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Another Successful Innovation and Industry Event - This Time in Bergen!

In a drive to bring academia and industry closer, NORA Research School and NORA Startup hosted the knowledge‑sharing event Innovate Together: Academia Meets Industry in collaboration with UiB AI at the UiB Learning Arena in Bergen. The event — attended by more than 40 researchers and PhD candidates — focused on equipping early‑career researchers with the skills and perspectives needed to transform research into practical applications and to explore careers in industry.

Justine Dickhoff presenting NORA initiatives to the participants

Highlights

Communication workshop

The day opened with an engaging workshop led by Ellen Hagen (Ferd), where PhD candidates practiced and refined presentation techniques geared toward industry job interviews and stakeholder communication.

People standing around a table putting together small lego-looking pieces — oung researchers engaging in the workshop activity led by Ellen Hagen

Entrepreneurial insights

NORA.startup members Bergen Robotics (Nils Jacob Berland) and Fjordbyte (Christian Bru) delivered talks about their entrepreneurial journeys. Both CEOs shared experiences from idea conception and execution to commercialization, outlining key challenges and rewards of turning research into marketable products.

Man in front of a whiteboard, one hand in the air like he is describing something — Christian Bru from Fjordbyte talking about his entrepreneurial journey.

Industry perspective on AI

Chris Ronald Hermansen (TV2) presented how AI is being utilized in commercial television, offering practical examples of how a large organization can benefit from implementing AI tools in everyday operations.

From Research to Startup

Renate Skoge and Lars Grønnestad (VIS) led an interactive presentation and short workshop on the path to entrepreneurship. Their session encouraged participants to view their research outputs through a commercial lens and consider routes to market.

The event concluded with a networking reception at the UiB Learning Arena, where participants and industry representatives laid the groundwork for collaborative research projects and startup initiatives planned for 2026.

Two people sitting by a desk, talking. — Young researchers had a plenty of time for networking

This initiative supports NORA’s ongoing commitment to foster meaningful partnerships between researchers and organizations in both the private and public sectors, and to drive innovation within the Norwegian AI ecosystem.

For more information about upcoming collaboration opportunities, see our Startup page.

Tags: research school, innovation, industry, Startup

Published Dec. 12, 2025 3:54 PM - Last modified Dec. 12, 2025 3:59 PM