Reflections from Oslo Innovation Week

Panel discussion

During Oslo Innovation Week, Energy Valley held a two-session event, together with Capgemini. Here are some of the key takeaways…

SESSION I

Building the Future of Talent

What does it really take to build global companies out of Norway — and what kind of leadership and talent will define our next chapter? At our “Building the Future of Talent” session during Oslo Innovation Week, Energy Valley’s Preben Strøm explored these questions together with John Markus Lervik (Cognite), Snorre Valdimarsson (Thommessen) and two outstanding Future Energy Leaders — Shipra Mohan and Bielenis Villanueva Triana.

Discussion on what it takes to be successful in the drive for talent

A few takeaways stood out:

💡 “The combination of grit and deep domain competence is crucial for success when building a global tech company.”

  • John Markus Lervik, reminding us that endurance and expertise matter more than hype – and that life balance, not work/life balance, is what truly counts.

💡 “We should nurture and support business talents the same way we do with sports talents.”

  • Norway needs to get better at identifying and investing early in people who can scale ideas globally.

💡 “The best and most efficient employees are women with small kids.” 

  • Snorre Valdimarsson highlighted that diversity is not just fair, it’s efficient – and that inclusion is a competitive advantage.

💡 “Norway is a great country to live in – and to build your career.”

  • As one of our Future Energy Leaders put it.
Panel discussion: Building the Future of Talents

At the core of the discussion was a shared belief:
👉 Talent is Norway’s most important resource, but how we develop, empower and trust that talent will determine whether we stay a local success story or become a truly global one.

SESSION II

The Power of Energy Efficiency in Industry Innovation

Alexander Glowacki (Senior Lead Strategist & People Manager, Strategy, Design & AI, frog, part of Capgemini Invent) had some key takeaways from the second session of the day. Here’s what he had to say…

Most people agree that great collaboration drives innovation. Yet, establishing valuable partnerships remains a challenge.

During Oslo Innovation Week, we tackled this topic through an intimate workshop on energy efficiency collaboration. Together with Simoen Moxnes from Equinor and Gina Arnestad from Statnett, we identified real barriers and actionable solutions for founder-corporate partnerships.

Equinor: the energy transition IS happening!

Three key barriers

Speed mismatch:
Startups need to move fast to survive. Industry majors need time to navigate complex decision-making. This creates friction.

Navigation complexity:
The sheer size of corporations makes it difficult for younger companies to identify the right entry points for partnerships.

Communication gaps:
Misaligned language and expectations create friction. What startups call “partnership” might mean something entirely different to a corporate.

Gina Arnestad, Statnett

The good news…

Don’t worry, in spite of the barriers, it’s not all doom and gloom! Progress IS happening! Equinor is engaging with Innovation Dock and StartupLab. Statnett has built a portal for partnership submissions.

But we need continued dialogue to bridge the existing gaps.

Here’s a perspective shift: innovation in energy efficiency isn’t new. In the early 1900s, whale oil dominated lighting before kerosene took over. Today, LED technology reigns supreme.

So, here’s a question for us all to contemplate: What will be the “whale oil” of our time? What seems essential today but will be obsolete in 20 years?

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Tomorrow Show 2025: AI and Collaboration at the Core

Preben Strøm onstage at Tomorrow Show 2025

On Thursday, September 25, Tomorrow Show 2025 brought together leading figures in digitalization, energy, and technology at The Hub. The conference focused on how artificial intelligence, data, and cross-industry collaboration are driving new business models, transforming work processes, and influencing geopolitics and security.

Energy Valley’s CCO, Preben Strøm, gave a presentation on behalf of the cluster, delivering a clear message about the importance of collaboration across value chains. He emphasized the need to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) through skills development and partnerships, enabling them to play an active role in the digital and green transition. His presentation was well received and positioned Energy Valley as a key voice in the discussion on how Norwegian players can become part of a global digital ecosystem.

Knut Linnerud, Energy Valley’s EU advisor and project manager for the AI Energy Cluster, was also in attendance and took the opportunity to follow the presentations on stage and network with key representatives from business, technology, and research communities.

AI Energy Cluster: Energy Valley’s AI Initiative

Alongside participation in the conference, Energy Valley is actively working to further develop the AI Energy Cluster—an initiative that brings together energy companies, tech firms, R&D actors, and SMEs in a joint effort to integrate artificial intelligence into the energy system.

The goals:

  • Create a structured collaboration platform for AI in the energy sector
  • Build expertise and practical case studies through webinars, workshops, and professional gatherings
  • Identify concrete project opportunities and connect them to national and international funding schemes
  • Position Norwegian players in larger European initiatives, such as Horizon Europe and Digital Europe

Currently, we are working with our partners to chart the path forward, with a clear ambition to strengthen collaboration and build an AI and energy ecosystem that delivers tangible results and new opportunities for our members.

The road ahead

Tomorrow Show 2025 clearly demonstrated that AI, data, and digitalization are no longer add-ons—they are the foundation for future value creation, security, and competitiveness. For Energy Valley, this is a strong confirmation that we are on the right track with the AI Energy Cluster—and that collaboration between major players, SMEs, and research communities is the key to unlocking its potential.

Want to get involved?

If you’re interested in joining Energy Valley’s AI Energy Cluster or want more information, reach out to Knut Linnerud (email) or (mobile: +47 922 25 432).

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Recap: New Energy Women in Stavanger

The event was focused on “Hydrogen: From ambition to reality” and was aimed at expanding professional networks within the hydrogen space as well as building on NEW members’ understanding of the green hydrogen opportunities and challenges, technology, and value chain.

CEO Vibeke Østlyngen was in attendance and had this to say about it:

It was a powerful afternoon at Worley Rosenberg last week when 80+ women gathered to discuss the green hydrogen opportunities and challenges, technology and value chain.

Main takeaways:

  • We need common policies and regulations to standardise
  • The European hydrogen market is growing — slowly but steadily
  • Cost must come down, and it must be more expensive to pollute – CO2 pricing will be a gamechanger

Special thanks to Oriana Duran and Worley Rosenberg for hosting the event and to the NEW initiative for organizing, together with Women in Green Hydrogen.

➡️ The New Energy Women (NEW) initiative is a cooperation between ABB and some of the energy clusters in Norway: H2Cluster, Norwegian Offshore Wind Cluster, Energy Valley, and Fornybar Norge.

Additional takeaways

H2Cluster also took part in the event and had these key points:

🔺 Trust among stakeholders is critical to mature projects.

🔺 Concerns around the slow pace of project development in Europe.

🔺 Global momentum is strong: Brazil, Australia, North Africa, China, and the Middle East are moving fast.

🔺 Chinese electrolyzer OEMs offering CAPEX benefits that may outweigh European subsidies.

Want to get involved?

Stay tuned for the next New Energy Women gathering coming up as we will visit Rystad Energy in Oslo.

Recap in pictures

Did you miss the event? Here are a few of our favourite pictures from the event:

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Arendalsuka 2025 recap

Event participants ahead of the two panel discussions

Together with Capgemini, Energy Valley was proud to host an event focused on the electricity crisis and its impact on industry at this year’s Arendalsuka.

The problem: Norway’s electricity grid doesn’t have the capacity to meet the demand from new industries, electrification, and the green transition. This is resulting in delayed investments, high prices, and — in the worst cases — power outages.

Multiple reports (including Riksrevisjonen’s “Kapasiteten i strømnettet“) have confirmed: we need more capacity, a better grid, and smarter solutions. But how do we get there?

The hour-long event was split into two panels and took a look at the situation surrounding Norway’s power system, tackling topics such as:

  • What the authorities are doing to ensure sufficient grid capacity
  • Whether digital control, local production, and battery technology can give industry greater flexibility
  • Whether small, modular reactors are part of the solution… or merely a distraction
  • How software, data, and AI can be used to optimize energy usage

During the lively event, participants delved into what was more than just a debate. It was a conversation about the future of Norwegian industry, technology, and green growth.

Key takeaways

Energy Valley’s Knut Linnerud wrapped up the event with a summary of some of the key points made:

  • Firstly, the session clearly demonstrated that the challenges in the power system are significant… but they are NOT insurmountable and the solutions are already well known.
  • Yara emphasized that expanding the grid is absolutely crucial for continued industrial development.
  • At the same time, Morrow highlighted how battery technology can contribute to power balance and flexibility within the system.
  • A key starting point for Norway is that we already possess a form of “battery capacity” through our water reservoirs, which is equivalent to millions of car batteries. This gives us a unique opportunity to further balance power in collaboration with Europe, ensuring more stability and affordable access to electricity.
  • Effective power balancing is the key to succeeding in the transition to renewable energy and securing sufficient electricity. Everything is interconnected (as Gro Harlem Brundtland notably said in the context of climate challenges) and the ability to execute is critical.
  • Coordinated, concrete plans and actions are required between industry, the energy sector, and government.

We’d like to issue a big THANK YOU to all who participated in the event and those who came out to watch it live. If you missed the event (or would like a reminder of it) take a look at the slideshow below.

Participants

Gry Helene Pettersen – Vice President, Capgemini Invent

Annette Gohn-Hellum – Ekspedisjonssjef, Riksrevisjonen

Anne Sagstuen Nysæther – Administrerende direktør, Elvia

Morrow Batteries – Lars Christian Backer, Administrerende direktør, Morrow Batteries

Inga Nordberg – Direktør Energi og konsesjon, NVE

Ole-Jakob Siljan – VP and Head of Yara Technology center and Yara Porsgrunn, Yara International

John Olav Tande – SVP R&D and Innovation, Statnett

Lene Westgaard-Halle – Stortingsrepresentant, Høyre

Sigurd Rafaelsen – Stortingsrepresentant, Ap

Knut Linnerud – EU Advisor, Energy Valley

Recap in pictures

Did you miss the event? Check out our slideshow:

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