Category: News

- Aims to become Norwegian business's most attractive test arena

 
 

Collaboration on a new Catapult center for Norwegian companies:

- Aims to become Norwegian business's most attractive test arena

At the beginning of April, Siva announced that Smart Innovation Norway, Media City Bergen and Protomore in Molde have received funds to clarify how they can together establish a national competence center for industrial service development.

By Mari Kristine Buckholm , 29 April 2020

- This award is the result of solid collaboration between Smart Innovation Norway, IFE (Institutt for Energiteknikk) , eSmart Systems , DigitalNorway and Cyviz . We have long worked to get funding for a powerhouse within applied artificial intelligence and service development, so this is an important step in the right direction for us, says head of Communication & Visualization at Smart Innovation Norway and responsible for the application to Norsk Katapult, Mette Magnussen .

The preliminary project for which the Smart Innovation Norway environment has received Siva funds together with Protomore in Molde and Media City Bergen will form a basis with recommendations for a new Katapult center for industrial service development in Norway.

Important milestone

- For Smart Innovation Norway and our competence environment in Halden, this is an important milestone that we have worked for a long time to achieve. Such a Catapult centre, with its services, will be able to function very well together with existing activities and services throughout Smart Innovation Norway's innovation platform, especially with regard to the activities in the business clusters NCE Smart Energy Markets and Cluster for Applied AI, says Magnussen (pictured) . She continues:

- The latter cluster in particular will be able to reinforce the planned Catapult in a good way, with a reinforcing effect in return. For example, we can imagine that the partners in the cluster will be able to use the centre's facilities and equipment for prototyping, simulations and testing for their AI projects, services and products.

Magnussen believes that the award of the Katapult preliminary project can be seen as a stamp of quality and proof that the work the company has put in together with its partners, and within Smart Innovation Norway, has been correct.

- This gives us a strengthened position in a national context where we get the opportunity to share the unique expertise the environment possesses, in areas such as applied artificial intelligence, with the rest of business life in Norway. It gives us the opportunity to contribute with more research and innovation activities that actually create sustainable social and business development and contribute to Norway as a nation becoming more competitive, she points out.

Planning and concept development

In the pre-project phase, which extends from March to September 2020, the three competence environments in Halden, Bergen and Molde will clarify forms of cooperation, ambitions, obligations and opportunities for a new, joint Catapult center within industrial service development.

- During this period, it will be crucial to involve potential users and customers of the center early so that we can develop services that actually solve the customer's needs or give them new opportunities for business development. This insight work, which we will carry out together with Protomore and Media City, will be important pillars in the further concept development work of the centre, says Magnussen.

She reveals that they are also looking at various collaboration solutions to be able to offer the centre's services widely in Norway without the customers necessarily needing to travel to Viken to make use of them.

- This has become more relevant than ever in these times of COVID-19, and will not become any less important in the future in order to be able to work more efficiently and "greener" together, states Magnussen.

Must make companies competitive

The purpose of a separate Katapult center for industrial service development is to assist SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) regionally and nationally to become more competitive internationally. This is done by getting new services and products onto the market cheaper and faster.

- The catapult center will focus on all aspects such as people, technology, strategy, marketing and finance, and offer piloting, testing and simulation. The center aims to become Norwegian industry's most attractive test arena for industrial service development with a focus on, among other things, offering services for the application of artificial intelligence, business modeling and the development of a performance culture, explains Magnussen.

In addition, it is a goal that the Catapult Center in question will be able to assist the other Catapult Centers in Norway with its solutions, resources and expertise, and in that way become an important national hub for industrial service development.

About Norwegian catapult

  • Norwegian Catapult is an arrangement of national centers that offer facilities, equipment, expertise and networks.
  • The Katapult centers make it easier for innovative companies to develop prototypes, test, simulate and visualize, so that ideas are developed faster, better and with less risk.
  • The Katapult centers receive public support to assist small and medium-sized businesses throughout the country.
  • The ambition is to build an infrastructure for innovation with 7-9 national catapult centers in areas of great value for future industry in Norway.
  • Siva manages the scheme on behalf of the Ministry of Trade and Fisheries, and in close collaboration with Innovation Norway and the Research Council.

Source: norskkatapult.no

Check which corona measures Innovation Norway has made for cluster companies

 
 

Check what measures Innovation Norway has taken for cluster companies in the corona crisis

Innovation Norway has created several measures packages to meet changing needs in the business world as a result of the corona pandemic. Below you can see which financing offers are particularly relevant for clusters/networks and companies in the clusters.
Innovation Norway's crisis measures for Norwegian companies

Innovation Norway has received an additional grant of NOK 4.7 billion. This is used to expand established schemes, and to implement some new subsidy schemes.

Among other things, an extraordinary innovation grant is being launched for innovative companies with growth potential. Innovation Norway recommends that all the cluster/network leaders familiarize themselves with these new opportunities and contribute to mobilizing the cluster companies to make use of the offers.

  • Read more about the crisis measures HERE

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Extension of Digital competence lift - Clusters as a transformation engine

As part of the package of measures for clusters (see at the bottom of the page), there is also an extension of this offer until 2020, ref. the latter preferably organized through a cluster.

  • Read more about Switching motor HERE

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Business network

From 2020, it is the county municipalities that are responsible for the business network scheme, but it is Innovation Norway that processes and decides on applications, and that provides professional advice on the development of new networks.

The county municipalities have provided frameworks for the scheme in their assignment letters to Innovation Norway. The frames are limited.

It is now being assessed whether it might be possible to support business networks through the mentioned additional funding, but this has not been clarified as of today. Innovation Norway updates.

Also check out two of the county municipalities' (Innlandet and Viken) opportunities to support both business networks and other forms of business development:

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Package of measures for clusters

The Storting has allocated NOK 50 million for a package of measures for established clusters. The funds will strengthen the clusters' efforts to mobilize for new innovation projects in the business world. The target group is clusters that have basic funding from the cluster program in 2020, as well as clusters that have previously had financial support from the program and that have a high level of activity (these clusters are specifically indicated).

  • Read more about the measure package HERE

About Innovation Norway:

  • Shall contribute to innovation in the business world, development of competitive Norwegian companies and development in the rural areas.
  • Profiles Norwegian business and Norway as a travel destination.
  • Offers services within financing, advice, expertise, networking and profiling.
  • Has offices in all the country's counties and around 30 countries.
  • How much Innovation Norway manages is decided annually through the national budget.
  • All grants must contribute to more good entrepreneurs, fast-growing companies and innovative business environments.

Read more: innovasjonnorge.no

Information for our cluster partners regarding the corona situation

 
 

Dear Partner,

In light of the situation and the joint effort that we all now face, it is important that we identify the opportunities that the new everyday life gives us. We at Smart Innovation Norway and the cluster team will do our utmost to ensure that you as partners experience that your company is adding value, especially now.

How we are affected will vary, but it is perhaps precisely now that you have the opportunity to explore other ways of working, which in the long run can provide great value for your own organisation.

Training, project initiation and networking are important keywords for what our business clusters work with, and we will continue to offer and work with this in digital arenas. We also want to act as a sparring partner and unifying unit that can elevate our partners' situation and needs politically. We would therefore like to hear from you and your organization regarding the situation you are currently in.

In this newsletter, you will find information on how your organization can take advantage of some of the offers given to our cluster partners in the situation we now find ourselves in.

When it comes to practical matters related to our events and offers, the following currently applies:

  • NCE Smart Energy Markets and Cluster for Applied AI will maintain activity and carry out planned events, but we will move these to digital arenas. We will return here with information per event. Feel free to contact us if there are any questions related to any of the planned events , and register as before. Calendar invitations will be issued where this is relevant.
  • The planned business delegation to Gothenburg and Stockholm with AI on the agenda will be moved, and we will return with a new date and an exciting programme! Interest in participating or presenting your solutions can still be reported to marianne.bjerkman@smartinovationnorway.com
  • The planned study trip to Germany will unfortunately be cancelled, but we are planning online sessions in which we will deal with the central elements and learning points set for this trip, including platform economics and spin-off methodology.
  • Smart Innovation Norway and the cluster team will be available for online meetings and telephones, but not for physical meetings in the office or travel.
  • Remember that we have a wide range of activities that are available to our members, also in the home office!

If you save a bit of time by sitting in a home office, this can be a golden opportunity to get some additional knowledge and develop your skills. This spring, we will offer a number of live webinars in the following areas to our members:

We will also make it possible for us to start work on project ideas in our network, for example through online meetings and webinars. If your company or organization has ideas for projects that could be suitable for several people in the network, we can help with facilitation and making the right contacts. We also have a close dialogue with the enforcement apparatus in relation to the possibilities that exist here.

The clusters want to function as unifying units for our members - not only when it comes to political dialogue, but also when it comes to looking at synergies at a time when daily operations are demanding for many. We would therefore like to hear about your situation and challenges so that we can raise these further politically and to our contacts in the policy apparatus! In this way, the clusters can help design schemes that are relevant to you.

Collectively, we will stand stronger through this period, and we who make up Smart Innovation Norway and the cluster team will strive to make the work easier for our partners to carry out!

Best regards,

the cluster team in Smart Innovation Norway

Contact Us

Project managers in NCE Smart Energy Markets and Cluster for Applied AI:

Victoria Næss Jensen

Marianne Bjerkman