings of Struer.

Making friends

The couple has a small garden house in Aalborg, and a big reason for keeping it and spending their weekends in Aalborg is the friends they have made during their studies in the city. On the other hand, they do not think it is impossible also to make friends in Struer.

“If we would have come from the Netherlands straight to Struer, I think we would have made the same friends, it is just that we spent two years in Aalborg, and we created a community there and friends there,” Kim Otten says.

So far, they have already made one friend facilitated by the municipality of Struer. They were introduced to a new employee at Bang & Olufsen, who also comes from a foreign country and works in Struer, which has made an impression.

They are actively trying to make you happy, also if you are not from this tiny community where everyone knows everyone

Kim Otten says.

So, in the end, it is still up in the air what the future brings for Little Otter, whose name, by the way, is a mix of the last names of the two founders. “Klijn” means “little” in Dutch, and “Otten” sounds a little bit like “Otter”. “And it makes for a cute logo,” Dirk Klijn says with a smile.

Since we wrote the article, Little Otter I/S has moved their business unit to Struer.

See more about Little Otter and their products here

GOmeasure, a ‘one-stop-shop’ for test and measurement equipment from world-leading manufacturers, has decided to set up a division at Sound Hub Denmark in Struer.

GOmeasure represents test and measurement suppliers that help specify future technologies and define the way they are tested.
Sales Consultant Karsten Damm will be the first representative for all the suppliers on Funen and Jutland.
He’s been instrumental in the choice of location.

By being surrounded by a wide range of companies specialising in sound, we are able to spot new opportunities.

Being onsite is essential

‘Sound is one of our major competence areas, so being present at this location enables me to detect special needs in the early stages of development and match them with relevant suppliers in our network. We can contribute with product presentations from specific suppliers and introduce solutions and solve tasks that are unique to the companies present in Sound Hub’, Karsten Damm explains and continues:

‘The location is perfect. We have access to sophisticated test facilities, innovative sound companies – large and small – which may turn out to be our future customers. We have access to modern and specialised offices, workshops, meeting and event facilities – all under the same roof’.

In the short time I’ve been here, I have come to realise how much GOmeasure will benefit from being on-site.

GOmeasure founder Peter Herbst also sees the advantage of residing at this new location.

GOmeasure aims at assisting companies in the Sound Hub with their development of products and services. We want to be close to our customers, as we, apart from selling test and measurement equipment, also see ourselves as a sparring partner contributing to the innovation process.

Attracting new customers

‘If we’re here when new start-ups and companies develop new technology, we can connect to our suppliers and give input to upcoming needs. We are a versatile and flexible partner, who through our vast network of suppliers, can provide custom-made solutions to companies in the Sound Hub’.

GOmeasure expects to be able to attract a lot of new customers due to its presence in Sound Hub.

‘We have great examples from similar locations, where we have assisted small start-ups, lending them test and measurement equipment in the early stages of their innovation process. These companies have grown and are now among our loyal customers.

‘This is a development we also hope to see in Struer. Two of our major customers are already present here, so we expect our presence will have a significant impact on our future development.’

Getting a competitive edge

GOmeasure has suppliers at the top of the business, and some of them, such as e.g. Gras Sound & Vibration, are already partners at Sound Hub. They contribute with special equipment for the measurement of low and high-frequency noise.

A continuous extension of the highly specialised competencies on-site adds to Sound Hub Denmark’s attraction – both for start-ups and established companies. Peter Petersen CEO of Sound Hub Denmark, explains:

It’s easier to spot new needs when you are present in the early stages. It can mean a competitive edge for both the companies here and the suppliers of test and measurement equipment that are part of GOmeasures network.

About GOmeasure
With the establishment of GOmeasure in 2017 by founders Peter Herbst and Tommi Sørensen the vision is to offer customers test and measurement equipment from the world’s leading suppliers. This is ensured through careful selection of suppliers and by cooperating and keeping close contact. GOmeasure’s suppliers participate in various standardisation organisations and provide lectures and events when customers need them. GOmeasure wants to be a one-stop-shop and partner with a wide range of sophisticated test and measurement equipment offered. Besides selling measurement instruments, antennas, and EMC systems, we can also handle repairs and calibration for the suppliers. GOmeasure offers attractive leasing and rental solutions if the investment budget is too small to buy. This versatility enables GOmeasure to become the place to look for relevant solutions, regardless of the task’s size and format.

A visual sound art piece with acoustic dampening in upcycled wood sees the light of day.

We are pleased to officially launch a work of art of a bit more than 17 metres created from an idea initiated by Sound Hub Denmark.

The work of art is a graphical illustration of a sound sequence, where the words ‘Sound Hub Denmark’ are spoken and recorded as a soundtrack and then cut out and mounted on the wall. The materials used are upcycled dark and light pinewood in NORTO Munk.

It is not just a decoration – it is a design with function

The visual sound art is made so it significantly improves the room acoustics and at the same time conveys a message. This permanent art installation is placed in a large hall area next to the future closed private offices at Sound Hub Denmark. At the same time, it is the east wing and the outside wall of The Cube; one of the world’s largest privately-owned 360-degree free-field electro-acoustic measuring facilities.

Unique Visual Sound Art created in a cross-functional sound collaboration

The installation is made in a collaboration between Sound Hub Denmark and three partners. Each with individual competencies and a focus on functional design and sustainability, they have created a room acoustic work of art, which complements the architecture and purpose of the Sound Hub.

In addition to Sound Hub Denmark; the partners are:

NORTO
Unique Danish interior brand, which develops and manufactures sustainable, acoustic and custom-designed interior solutions for ceilings, walls, floors and kitchens from upcycled, excess wood. NORTO is using the sound test facilities and competences of Sound Hub Denmark for their acoustic tests and measurements.

PC Sound & Acoustics
Professional sound technician and acoustical engineer consultancy specialising in live events, who has worked for many Danish and International artists, and with many years of experience in product development from Bang & Olufsen and Harman. PC Sound & Acoustics has office space at Sound Hub Denmark.

Møller Nielsens Tegnestue
Struer-based architects, world-leading in challenging and sustainable architecture long before most others, and with a desire to make a real difference in each project focusing on quality in both the process and the result. Møller Nielsens Tegnestue were the architects behind the upgrade of Bang & Olufsen’s former R&D department, which now houses the growth environment Sound Hub Denmark – the world’s first international technology and innovation hub for sound.

Write to hello@soundhub.dk or one of the partners for a presentation for the art piece.

The investment in sound innovation is beginning to show results:
The first 11 companies have emerged in Struer, which is now also the centre of a sound business cluster. Sound Hub Denmark is getting closer to critical mass.

Neighbours have noticed there is light in the windows in the former Bang & Olufsen factories at Peter Bangs Vej in Struer. This was also the idea behind the vision of establishing Sound Hub Denmark; generating business activity and new jobs, emerging from the city’s foundation, laid out by Bang & Olufsen a long time ago in Struer. A city, which is about to solidify its identity as The City of Sound.

Peter Petersen, CEO of Sound Hub Denmark states:

Eleven companies have now established themselves here at the Sound Hub – eight of which are of foreign origin. They are all registered with a Danish legal entity, and the first Danish employees are hired in three of them.

It’s now just two years ago that the world’s first hub for sound innovation opened its doors for the first time. Nearly a dozen companies and few employees may not sound as much, but the significance of settling here is enormous. Imagine how the first telephone subscriber must have been rather bored until he got people to call. You have to start somewhere. Peter Petersen explains:

We are beginning to see the first organic growth.
By that we mean, we are getting calls from companies that want to be here, because they believe that our network and facilities can help them grow. Right now we are around 20 people here on a daily basis.
I’m convinced we will reach the 100 person mark, when we do status in two years’ time, because ‘birds of a feather flock together’, as they say, 

The cluster will attract more companies

One of the new faces in Struer is Torben Vilsgaard, an engineer by education and director of the new business cluster Danish Sound Cluster. He explains: 

The Ministry of Higher Educations and Science and The Danish Executive Board for Business Development and Growth have pointed out 14 clusters, and Sound is one of them. This means that sound is an area that Denmark sees as having a strong growth potential.

Danish Sound Cluster and Sound Hub Denmark will have several mutual goals. They will not be stepping on each other’s toes – on the contrary, they will make each other stronger:

The Sound Hub is first and foremost a locally initiated and internationally oriented start-up initiative, whereas Danish Sound Cluster is a national initiative to primarily create a connection between university-level research and the industry, and in this way stimulate innovation in the companies.

Torben is the first of four employees in the business cluster. The cluster will have its headquarters in Struer, but with an office location in Copenhagen to be close to some of the high-tech companies in e.g., the hearing aid industry. An industry, which has a billion Danish kroner (DKK) turnover and exports more than 90 per cent of its products.   

A stamp of recognition

Peter Petersen from Sound Hub Denmark is pleased with the sound business cluster having its headquarters here.

We feel it is a recognition of Sound Hub Denmark, and we are proud of this. We will be working together on the common goals and some events, and other joint initiatives.

Corona is, unfortunately, blocking many conferences and events, but the Danish Sound Cluster expects its more extrovert and public debut on a larger webinar in a couple of months.

Our ‘Status 2020’ is an article from the original source (in Danish): Dagbladet Holstebro Struer made on February 22nd, by the Erhverv+ journalist: Thomas Maxe.
Status 2019 can be found here.

Together with Struer Statsgymnasium Sound Hub Denmark is leading a development project of a Sound Kit & Teaching Platform. A project aimed at Danish high schools and technical gymnasiums as a start.

The project establishes a teaching platform for early learning about sound and product development and consists of several modules with specific learning goals and associated teaching material.

The purpose of the project is to give teachers in the youth educations an easily accessible and tested teaching platform to conduct inspiring teaching based on sound.

A platform, which is continuously developed with the goal of improving the students’:

• Digital competences with material, processing, development, and innovation leveraged through sound
• Ability to build, engineer and test functioning prototypes in problem-based projects
• Career competencies and technological foundation within Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM topics.)

Sound to leverage motivation and learning in science

Project Manager Knud Funch from Sound Hub Denmark, explains:

Short term, the sub-goal is for more young people to gain experience with Technology and Engineering based on sound and programming, and for them to reflect on the importance of sound in the broadest sense.

In the longer term, the goal is for more young people:

• to be inspired to take a STEM-related education, e.g. within acoustics and digital signal processing and
• to aspire to be sound entrepreneurs

Teaching in sound made easily accessible

The goal of improving the skill set of the students through the Sound Kit & Teaching Platform is done by developing, testing, and continuously improving teaching modules on sound and programming together with the partnering high schools. Principal Mads Brinkmann Pedersen from Struer Statsgymnasium motivates this, the following way:

The teachers at the high schools in Denmark’s Region Midtjylland will be offered easily accessible and already tested tools for creating inspiring STEM teaching based on sound.

The high schools conduct teaching using the sound kit towards students in both project-oriented and subject-specific courses. Further expertise in didactics and process/outcome evaluation is included from VIA University’s program for mathematics and science didactics.

Audio tech ambassadors from Danish audio companies are likewise involved to make a natural link to the Danish stronghold of business within sound, acoustic and audio; hereby nurturing the food chain for Denmark’s new and already established sound companies regarding qualified Danish labour.

Upon completion of the project, it is the intention to make the kit and teaching platform available to other high schools in Denmark.

Project stakeholders

• Project owner:  Struer Statsgymnasium
• Project development & management: Sound Hub Denmark
• Funding / sponsoring: Region Midtjylland via the Technology Pact/Teknologipagten (lead sponsor), the GN Foundation, Bang & Olufsen and Ole Wolff.
• Development & test partners: Herningsholm Gymnasium, Skanderborg Gymnasium and VIA University College
• Associated partners: Danish Sound Cluster and Struer Municipality (City of Sound)

Interested?

For further information about the Sound Kit & Teaching Platform – or general interest in joining as a high school, associated partner, or project sponsor, please contact:

Steering Group Chairman
Principal Mads Brinkmann Pedersen – Struer Statsgymnasium, mbp@stgym.dk, +4597854300

Project Manager
Knud Funch – Sound Hub Denmark, tp@soundhub.dk, +4530556746

The sound start-up AVAtronics is “in good shape” despite travel restrictions and other obstacles, but they would still be hesitant to hire people in Denmark, if they had to do it without the help of Sound Hub Denmark.

The Swiss sound company AVAtronics is working hard to expand the business beyond country borders in a time where simply travelling internationally is a challenge.

Hardworking is also the impression that Jeyran Hezaveh, CEO of AVAtronics, leaves when she enters or rather leaves, the room. Her business trip to Denmark has been extended so it would better fit the schedules of her Danish business partners. This means that she has to cancel a doctor’s appointment in her home city of Lausanne because she is still in Struer.

AVAtronics was one of the first companies to join the startup accelerator program in Sound Hub Denmark – a program designed to help the startups take their businesses to the next step.

We have received a lot of support and information, we have an employee here, and we are using the facilities,

she says before leaving the room with her phone to her ear, trying yet another time to cancel the appointment

Doing business in Danish

Earlier this year AVAtronics hired their first employee – a step that was necessary in order to continue expanding. This makes the company the first from the Sound Hub accelerator program to hire a local employee.

We have always wanted to hire. Not necessarily in Denmark, but also in Switzerland because we are growing in both places,

she says and explains that the profiles they are looking for are hard to come by and very sought after in the industry, which doesn’t make it easier to expand. But a Danish employee also brings an added responsibility of understanding the Danish employment system and following the law.

You can’t just stop

I have to keep asking to make sure that I’m not extrapolating what I know from other countries to here,

Jeyran Hezaveh says. She has previously worked in the US, Iran, Switzerland, and now Denmark. The four countries each come with their own set of rules and obstacles. Especially the Danish language can be a challenge if some of the documentation is not translated into English. And then there is the difference in mentality between the countries.

There are places where you are supposed to keep calling and asking if things are going well, and there are other places where you should never do that,

she says with a smile before finally getting through to a receptionist on the phone.

Right now it is in navigating the different rules and mentalities that Sound Hub Denmark is proving worth to AVAtronics.

Without Sound Hub we wouldn’t have done it. We have relied very much on the advice they have given and it is very much appreciated,

she says while at the same time being aware that running a start-up company in a new country will always bring its fair share of challenges:

You can’t just stop. Problem solving is part of the DNA of a start-up.

Learn more about AVAtronics in this film made by Scale-Up Denmark and about they vacant job positions here.

About AVAtronics

• Founded in Switzerland in 2016.
• They make wide-band noise-cancelling software. This is a technology that cancels out more noise on the frequency spectrum than regular active noise cancelling.
• The technology can be used in products such as elevators, cars, and headphones.
• Jeyran Hezaveh got the motivation to start the company after a flight from China next to a crying baby.