Last week, several key players in Kristiansand's business community traveled to Stavanger to represent Agder and promote the region at the OTD Energy trade fair.
Among the participants were Agder County Council, the University of Agder, Kristiansand Municipality, Kristiansand Business Association, Mechatronics Innovation Lab, Business Region Kristiansand, Southwind and GCE Node.
All on the same stand.
Geir Grasmo is a professor and head of the University of Agder's center for research-driven innovation in offshore mechatronics. He brought three students to the fair in Stavanger, and among them was Lindvik Parra (21). She piloted the yellow robot dog Spot, to great acclaim.
- "The response to Spot has been enormous," says Nadine Lindvik Parra, a UiA student and tech enthusiast, as she controls the robot dog via the touchpad.
Grasmo has a long history in business. He is now one of the key figures behind the positioning of Southern Norway as the country's renewable energy region.
- People are wondering what UiA has to offer, so it's easy to acknowledge that we have now opened registration for the country's first continuing education program for offshore wind technology with up to 30 credits at bachelor's level. This will start in the new year and will take place digitally so that the offer will cover the whole country. The aim is for engineers to build on their original skills from other sectors," says Grasmo.
- This is the time when Agder and the industry in southern Norway really have a window of opportunity to make a name for themselves as the region where renewable energy is happening. The university works closely with industry and the public sector, and has good collaboration on education, research and innovation projects.
- This leads to mutual development of new products and services that the market needs," says Grasmo, who is in Stavanger to challenge their position as "the place where it happens in green transition"
He is also head of the university's research and competence development initiative on offshore wind.
In order to put Kristiansand and the rest of Agder on the map, the hall players had joined forces for a joint stand. The practicalities were coordinated by Business Region Kristiansand and GCE Node.
- "The collaboration in Agder is unique, just look at the great commitment here at the stand," says Øystein Bondevik, chairman of Southwind. He is confident that Southland companies and the funding agencies are ready to realize a new green industrial adventure in Southern Norway.
Written by: Erlend Dunsæd
