What can you expect from us?

The Conductor 

We have all seen that conductor, live or on TV, orchestrating a variety of different instruments into a melody that perfectly tells a story or evokes a feeling. The conductor's task is to ensure that everyone knows what is to be performed, that they play together and share a common understanding of what the outcome should bring. These instruments are not alike, but they manage to harmonize and create a beautiful piece of music.  

That is precisely what Smart Cities and Communities should do, not with instruments and music, but with societal actors who, through a systematic model of co-creation, will build sustainable and good cities and communities to live in.   

 

Our Model 

Our tool is our smart city model. The model has been developed in collaboration with 15 Norwegian municipalities, publicly-owned ports, and energy companies through partnership programs since 2011.  

 

The Core 

The core of the smart city model is innovation and collaboration among representatives from all pentahelix sectors – municipality, business, social entrepreneurs, academia, and civil society. The model is based on the idea that all sectors are represented at all organizational levels – in their steering group, program group, and project groups.  

 

The Bridge

We are the bridge from ideas to reality, from theory to practice, and from the citizens' desires to realized sustainability projects in the municipality.
 

Get Started Now! 

When your organization enters into a collaboration agreement with us, we become one team og vi jobber sammen. Vi er med både i forberedelse, oppstart og gjennomføring av hele programmet. The model is adapted and adjusted according to the needs and desires of your municipality 

Contact us to learn more.

Process and Implementation

  • Smart Building Program and Project Management

    We establish Smart City and Community programs and lead the work together with the city and municipality. It is the operational projects that provide real value to society. Therefore, we are involved and contribute to the process and implementation of projects from idea to reality.

    Anchoring work: To ensure proper anchoring, it is crucial to apply fundamental change management principles. The program is developed and anchored in collaboration with the municipality, business, academia, and citizens.

    Setting up an innovative organization: In the project organization, we emphasize increased collaboration between different sectors and disciplines. It is essential that the project organization involves stakeholders from the municipality, academia, citizen organizations, and businesses. Innovations are created when silos are broken down.

    Strategy process: Strategic work is about seeing new opportunities and choosing areas that are relevant. Proper prioritization is effective, and the strategic work should lead to clear, explicitly expressed, and unambiguously understandable directions on what we want to achieve and what we should not prioritize. We participate in and conduct the strategy process and develop a strategy document for Smart City work. Strategy processes should be developmental, enjoyable, and creative.

    Research: Smart Cities and Communities have participated in and initiated more than 100 innovation and research projects in quadruple helix cooperation. We conduct commissioned research for our municipalities, ports, and other public community actors. The projects focus on, among other things, renewable energy, smart mobility, smart health, smart water, smart homes and buildings, and new services and products for citizens.

    Consulting and support in funding mechanisms: Developing and implementing new technologies and solutions can be challenging. In Norway, we have several organizations and support schemes that provide funding for different project phases. Smart Innovation Norway helps bring good ideas closer to realization by assisting in the development of concepts and applications for funding mechanisms.

    Workshops and knowledge sharing: Our workshops aim to create new and concrete project ideas. Implementation is based on design thinking, and we utilize networks to foster collaboration and include the best expertise in tailored workshops. The workshops should result in workgroups that continue to seek funding and realize innovation projects.

     

     

  • Research

    Smart Cities and Communities have participated in and initiated more than 100 innovation and research projects in quadruple helix cooperation. We conduct commissioned research for our municipalities, ports, and other public community actors. The projects focus on, among other things, renewable energy, smart mobility, smart health, smart water, smart homes and buildings, and new services and products for citizens.

  • Consulting and Support in Funding Mechanisms

    Developing and implementing new technologies and solutions can be challenging. In Norway, we have several organizations and support schemes that provide funding for different project phases. Smart Innovation Norway helps bring good ideas closer to realization by assisting in the development of concepts and applications for funding mechanisms.

  • Workshops and Competence Sharing

    Courses, conferences and meeting places: We contribute to increased competence and networking by offering courses and conferences and by inviting our partners to gatherings and meeting places. We give lectures and share our experiences, showcasing good examples of Smart City projects' implementation.

    Engaging businesses: The business sector develops products and services that benefit the municipality and its residents. Early involvement of business actors enables better and more innovative solutions. Perhaps they have a solution that we haven't thought of?

    Study tours: We are constantly on the lookout for new ideas and organize study tours both nationally and internationally.

  • Connecting Startups

    Perhaps one of our startup companies has something for your organization?

  • Film and Visualization

    A picture is worth a thousand words, as they say. That's why we use our conference center, Arena, to visualize visions and goals for our innovation and research projects.