On 22 January, Energy Valley hosted an EU Innovation Fund workshop in Fornebu, organised in collaboration with Innovayt and REspire. The workshop followed up on our Innovation Fund webinar held in December, and marked the next step in moving from general understanding to concrete project positioning.

The objective of the workshop was clear: to help companies better understand how Innovation Fund projects are actually evaluated, and to test early-stage project ideas against the programme’s key criteria through a practical project idea clinic.

What we learned

A central takeaway from the workshop was that none of the project ideas presented were sufficiently mature to be submitted to Innovation Fund calls with deadlines in 2026. This is not unusual, and should rather be seen as a valuable and realistic checkpoint early in the process.

At the same time, several participants clearly have project ideas with long-term potential, either:

• within other EU or national funding programmes, or
• as candidates for a future Innovation Fund call, for example in 2027, given the right development path.

The discussions highlighted that many companies underestimate the level of integration required across innovation, GHG avoidance, financial robustness and project maturity in order to be competitive in the Innovation Fund.

A format that works… but can be improved

The combination of:

• a general introductory webinar, and
• a physical workshop with expert input and an interactive idea clinic,

proved to be a strong and effective model. Participants gained clearer insight into evaluator logic and were able to stress-test their ideas in a constructive setting.

At the same time, the workshop confirmed that:

• earlier clarification of what constitutes a relevant Innovation Fund project would benefit participants, and
• more time is needed in the practical project discussions to allow deeper case-specific feedback.
  
  

For future editions, Energy Valley sees clear value in engaging with interested companies earlier in the process, through short preparatory webinars and/or individual meetings ahead of physical workshops.

What this means for Energy Valley Members

Innovation Fund remains a highly relevant instrument for large-scale, impactful energy and decarbonisation projects – but it requires long-term preparation and realistic timing.

Energy Valley will continue to support members by:

• providing early-stage guidance and reality checks,
• facilitating dialogue with experienced advisors and evaluators, and
• helping companies navigate the wider landscape of EU and national funding opportunities.

If your company is exploring project ideas that could be relevant for EU funding – whether in the short or longer term – we encourage you to reach out for a dialogue.

Key contacts for EU funding advisory

Energy Valley
Knut Linnerud – EU Advisor
📧 knut.linnerud@energyvalley.com
🌐 www.energyvalley.com

Innovayt
Daniel Gomes – Senior Consultant
📧 danielgomes@innovayt.eu
🌐 www.innovayt.eu

REspire
Erlend Aamodt – Managing Partner
📧 erlend@respire.icu
🌐 www.respire.icu

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?