Our History

Smart Innovation Norway works for a green shift and new workplaces through research, innovation and commercialisation.

From Local Start-up to International Research Organisation

Smart Innovation Norway was established as a small entrepreneurial company in Halden in 2003, under the name Incubator Halden. The prime purpose behind this initiative was to promote business growth and entrepreneurial activity.

From being a small, local energy trading initiative, Smart Innovation Norway has developed into an international player in business-oriented research and innovation. Today, the company's main purpose is "to carry out independent, applied research within

Smart Innovation Norway helps businesses and the public sector with networks, capital and expertise within smart cities, sustainable energy, applied artificial intelligence, digital entrepreneurship, and social innovation.

Since 2003, the company has initiated or participated in a number of national and international research and innovation projects. The company has been approved as a research organization by the Research Council of Norway in August 2019, and is among the foremost companies in Norway in EU research, with a total of 24 EU projects. The total research budget is over NOK 2 billion.

At Smart Innovation Norway, we care about climate development and social development and we ensure that all projects support the UN's sustainability goals. The illustration below shows which nine of the total 17 goals we currently contribute to fulfilling:

Clusters, Networks and Expertise

Smart Innovation Norway sin Communities-avdeling drifter de tre næringsklyngene NCE Smart Energy Markets, Cluster for Applied AI og klyngen for Dekommisjonering og gjenbruk (DECOM). Klyngene har til sammen over 200 partnere fra akademia og privat og offentlig sektor.

The energy cluster NCE Smart Energy Markets was established in 2007, received status as a "Norwegian Center of Expertise" in 2009 and was recognized as a gold-certified cluster by the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA) in 2019.

In autumn 2019, Smart Innovation Norway has participated in the establishment of a new industry cluster, Cluster for Applied AI, together with key players. The cluster will contribute to Norway to take a leading position in the profitable and sustainable application of artificial intelligence (AI) in a business context. The cluster is mentioned in the national strategy for artificial intelligence, which was presented in January 2020.

In 2022, the DECOM cluster was established together with key partners in Halden. The purpose of the cluster is to create new jobs and develop expertise related to decommissioning and reuse.

Strong smart city focus

The company's Communities department works to create sustainable community development in collaboration with municipalities and other organisations. With over 100 smart city innovation projects, we are working to meet local, national and international (EU) climate goals, create economic growth and increase the welfare of the population.

The incubator contributes to new and green industries

The Venture incubator department currently works with 46 start-up companies, and is at the second highest level in the SIVA ranking of incubator companies in Norway. The purpose is to build successful and sustainable companies by providing ambitious entrepreneurs with capital, customers and expertise

The innovation platform

Smart Innovation Norway helps companies and the public sector with networks, expertise and capital through research, innovation and commercialisation. Our expertise is in the fields of sustainable energy, applied artificial intelligence, digital entrepreneurship, smart cities and social innovation.

This combined service offering creates the unique innovation platform and forms the basis for us to increasingly help companies and organizations with networks, expertise and capital. This is how we create the green shift and new jobs together.

We welcome input for our climate and environmental work

Smart Innovation Norway aims to contribute to a more sustainable society and, therefore, takes responsibility for its environmental impact. An essential part of this work is being certified as a "Miljøfyrtårn" (Eco-Lighthouse) business. This certification means that the company has established an environmental management system to govern its climate and environmental efforts, helping with continuous improvement. The certification also includes specific requirements that must be met in terms of working environment, waste/reuse, energy, procurement, and transportation. Every year, the company reports data on its activities, resulting in a carbon footprint, as well as results and statistics. This information provides an overview of progress and improvement potential, and it is made publicly available.

Part of the "Miljøfyrtårn" certification is about the interaction between the company and society. As a result, customers, partners, and other stakeholders are invited to provide input on how the climate and environmental impact of Smart Innovation Norway's products/services can be improved. This feedback gives valuable insights into the needs and expectations that stakeholders have for the company in the years to come.

The company looks forward to working together to create a more sustainable society!