About us

Prepare for:

• 95% of all customer interactions will be AI-powered BY 2025 (Gartner)

• A third of the most important skillsets in 2025, absent today (World Economic Forum)

• The technology area will account for an average of 38% profitability development in all industries and up to 84% of the profitability development in some industries over the next 15 years (Accenture).

• Ai is expected to change large areas - such as supply chain management, manufacturing, marketing and sales (McKinsey),

• It is estimated that AI will create values of around $ 2.9 trillion globally - already in 2021 (Gartner).

• Along with significant productivity gains, AI will contribute to increased welfare and address global issues such as climate change, resource scarcity and health crises.

So prepare for change:  

Artificial intelligence will be key for future development and competitiveness in all industries in the years to come. There is however a large gap between research and the capabilities of the industry of using Ai to solve major challenges and explore possibilities (Digital Norway).

This is why a broad national consortium in Norway, together with IBM, one of the world’s leading AI technology and consulting companies, have launched a national center for cognitive technology, aiming to raise expertise and competence in artificial intelligence, and fuel and accelerate the implementation of AI by sharing and collaborating on data, resources, competence, insight, innovation and joint projects. Norwegian Cognitive Center is a strong industry cross-over initiative to build Norway as a strong European AI hub and to attract world-leading expertise. 

“Artificial Intelligence is quickly transforming business and society, and is crucial to all industry competitiveness”

In the short term, the center will develop a number of specific projects within industries such as aquaculture, media, finance, tourism, healthcare, real estate, infrastructure, and the public sector, as well as initiate research projects. The long-term ambition is to raise, develop and specialize competence in cognitive technologies and artificial intelligence, and to create new high competence and high-tech jobs, which is strongly demanded by the industry. The center will also bring rich business opportunities for consulting, emerging tech businesses, and new industries. 

National consortium

A wide range of strong cross-sector industries, entrepreneurship, solid and relevant academic research environments, and a forward-looking public sector lay the foundation for this groundbreaking initiative. The consortium comprises all the industry clusters in the region, representing hundreds of companies, many of them global leaders in their fields. 

The project is initiated through the close collaboration between IBM and NCE Media, with IBM also being a partner in the Media City Bergen Media Lab. 

Key consortium institutions are:

• NORCE - The Norwegian Research Centre.

• Six national industry clusters representing hundreds of strong industry players, many of them global leaders in their fields, within Media, Seafood, Ocean technologies, Finance, Healthcare, Property, CleanTech, Energy and more. 

• NORA - The Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Research Consortium, representing Universities all over Norway including the University of Oslo (UiO), University of Bergen (UiB), University of Stavanger (UiS), The Arctic University of Norway (UiT), Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet), University of Agder (UiA), Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), NORCE Norwegian Research Centre AS (NORCE) and Simula Research Laboratory (Simula).

• The Municipality of Bergen, a frontrunner in digital services in new and pioneering ways in the public sector.

FINANCED BY

Advisory Board

• Professor Inge Jonassen, University of Bergen

• Tom Svellingen, City of Bergen

• Eli Renate Grüner, Helse Bergen

• Leif-André Sneen-Aarlie, Equinor

• Stian Anfinsen, NORCE

• Karl Ove Aarbu, Tryg & NHH

  
  

Organisation

Norwegian Cognitive Center is organized as a joint project amongst consortium partners. It is a neutral initiative, funded in a combination of public funds and industry contributions.

Key partners constitute the steering committee. 

The Norwegian Cognitive Center also have an Advisory Board. 

Norwegian Cognitive Center Project Managers:

Odd Gurvin, Mob: +47 900 50 132, Email: [email protected]

Stein Irgens, Mob: +47 934 66 625, Email: [email protected]

Norwegian Cognitive Center is officially hosted by Media City Bergen Media Lab, located in Lars Hillesgt 30 in Bergen, Norway.