Entrepreneurs from Oslo on internships at the Hub

University of Oslo interns at the maxum Business Incubator are ltr Marius Kristiansen, Kristian Solvberg, Thorleif Eng Jakobsen, Carina Reinholtsen and Lene Eliassen.

Five students from the University of Oslo in Norway are on a three month internship at the Hub as part of a study programme run by the Norwegian School of Entrepreneurship. The objective of their visit to South Africa is to interact with entrepreneurs and gain an understanding of market dynamics in this country.

Hailing from different backgrounds and different parts of Norway, the students are a part of an 18-member group currently participating in a summer internship programme. The students are employed at different companies in Johannesburg and Pretoria and attend evening lectures in entrepreneurship at the Wits Business School in Johannesburg.

All five interns at the Hub are working with start-up companies in the maxum Business Incubator. According to maxum manager, Jill Sawers, the interaction between the interns and entrepreneurs is proving to be mutually beneficial. The interns are gaining valuable real-time work experience while the start-ups and the Incubator itself are benefiting from additional resources as well as new approaches and fresh insights into every day issues.

The three interns employed at the maxum itself - Thorleif Eng Jakobsen, Marius Kristiansen and Kristian Solvberg - share professional skills in the fields of politics, strategy, finance and marketing. They regard their internship as a great opportunity to get "hands-on" experience with start-up companies and the running of incubation programmes.

According to them, their skills compliment one another and can add some value to the Hub. After their first month at the Hub they have been given opportunity, with considerable responsibility, to be involved in the daily operations of maxum.

Carina Reinholtsen is doing her internship with Mohwiti Technologies. She is skilled in social science and is currently doing her Masters in Planning and Cultural Studies. As a black-owned and managed company with a focus on developing Open Source software solutions, Mohwiti's aim is to deliver innovative solutions that improve people's lives.

Carina is involved as a project co-ordinator in a number of the company's projects, tasked with compiling business proposals, doing market research, meeting clients and assisting in daily operations.

Lene Eliassen chose engineering start-up Automotive Product Development (APD) for her internship. She is studying Mechanical Engineering and is working with the ProEngineering computer program team at APD.

"We are all very satisfied with our stay in South Africa, and are interested in doing some more work in this beautiful country, if an interesting opportunity arises," they all agree.

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