Meet the Skills 2 Grow-Partners: Zealand Academy of Technologies and Business

From the left: Martin Senderovitz, Pernille Rydén and Sabina Rolsted from Zealand Academy. 

From Denmark: Zealand Academy of Technologies and Business is building bridges through the new ÖKS collaboration Skills 2 Grow! 

In the eastern part of Denmark, Zealand Academy works closely with students, startups and local businesses to strengthen skills development, innovation and regional growth. As part of the Nordic collaboration project Skills 2 Grow, Zealand Academy brings expertise in education, knowledge transfer and cross-border collaboration – helping startups better understand how to recruit and retain talent beyond their own borders. 

“International employees bring diverse perspectives, fresh ideas, and new ways of solving problems – essential for innovation. Cross-border recruitment also gives startups access to specialized skills that may be scarce locally, helping them grow faster and compete more effectively”, says Sabina Rolsted, Lektor at Zealand - Sjællands Erhvervsakademi 

The team behind the project work at Zealand Academy consists of Martin Senderovitz, Pernille Rydén, Charlotte Zacho Skovbo, Tobias Dinesen and Sabina Rolsted. Together, they work with practice-based education, collaboration with local businesses and strengthening the connection between students, graduates and the regional labour market. 

A key focus for Zealand Academy within Skills 2 Grow is generating new knowledge about SMEs and their everyday practices – while also learning directly from startups themselves. Through this exchange, they aim to strengthen knowledge transfer both to and through students and graduates. 

One of the aspects the team looks forward to the most during the project is seeing startups and talent connect across borders. 

“Bringing startups and talents together, Startups to realize the potential of talents across the border and that it is worth the effort to hire them in their endeavors. Talents seeking opportunities further beyond the horizon.” 

For Zealand Academy, one of the programme’s most unique strengths is its ability to bridge the gap between talent and startups across neighboring Nordic countries – making cross-border recruitment feel more accessible, concrete and achievable for early-stage companies. 

Zealand also plays an important role in mobilization and matchmaking activities throughout the project. Together with the other partners, they help ensure meaningful connections between startups and talent while also contributing to evaluation activities, insights gathering and actionable recommendations that will later be shared through the project’s e-book. 

“If your startup is considering hiring and looking to growing internationally, this is a good opportunity to learn about recruitment challenges and potentials in a cross-border context by starting with neighboring countries.” 

The team believes that working with international talent expands a startup’s cultural understanding and global mindset, making it easier to enter new markets and build international networks. In short, hiring cross‑border strengthens creativity, accelerates scaling, and increases a startup’s ability to adapt and succeed in a global economy. 

“As a startup, it takes a great deal to share your vision with others and trust that they will help you grow. Joining our program, you will learn the skills and leadership competencies necessary to recruit the right person who can help you grow.” 

By bringing together 7 partners across Denmark, Sweden and Norway, Skills 2 Grow aims to strengthen startups, connect talent with opportunities and support a more integrated Nordic startup ecosystem through practical learning, collaboration and cross-border exchange. 

About Zealand Academy of Technologies and Business 

Zealand, established by law in 2008, operates as an academy of higher education under the oversight of the Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science. In the Danish educational system, an academy is similar to a University of Applied Sciences. As a self-governed public institution, Zealand embodies both autonomy and accountability. 

Zealand Academy of Technologies and Business serve as a regional academy located in the Zealand region of Denmark, which also includes the capital city, Copenhagen. With its main administrative office in Koge, Zealand offers a variety of educational programs and activities across multiple highly specialized campuses within the region. Each campus stands out with its unique location and specialized focus. Zealand’s core philosophy balances the advantages of scale with the distinctiveness of fostering strong local identities and vibrant study environments at each campus. 

For more information, please visit: https://zealand.com/