Award winner praises the hybrid version of the Partner Conference:
- Definitely the best conference I have attended during the coronavirus pandemic
When the Partner Conference 2020 brought together cluster partners from two business clusters - both physical and digital - on Thursday, two winners of the "Cluster Partner of the Year" award were also announced.
By Mari Kristine Buckholm, October 23, 2020
- "It was very surprising and incredibly nice to be "Cluster Partner of the Year", and it just reinforces the impression of the business cluster," says Inge Grini, CEO of Intellectual Labs, which this year won the partner award in the Cluster for Applied AI.
The 2020 Partner Conference brought together partners from both of Smart Innovation Norway's business clusters, NCE Smart Energy Markets and the Cluster for Applied AI, after the recent AI cluster was founded last fall.
- We are designed to create things in collaboration with others, so we need to be part of the ecosystem of others. That's why we are part of the Cluster for Applied AI. The hope was that we could meet new friends at home and abroad, and we really have," says Grini.
He was also impressed by the hybrid execution of the Partner Conference 2020, where some participants were present in the Simulator Center, while others followed the conference via Zoom and participated in activities there. He himself was present in the hall and delivered one of five partner pitches.
- Technically and in terms of content, this is definitely the best digital hybrid conference of the coronavirus era, and I've seen a lot! The format and the center is very good, there were quite a few people in the hall and many engaged online, comments Grini.
Video : Partner Conference 2020 | Smart Innovation Norway
Proud partner company
The second winner of the day was Schneider Electric, which was named "Cluster Partner of the Year" in the mature business cluster NCE Smart Energy Markets.
- This is something we should be proud of. It was surprising and very nice! I hope it indicates that our partnership has been at the right level, that we have been active and that we have contributed something that has meant something to the rest of the cluster, says Per Gjerløw, who received the award on behalf of the company.
- For us, it is important to be part of the cluster to connect with new partners and customers, get new ideas, discuss models for future business, and check that our analytics and equipment make sense in terms of using the data we collect and process to create business - either for a customer or ourselves. Yes, it's very useful for us," he adds.
- Bringing the WOW factor and expertise
It was Smart Innovation Norway's new Head of Clusters, Eli Haugerud, who had the pleasure of presenting the awards to both winners in their respective clusters.
- The criteria for becoming "Cluster Partner of the Year" is that the company has participated and used the entire innovation platform, that they have a WOW factor and contribute expertise to the cluster. That is why Intellectual Labs and Schneider Electric won the awards this time," says Haugerud.
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The latter has also been part of the NCE cluster for a long time and has participated in several EU projects together with Smart Innovation Norway.
The most important meeting place of the year
As a recent cluster leader, Haugerud himself attended the Partner Conference for the first time and has no doubt that the meeting place concept is valuable - both for the cluster members and for Smart Innovation Norway itself. Project Manager for the Cluster for Applied AI, Marianne Bjerkman, fully agrees:
- The partner conference is the most important meeting point of the year for the cluster partners, where they get to participate in an event that enables them to get to know each other better and also get professional refreshment and competence enhancement.
The first year since the launch of the AI cluster has been very eventful. Among other things, the cluster has been mentioned in the national strategy for artificial intelligence, participated in various conferences, launched several innovation projects and welcomed new partners.
- Read also: Cluster for Applied AI gets support for further development
- Read also: Cluster for Applied AI starts collaboration with NORA network
The Cluster for Applied AI aims to increase the use of artificial intelligence in Norway and facilitate the adoption of new technology. The focus of the cluster is to make the entire ecosystem work together - from development to application.
- The future looks bright. We are working towards increasing the synergy that arises when the cluster partners meet," Bjerkman concludes.