The Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NND) is one of the initiators of the establishment of the Cluster for Decommissioning and Reuse. The cooperation between NND and the cluster is close and good, and there is much for other cluster members to gain knowledge and experience from the decommissioning work that NND is doing and will continue to do for many decades to come.
The illustration shows the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant in very rough outline. Illustration: NND
Sector Director Communications, Martin Andreasson, has an important job in communicating the mission that NND has been given by the Norwegian government. Here he briefly explains the tasks and goals of NND and the value they see in being a member of the cluster.
Tell us briefly about the company's business and your role.
Director of Communications Martin Andreasson. PHOTO: Veronica van Groningen
Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning will decommission Norway's historic nuclear research facilities in a safe and secure manner. The agency will also find solutions for handling the waste, which includes high-level spent reactor fuel.
NND will carry out one of the country's largest sustainability projects. When the job is completed, areas that are currently monitored 24/7 due to the presence of nuclear material will instead be able to be used freely.
As Sector Director Communications, I (along with everyone else in NND) am responsible for NND's reputation.
What goals is NND working towards?
Our goal is to clean up in a safe and good way so that our generation takes responsibility for the choices that we and our parents have made.
Can you tell us about a success story or an exciting project NND has completed?
In our efforts to create an information platform that can handle all the data NND needs for decommissioning and waste management, we are working with international partners who have chosen to establish a company in Norway. This company collaborates with the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), among others, and we believe and hope that they will be able to commercialize all or parts of the system they create.
What is NND's motivation for being a member of the Cluster for Decommissioning and Reuse? What type of collaboration is of interest to you?
We see that there is extensive potential within decommissioning. As a government agency, we have limited tools and opportunities to develop this further. In the Decom cluster, we hope to meet both companies that can deliver services to NND and organizations that can commercialize the services and knowledge we build up.
General Manager Trine Ellingsen says that many people have asked to meet to exchange experiences and discuss current issues.
- The clusters are key to Norway achieving its export and sustainability goals. We want to create an arena for sharing and collaboration,' she says in a press release.
Project Manager Eli Haugerud (left) and FIN's General Manager Trine Ellingsen are excited to host the first gathering of the country's many clusters - "Sharing experiences and knowledge is important," they say. BOTH PHOTO: Arne Inge Solgard
Project manager with extensive experience
Project manager Eli Haugerud works as Head of Communities at Smart Innovation Norway. This means that she is responsible for the innovation company's three clusters, NCE Smart Energy Markets, Cluster for Applied AI and the DECOM cluster, as well as the smart city initiative.
Eli Haugerud is a firm believer in the impact of a good sharing culture.
Knowing the needs of clusters with different levels of maturity and in different areas is useful in facilitating the exchange of expertise and experience for very different clusters.
- Sharing is important. The immature can learn from those with more experience, we can also bring in impulses from outside and facilitate new collaborations," says Haugerud.
- Happy to give something back
This year, one or two meeting places are planned, and work is now continuing on the design of the program.
- We have a dialog with several clusters to understand their needs and what we should do together. Industry Week in Porsgrunn is an example of an arena where we are present, and we would like to hear from more clusters," says the new project manager.
Ellingsen of FIN has great faith in the new offer.
- "The clusters are important to FIN and we are happy that we can now give this back to our members," says Ellingsen.
Businesses can now discuss research ideas with our expert
As a skills broker, Hermund Arntzen Dale has first-hand knowledge of how research can help companies solve their challenges.
Competence Broker is a free tool for developing business in Viken through research-related projects.
For several years, Smart Innovation Norway has represented one of seven brokers in Viken county. Hermund Arntzen Dale has recently taken on the role and is already well underway with both outreach activities and guidance of companies.
- Well suited as a competence broker
Hermund Arntzen Dale. PHOTO: Kjetil Lier Svendsen
The aim is for business to develop through research-based innovation by helping business actors to identify areas where research can contribute to further growth.
Dale gets high praise as a skills broker from Violette Yi Qin, project coordinator for Skills Broker in Viken.
- We believe Hermund is a good fit for the role due to his work experience, educational background and personality. He has worked in various industries within energy and technology and has a good understanding of the public funding system both through academia and work in industry. The fact that he has work experience as an entrepreneur, we think is very positive - then you can forge closer ties with an important part of the companies, which is the main goal of competence brokerage. In addition, he is friendly and motivated, which we think is a success factor for being a good competence broker in Viken," she says.
The key tasks of a competence broker are to help companies identify problems that can be solved with research, find relevant partners and the right expertise in the research community, and find funding schemes that can co-finance the project.
- My background means that I have good knowledge of the public funding system, and that I know the needs and challenges of early-stage companies. I also find it very fun to tackle challenges in the business community and look at the opportunities that exist to develop new solutions while working with my areas of interest, which are technology, climate and the environment," says Dale.
Based on the Research Council's three priority areas of sustainable transition and value creation, commercialization from research, and regional development, competence brokers have been established within urban, urban and regional development, health and care, climate, energy and environment, and technology.
- The service is initially aimed at enterprises with little or no research experience. The premise is that development should take place through research. Together we will identify the problem and potential of the business, with the aim of creating returns and new jobs. We will simply find solutions that are more profitable than they are today," Dale explains.
Skills brokers exist in every county and the community works across municipal and county boundaries.
- I can easily connect them with the right competence broker in the right field and geographical location. The others do the same for me. In this way, we have a nationwide reach and, in practice, no limitations," says Dale.
Need for guidance
Most research and development (R&D) projects rely on funding schemes to be realized. And it is start-up companies that often have the opportunity to try out new ideas in response to changes in the market.
Unfortunately, figures from the Research Council show that small and early-stage companies are the most likely to have their applications rejected.
- Young companies naturally do not have experience in writing project applications, and many do not spend enough time on formulating themselves correctly or responding to what the call for proposals actually asks for. It can therefore be useful to get guidance from a competence broker when writing applications," says Dale.
The offer aims to give companies experience in R&D. The FORREGION Business Project support scheme is therefore central. Under this scheme, companies can receive up to NOK 200,000 for their research project.
Competence brokers also provide guidance on other funding schemes at the Research Council of Norway, the Regional Research Fund and other actors. However, competence brokers do not provide guidance on writing applications to Innovation Norway (IN)'s funding schemes because they have their own supervisors.
- We work closely with IN and can, however, refer to relevant personnel who can be of good help to the company, Dale explains.
Short route to skills and networks
The "competence broker" function was awarded to Smart Innovation Norway since the company already works with business, development, innovation, applied research, technology and clusters.
Read more about Smart Innovation Norway's two other business clusters:
Dale has access to Smart Innovation's entire network and all the knowledge of its employees. This puts him in a particularly good position to assist Viken's business community.
- The way we work on a daily basis at Smart Innovation is not very different from the typical day-to-day work of a competence broker. We share and use methods such as facilitating workshops, uncovering needs, mapping competencies and identifying potential, so I have a short path to competencies other than my own," he explains.
Experience so far shows that the free skills brokerage offer has great potential to become known among business stakeholders.
A large part of Dale's job will therefore be to conduct outreach activities both directly to innovation environments, companies and individuals, and by being present at trade fairs, conferences and other meeting places where these actors participate.
- An important task will be to motivate innovation and development. Not everyone sees their own potential, but with my knowledge and network, I see opportunities where others do not. However, it is crucial that the will to innovate comes from within, and another important part of my job will be to be realistic and make the right recommendations for further development," he says.
Practical information
There is no application process for using a competence broker, nor is there any cost associated with the service.
Interested parties can contact Hermund Arntzen Dale by e-mail or phone +47 909 68 284.
UK Trade Commissioner on Smart Innovation Norway: - Interesting for us in several ways
The current close ties between the UK and Norway in many areas provide a basis for further cooperation, and Smart Innovation Norway's networks and areas of expertise are both interesting and relevant.
This was the conclusion of UK Trade Commissioner Chris Barton after visiting Smart Innovation Norway at Remmen.
He was in Norway to get to know and learn from companies, partners and projects that the British Embassy in Oslo works closely with and that are engaged in technology and innovation of interest to the UK.
- The work being done at Smart Innovation Norway is interesting to us in many different ways," said Barton.
The UK is among the world's leaders in innovation, tech and artificial intelligence (AI), but is looking for further growth to further contribute to the development of society both commercially and in terms of services in health, education and energy.
- What specific cooperation opportunities do you see between the UK and Smart Innovation Norway?
- Both parties are leading the way in reducing the carbon footprint, where artificial intelligence, technology and smart solutions are incredibly important. I am happy to say that we are already working together in these areas, but there is still a lot of potential," Barton said.
The Trade Commissioner also pointed to artificial intelligence as a hugely important factor in health.
- Artificial intelligence has great potential to increase the quality and reliability of healthcare services and make a difference from a preventive perspective," he said.
Decommissioning, CI and energy
The UK and Norway have for many years already had a good and broad cooperation in areas such as trade, investment, politics and society. One field that is new to Smart Innovation Norway is decommissioning.
CEO of Smart Innovation Norway, Kjell Reidar Mydske, presented the company to a receptive trade commissioner. PHOTO: Anja Lillerud
- "We launched our DECOM cluster in April last year, and several of our cluster members and stakeholders are already collaborating with UK companies on decommissioning. This can clearly be expanded," says CEO Kjell Reidar Mydske.
Many of the companies in Smart Innovation Norway's incubator and three business clusters want to focus more on exports, and in this respect it is a positive signal that the UK Trade Commissioner for Europe is coming to Norway and prioritizing getting to know the Halden environment better.
- It shows that we are a leading player in our fields, and it is especially our expertise in artificial intelligence that makes us noticed internationally," says Mydske.
He used the visit to encourage the Trade Commissioner and the Embassy to participate in Smart Innovation Norway's arenas with the aim of increasing cooperation.
- And then we hope to take some companies on a study visit to the UK to look at the opportunities for export and learning. That would be very exciting," says Kjell Reidar Mydske.
Norway has several advantages when it comes to using artificial intelligence. Among other things, we have recognized research, innovation and education environments, a high degree of digitization in the public sector, and a large and good data base, which is a prerequisite for artificial intelligence.
Klas Pettersen is the CEO of NORA and is planning a conference in London in December together with his British partner The Alan Touring Institute. PHOTO: Anja Lillerud
NORA (Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium) is a gateway for international actors to these factors, and the UK is a priority partner for NORA.
- "A lot of the development in artificial intelligence is happening in the UK. They also have a lot of exciting companies that use artificial intelligence in many different areas," says Klas Pettersen, CEO.
He is keen to strengthen existing ties with the British, and an important partner is The Alan Touring Institute, a British organization similar to NORA.
- In December we are organizing a conference together, and we want to strengthen our ongoing student exchange. It is also important for us to establish new research collaborations and look at how we can use research results in industry for the benefit of societal development, business and industry," says Pettersen.
The Director of the Research Council was impressed by the Halden environment
- An incredibly educational day that has given me an exciting and inspiring insight into the activities at Smart Innovation Norway and the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE)!
This is how Mari Sundli Tveit, Director of the Research Council of Norway, summarized her visit to Halden at the end of January.
Through presentations by the two research institutions, Sundli Tveit and Kristin Danielsen, Acting Director of Research System and Internationalization, got a good overview of the work being done and the goals that have been set.
- We work with this on a daily basis, and it is incredibly important to hear directly from the professional communities and understand the challenges from their perspective," says the Director.
- Enabling innovation
The day in Halden offered good discussions and important input, and Sundli Tveit is clear that the visit will have an impact on the further work of the Research Council.
Mari Sundli Tveit, Director of the Research Council of Norway. PHOTO: Thomas Keilma
- We exist to enable innovation in institutions like Smart Innovation Norway and IFE, and days like this are important for that part of our job.
The Director was impressed by how the institutions are linking disciplines and making things happen.
- You understand and interact in all the intersections, whether it is artificial intelligence, robotics, nuclear operations, simulation or other areas you work with. The transferability is great, and you get new technology into actual application," she boasts.
Highly confident in the work
With increased insight into the national and international importance of the research work in Halden, Sundli Tveit looks forward to helping to facilitate increased momentum and progress.
- I look forward to following you in the future and I have great faith in the work you are doing," she says.
Integrated value chain
Smart Innovation Norway's Director of Research, Dieter Hirdes, is pleased to have achieved the goal of highlighting how they link research with business in industrial clusters in a holistic value chain from applied research to private and public value creation.
- IFE has been internationally known since its inception in 1958, but there is a lot going on at IFE, especially in digital systems and related labs. It is not as well known that Smart Innovation Norway is at the very top in Norway in EU research with a focus on applied research and value creation in society and business. We are very pleased that the management of the Research Council managed to prioritize a whole day to inform themselves about the research environments in Halden, he says.
Powerful trio to boost Smart Innovation Norway's sustainability expertise
Brita Staal and Manuela Freté triple the national and international experience and expertise in sustainability work when they join Mikael af Ekenstam in Nordland.
- "With Manuela and Brita on board, we have a dream team up here. I am incredibly pleased to have them on the team," says Mikael af Ekenstam, Senior Advisor at Smart Innovation Norway.
Brita Staal and Manuela Freté are among the newest additions to the Smart Innovation Norway family. PHOTO: Mikael af Ekenstam
He is a Swedish immigrant to Narvik and has been working in Smart Innovation Norway since 2019. Manuela is French and originally from Romania, but considers herself European since she has studied, worked and lived in many different EU countries, while Brita is Norwegian with many years of experience from sustainability work in Sweden and Denmark.
What all three have in common is that they are passionate about and experts in sustainability and climate. They see the enormous potential of Smart Innovation Norway to bring the EU and Norway closer together through green transition projects, and they want to contribute to the major societal changes that will come in the future.
With Smart Innovation Norway as their employer, they believe they are best placed to do just that.
From Paris to Harstad
With her diverse background, Manuela Freté brings with her six years of experience as project manager for sustainability in the Paris office of the global firm Deloitte. She led the process of establishing and anchoring the then newly created department, during which time the number of staff increased from 30 to 120 people.
- It was fun and educational to be part of that journey. The department still exists today and is here to stay," she says.
Another task at Deloitte was to lead a working group on an EU project. That experience came in handy after Freté and her family moved to Harstad in 2019 when her husband was hired as project manager for the Arctic Race of Norway cycling race, the EU experience came in handy.
- I got a job in Harstad municipality, where one of my responsibilities was the municipality's only EU project so far. I also worked in the innovation department of the power company Nordkraft, including start-up projects in the energy sector. One of the things we did was to develop mobile charging stations for electric cars in the region, develop mobile battery solutions for other sectors and mobile charging solutions for the electric vehicles for the Arctic Race of Norway," says the 34-year-old.
Outside work, Freté has established Link Harstad, a network that creates meeting places for young workers in the region.
Working in Europe
For Brita Staal, it is a great motivating factor to work in a company where the work you do leads to concrete results and creates innovation in societal processes. She has been following Smart Innovation Norway for some time and has been impressed by the company's business model, which combines research, innovation, incubation and municipalities in real projects.
Mikael af Ekenstam, Brita Staal and Manuela Freté have many plans for sustainability work that they will focus on. PHOTO: Private
- It gives me the willies to think about what's going to happen in the energy markets in Norway. Firstly, we have to go through an enormous efficiency drive. Secondly, the goal is to double energy production in Norway. If we are to export mainland production and build the green industrial adventure that we hope for, there is an awfully big job ahead of us. And it's very exciting to be part of an environment that has expertise in this area," she points out.
For the last four years, Staal has only worked on international projects. Even though his place of work is Kabelvåg in Nordland, his field of work is European, and climate is his major field of interest both professionally and personally.
It is therefore fitting that the employer is the actor in Norway with the most EU projects in the field of green energy, and that works specifically on the topic in community development projects.
- The European Commission aims to decarbonize Europe and they are starting with all types of buildings. They want to free themselves from dependency on Russian gas, and I think it's really exciting to see how innovative and strong the EU is in this situation. Moreover, the war in Ukraine shows that this is not just an energy issue," says Staal.
- Great potential
Mikael af Ekenstam is well acquainted with several conditions in Northern Norway, having been Smart Innovation Norway's link to the Smart Narvik agreement since 2019. The region has both similar and completely different types of energy challenges than Southern Norway, and the competence enhancement and exchange in the company will increase in accordance with the potential that the two new hires represent.
Together with Staal and Freté, he has a huge network and unique experience and expertise. Ekenstam is now looking forward to implementing "his" part of the company's growth strategy.
- A lot is happening up here, especially in industrial development and the green shift, and the east-west axis from Narvik and Lofoten and into Sweden is very interesting. Smart Innovation Norway can play a major role here with our expertise in energy," he says.
The number of EU projects will also increase. Smart Innovation Norway has contacts throughout Europe, and these will now be linked to a greater extent with North Norwegian pilots and partners. Knowledge about writing applications and implementing projects is one of the Halden-based research company's areas of expertise.
- There are several obvious opportunities here in the north that we look forward to exploring and realizing," says Mikael af Ekenstam.
Mikael af Ekenstam and Manuela Freté are employed in Smart Cities and Communities, which is part of the Smart Innovation Communities business area. Brita Staal is Climate Lead and employed partly in Communities and partly in Social Innovation, which is part of Smart Innovation Research. Bernt Bremdal is also employed in Smart Innovation Research and is part of the North Norwegian department since he works at the University of Tromsø's Narvik campus.
Strengthening Norway's export opportunities
When the National Export Council asked for input to identify possible strategic focus areas, it was natural for the DECOM cluster to get involved and present the capacity, knowledge and potential our cluster partners represent.
In the Hurdal Platform from 2021, the government has stated that it will increase Norwegian exports other than oil and gas by 50 percent by 2030. To achieve this, the country needs new industries and export opportunities, and one of the measures the government has implemented is the establishment of the National Export Council and the export reform Whole Norway Exports.
Through the new initiative, the authorities, the business community and the public funding agencies will work closely to achieve the Støre government's export goals, and Smart Innovation Norway's three clusters provided solid input on future export opportunities.
Strong communities of excellence
Nicholas Richards was involved in preparing the DECOM cluster's input to Whole Norway Exports together with the Institute for Energy Technology and Halden Municipality.
Norway has several actors in business, public agencies, research and academia with expertise in these areas. Many of these actors are partners in the networks of our three industry clusters, and they therefore represent a strong community of expertise in their fields.
The DECOM cluster and Smart Innovation Norway are part of the recognized Halden environment, which includes the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) and Halden municipality. The cluster works to create new jobs and sustainable development so that Norway can take a leading position in decommissioning and reuse, and in their input, the three actors argue why decommissioning should become one of Norway's priority export areas.
The partners in our NCE Smart Energy Markets cluster aim to be world leaders in smart energy and digital technologies. Norway must make the most of this advantage.
In Norway, significant resources are being invested in the digitalization of the energy system. This not only solves national challenges, but creates technologies, services and expertise that can be used in other markets, and the work in NCE Smart Energy Markets has provided solid experience in research and development both nationally and internationally.
Norwegian companies are in a position to become important suppliers of energy solutions on an international market, and NCE Smart Energy Markets works closely with several of these companies. Therefore, the cluster provided input on which export opportunities it can contribute to.
Together with Abelia, NHO's association for technology and knowledge companies, CAAI submitted a submission that, among other things, points out that ICT companies represent a separate industry in itself with the export opportunities it brings with it.
Marianne Jansson Bjerkman, head of the Cluster for Applied AI, is clear that it is important for Norway to take a larger share of the global market and at the same time get a better grip on the data economy. ICT companies can contribute to this.
- To achieve this, it is important to facilitate the export of digital products and services, even though this will require expertise and tailoring. The bonus is that we will then also have the opportunity to get a better grip on larger parts of other value chains," she says.
