Blábankinn appoints Ásgeir Höskuldsson as new manager

Ásgeir Höskuldsson has taken over as manager of Blábankinn, an innovation centre in Þingeyri, Morgunblaðið reports. The centre is based in a light-blue building that formerly housed a bank.

The building, constructed around 1920, has long been a landmark in Þingeyri. It was first used for shops and other business activities, and later housed a savings bank and Landsbanki.

More than 20 people applied for the position when it was advertised this autumn. Blábankinn combined two part-time jobs into one full-time role.

“The most important thing about Blábankinn is its support for the community in Dýrafjörður and Þingeyri, and, more broadly, for the Westfjords,” Höskuldsson said. He described it as an entrepreneurship centre where ideas can take shape and grow, alongside event planning and meeting facilities.

The centre’s role is still developing, he said, as the project is only nine years old. Some projects are carried out with Vestfjarðastofa and others through grants. Its direction in the near future will be shaped by the board, Höskuldsson and the local community, he said.

Höskuldsson said he has long felt there was considerable energy for innovation in the Westfjords. People in the region had spent decades adapting to circumstances and developing new industries, he said. He cited Kerecis as a recent example of innovation and said there was a willingness locally to take part in new ideas.

Höskuldsson lived abroad with his parents until he was 16, in France, England and Spain. He moved west in August last year with his wife, who is originally from Súðavík. The couple bought a house from her family in Ísafjörður and wanted more time and flexibility for their family, as both had been working remotely.

After losing his remote job, he worked at sea during the summer and autumn. He has also lived in Akureyri, worked a fishing season in Vestmannaeyjar and worked in Egilsstaðir.