Iceland review - 2016, Page 103

ICELAND REVIEW 101
tricity production, the Reykjanes Resource
Park, near Keflavík International Airport,
also powers a biotechnology research cen-
ter, tropical fish farming, renewable meth-
anol production and molecular farming by
utilizing steam, sea water wells and CO2
streams.
REYKJAVÍK SCIENCE CITY
Such imaginative ventures flourish due
to the efforts of Reykjavík’s ‘innovation
professionals.’ The economic vitality of
a city depends on these individuals, says
Óli Örn: they are people who create new
products and encourage a truly progres-
sive economic environment. Reykjavík is
dedicated to developing job opportuni-
ties for these innovators.
Enter the Reykjavík Science City, a cen-
trally-located, multi-use park with building
plots for knowledge-driven industries, ex-
panded housing and university residences.
DeCode Genetics already has facilities
here, and the international headquarters
of both Alvogen pharmaceuticals and CCP
are relocating to Science City, too. In an
effort to cultivate a centralized tech com-
munity, CCP intends to open its facilities
to local IT companies—both established
organizations and fledgling companies
just getting off the ground.
SMALL COMPANIES, BIG EXPERIENCE
This represents an exciting new horizon
for Reykjavík, though it has long offered
a variety of incentives for skilled profes-
sionals who want to gain valuable training
in the workplace. Perhaps unexpectedly,
such benefits are often due to the smaller
scale of businesses in Iceland. Profession-
als working in smaller organizations learn
to wear many different hats and have more
opportunities for quick advancement, Óli
Örn explains. “You might start in IT and
then find yourself working in product de-
velopment, or as a public relations manag-
er. It’s basically three years of experience
in one.”
Reykjavík has built a reputation for cre-
ative entrepreneurship and green indus-
try, but this forward-looking city is only
getting started. Here, innovation is truly a
way of life.
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