NORA.startup

NORA.startup is NORA’s innovation network. Through cooperation between academia, incubators and start-up companies NORA.startup is building a national innovation network for research-based innovation.

What is NORA.startup

NORA.startup is one of several initiatives within NORA. It is a national networking arena for and by  the research and startup community in Norway in the field of machine learning, artificial intelligence, and robotics, with a high degree of technical and academic competence and expertise.

The main goal of NORA.startup is to build a knowledge-based innovation arena that facilitates networking and collaboration opportunities across the research and the startup community in Norway within the mentioned fields. NORA.startup focuses on dissemination of knowledge and competence, the exchange of experiences and the facilitation of collaboration between start-up companies, research communities and the business sector, with emphasis on professional competence, expertise, development and application of the mentioned technologies.

Who can join the NORA.startup network?

NORA.startup’s main target group is Norwegian start-up companies which develop technological solutions of their own in machine learning, artificial intelligence, or robotics and which also focus on research and development projects. In addition, researchers and students in this field who are interested in start-up companies, collaboration with entrepreneurs and commercialization of good technological solutions are in the target group. Incubators and clusters working with companies in this field, which have members with a high degree of expertise, and experience in research and development projects, can also contact NORA.startup. The same goes for businesses or investors concerned with technological solutions and collaboration within the mentioned fields.

Membership criteria for start-up companies and researchers / students:

Start-up companies:

  • The company must be a Norwegian-registered company

  • The company develops in-house technological solutions in machine learning, artificial intelligence or robotics, preferably with a focus on research and development

  • The company must have a founder or full-time employee with technical development expertise in the field

  • The company should have at least half a year of man-hours with research expertise* or immediate plans to associate themselves with this kind of expertise.

Researchers and students:

  • You should have an interest in bringing research and innovation closer together, not least through research and development projects

  • You should have a desire to build professional networks and collaborations with talented start-ups in the field

  • You can work with fundamental research and / or applied research but with academically advanced issues and/or specialized matters within the mentioned fields

  • Students at the bachelor or master's level, or higher, can apply, but must work with a research project in the mentioned fields

  • Researchers and students affiliated with NORA's partner institutions, or NORA's research school, are prioritized, but researchers and students from other institutions are not excluded

    *By research expertise we mean that you have dedicated resources to acquire new knowledge, such as reading scientific articles.

Why join the NORA.startup network? 

Networking and collaborative opportunities

Access to a strong professional network through NORA and its academic partners. Sharing of competence, networking and collaboration with start-up companies, researchers and students from NORA's partner institutions in the fields of artificial intelligence, machine learning and robotics. Learn from both startups and the research community, such as how to move from research and idea to a successful business, or concrete advice on how to actually implement an R&D collaboration in practice. Potential recruitment arena and opportunity to share your experiences and expertise with others in the network.

Share expertise and get feedback on specific issues

For start-ups: The opportunity to pitch and present your work, ideas and specific issues and solutions to the research community, students, professionals, and other relevant players in the interface between research and business, and gain valuable input at a high academic level. In addition, get a better overview of existing research areas and projects that can be linked to your work and the opportunity to more easily engage in dialogue with the respective researchers.

For researchers: The opportunity to share innovative ideas with startups, the research community, students, professionals, and other relevant players in the interface between research and business . Get assistance with pitching, business development and how to build a company. An arena to share your expertise with a wider audience, while at the same time discussing specific issues and solutions at a high professional level.

Financial benefits

Good opportunities for research and development projects and also funding and assistance with application writing, through BIA and IPN applications, amongst others. Access to computing power / hosting in research environments where possible. You will be able to get in touch with investors and potential customers through NORA.startup.

Customized events

Attend geographically spread events based on current topics and a wide variety of interests. Through these events you will also learn from concrete examples of, and experiences with, development and application of the technology, and existing collaborative projects, angled both to the research side and the business side. Events will be customized to the needs of the network-members. As a member in NORA.startup you will also have access to the NORA network in general, its expertise and professional arrangements.

Visibility and quality stamp

Visibility of milestones and other major news through NORA's websites and social media. Furthermore, for startups, a membership in NORA.startup will serve as a quality stamp for the company, as NORA.startup has a selective admission process.

Applications

*Researchers, students, investors, clusters/incubators and other relevant parties

Contact

Do you want to learn more about NORA.startup? Please contact NORA at [email protected]  or contact NORA's CEO Klas H. Pettersen.

Steering group

NORA has established a Steering Group for NORA.startup. In addition to NORA's CEO Klas H. Pettersen, the Steering Group consists of: