Tech List - Issue 4

A CONVERSATION WITH

EE FR

NORWAY — ISSUE 4 • AUTUMN ‘17

Neil deGrasse Tyson

Festival of Innovation

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE FIVE-DAY EVENT

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Where Technology Meets Brains: The Greater Region of Trondheim

Neuroscientists and Noble Laureates May-Britt and Edvard Moser. (Photo: Geir Mogen/NTNU).

Who would have thought that far up in the north, in a small town on the outskirts of the map, you would find scientists and researchers that are so rocking they literally shake up the world? We are, of course, talking about the Moser couple and their recent incredible achievement – The Nobel Prize in Medicine! It’s here you’ll find impressive research conducted by people with both unique skill and talent.

This is a trend that has been going on for decades in the Greater Region of Trondheim, also known as Norway’s Technology Capital. It is here that new ideas are fostered, leading to innovations, new technologies and positive impacts that reach beyond these borders! The brain force from Trondheim contributes to immense wealth and growth on all scales, from local to global. The world isn’t ‘out there’, it’s ‘in here’ - your most unique tool, the brain.

Quick facts on the Greater Region of Trondheim:

• 276,000 residents • 37,000 students • 5,000 scientists • 528 technology companies with 10,300 employees, increasing by 100 companies and more than 1,000 employees since 2009 • More than 300 companies have materialised from this cradle of knowledge over the last 40 years • 82 new companies have emerged from NTNU during the last decade

Trondheimsregionen

Trondheim has received Norway’s first Nobel Prize in Medicine through the accomplishments of the Moser couple, revealing secrets of the brain that can change the course of human life. They are among other great minds changing the world from several disciplines: ocean surveillance technology that warns against future tsunamis; graphics and apps for your mobile phone and touch pads; technical aids that are smaller, faster and more accurate. Every day people in this region proudly contribute towards improved health and a better world through their research in medicine and development, green technology and food production and high-technology.

Trondheimsregionen

Trondheimsregionen

Whether you are a student, researcher, scientist, entrepreneur, inventor or someone who enjoys stimulating communities - the Greater Region of Trondheim welcomes you here to work in the heart of technology, to take on the world in a giant leap.

Trondheimsregionen is a business development motor; founded as a collaboration between ten municipalities in the province of Sør-Trøndelag. Learn more at: www.trondheimsregionen.no

Trondheimsregionen

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FinTech F3 – Finance For Future NTNU Accel has in cooperation with SpareBank 1 SMN started the incubator FinTech F3 – Finance For Future which is Central-Norways Finance Technology Incubator. The incubator is to be a place where innovative minds with new ideas within FinTech gather, and are assisted in developing their ideas to successful and profitable companes. FinTech F3 is to contribute to sustainable, futureoriented financial solutions. More workspaces, and value creation – both regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Together we make things happen!

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Visit us between the dates August 22nd and 25th, from 10.00 to 11.00.

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contributors in partnership with Technoport DAVID NIKEL David is a freelance journalist, web publisher and communications consultant who runs Life in Norway blog and curates the Norway Weekly newsletter.

Contents Autumn 2017

08

creation reinvented 13

Changing the dialogue with Neil de grasse tyson 18

make making great again 19

What is trondheim playground?

20

Event programme TECH LIST

thelist.no/techlist a division of The List Media AS

26

Visible Figures

ONA GRINDERUD NORDBØ Ona is completing her master's in media, communication and IT. She works as a project manager for Technoport, and is coordinating this year's Trondheim Playground.

27

community builder award 28

disability tech 30

Coworking spaces in trondheim

BRANDUR BJARNASON KARLSSON Brandur is an entrepreneur and passionate advocate for changing the opportunities for the disabled. He is the CEO of Frumbjorg in Reykjavík, Iceland and an avid mouth-painter.

MATS JØRGEN SKASLIEN Mats is a third-year CompSci student at NTNU. He finds himself enjoying getting in over his head.

JENNIFER WOLD Jennifer is project manager at The List and Tech List, avid gamer, voracious reader and artist. She is also CEO of TEDxTrondheim.

34

Trondheim Open Hackathon 38

The lab you live in EDITOR-IN-CHIEF & CO-FOUNDER

JANINA LAMØY Janina is an Event & Community Manager at DIGS. She has worked with culture, music and photography for many years. Janina loves to dance!

ART DIRECTOR

Lewis McGuffie

Wil Lee-Wright wil@thelist.no

PROJECT MANAGER

CONTACTS & INFORMATION

EDITOR & CO-FOUNDER

Jennifer Wold jennifer@thelist.no

Located at DIGS Olavtryggvasons gate 30 7011 Trondheim, Norway Publishing: +47 472 76 680 Editorial: +47 451 35 877 editorial@thelist.no

Jaya Thomlison jaya@thelist.no

HEAD OF SALES

CREATIVE DIRECTOR & CO-FOUNDER

Andrew Natt andy@thelist.no

Matias Bretteville-Jensen matias@thelist.no DEPUTY EDITOR

Katarzyna Gąsiorek

CONSULTANT & CO-FOUNDER

ILLUSTRATIONS

Ida Bondø Lee-Wright ida@thelist.no

Masao Yamazaki, Einar Eilertsen Eldevik, Lewis McGuffie

BRADLEY P. KURTZ Bradley is a freelance journalist living in Trondheim. When he isn’t writing he tends to spend time hurting himself skateboarding or melding into the couch with a good piece of fiction.

JAYA THOMLINSON Jaya is a co-founder and Editor for The List and co-founder of DIGS. A community builder and very active member of Trondheim’s startup scene, she can be found involved in many projects.

FRODE HALVORSEN Frode is a dedicated father, 5 days as a teacher, 7 years at Pstereo, 3 years at Trondheim Makers, 7 months and counting at Engage. He has a huge passion for bicycles and cars.

WIL LEE-WRIGHT Wil is CEO and Editorin-Chief of The List and Tech List, writer, photographer and entrepreneur. He takes a documentary eye to his work.

CONTRIBUTORS

Jennifer Wold, Wil LeeWright, Janina Lamøy, David Nikel, Ona Grinderud Nordbø, Brandur Bjarnason Karlsson, Bradley Kurtz, Jaya Thomlinson, Nikol Herec PRINTING

inside: Soporset 100g cover: Amber Graphic 140g www.skipnes.no Circulation 6.000

COVER ART

Einar Eilertsen Eldevik (in coordination with illustration course at Høyskolen Kristiania) ADVERTISING

Please contact Matias Bretteville-Jensen for prices, specifications and distribution +47 96 91 29 01 For editorial contributions: editorial@thelist.no

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Welcome to Tech List #4, a special issue to accompany Trondheim Playground. This marks the first time we have produced two Tech Lists within a year. The technology and innovation sector continues to evolve in Trondheim, and we are growing with it.

In this issue we focus on communication and connectivity: between initiatives, solutions, subjects and infrastructure. Trondheim Playground, brought to you by Technoport, provides us with the perfect opportunity to examine the collaborative community in Trondheim (and beyond) as it brings together the huge range of actors working in innovation and creation. Inspired by what you read? Check out Trondheim Playground’s extensive programme on pages 20-25.

It may seem obvious to state, but all innovation requires the input of both the users and the designers. The participation of the end user is not, however, always encouraged by the creator. Why would inventors not ask the marketplace about its needs and habits? It seems ludicrous but sometimes we are so focused on a perceived problem, that we forget to look outside our own limited boxes of understanding. In this issue we look at co-creation, its history in the Nordics and its application.

But what if the audience, the potential end users, are having their experiences and data collected without

it's tech time EDITORIAL

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Wil Lee-Wright

ILLUSTRATION

Einar Eilertsen Eldevik

their explicit consent? In this era of ‘big data’ we are often participating in social experiments and number collection without our knowledge. I urge everyone to read Mats Jørgen Skaslien’s piece on page 38. Are you affronted by the intrusion? Or do you feel enlightened by the results?

The results of such research (and the methodology by which it is collated) are arguably more accessible than ever before.

But the way in which information is used and the visibility of peer-reviewed scientific fact in the swamp of opinion and false news, is a real case for concern.

Tech List’s Jennifer Wold spoke to Astrophysicist and Science Communicator, Neil deGrasse Tyson at this year’s Starmus festival. Tyson turns a critical eye on belief systems and viewpoints have seen data manipulated to meet agenda - see page 13 for his words of wisdom.

Finally, congratulations to NTNU and its partners for hosting Starmus, quite literally an event of epic proportions! We hope to see it back here next time - check out The List’s blog for more thoughts, interviews and reflections: thelist.no/blog a

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Creation invented CO-CREATION

“The main benefit is to enlarge the base of information about needs, applications, and solution technologies that resides in the domain of the customers and users of a product or service,” says Piller, whose example methods include ideation contests, lead user workshops, consumer opinion platforms, toolkits for user innovation, or communities for social product development.

A PROUD HISTORY OF CO-CREATION IN THE NORDICS

STORY

David Nikel

PICTURES

David Luders and Norwegian Creations

There’s a new term bouncing around the corridors of Norwegian offices of late. Written off by some as a mere buzzword, co-creation has the potential to transform the fortunes of business.

W

hen describing co-creation to someone it seems remarkable that all companies aren’t doing it. Why wouldn’t you involve your intended users in designing a product that solves their problems?

That’s really the essence of co-creation, as Frank T. Piller, Professor

at RWTH Aachen University and a Co-Founder of the MIT Smart Customization Group, explains: “The manufacturer is either empowering its customers to design a solution by themselves or is implementing methodologies to efficiently transfer an innovative solution from the customer into the company domain.”

Although the word is relatively new, the concept of participatory design is not, and it actually has a strong history right here in the Nordic region.

The story of participatory design begins with the work of Kristen Nygaard and Olav-Terje Bergo with the Norwegian Iron and Metal Workers Union (NJMF) in the 1970s. It was agreed that opportunities for increased individual engagement should be created to increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

The objective of the NJMF project was to understand the workers' perspective on new technology, and it emphasised that knowledge gained locally should be used a basis for the trade unions to act on a central level. Results included technology agreements, textbooks, and vocational training programmes on technology.

The approach inspired other trade

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a brief history of co-creation in the nordics

1970s

1980s

1980s

NORWEGIAN IRON AND METAL WORKERS UNION (NJMF)

THE PAN-SCANDINAVIAN PROJECT UTOPIA

THE FLORENCE PROJECT

Kristen Nygaard and OlavTerje Bergo helped to increase individual engagement to boost productivity and efficiency in the workplace.

Inspired by the Norwegian Iron and Metal Workers Union, the project developed experience-based design methods through the focus on hands-on experiences.

The Florence Project gave nurses a voice in the development of IT and other processes in hospitals.

union projects across the Nordic region, culminating in the pan-Scandinavian UTOPIA project in the early 1980s. The project developed experience-based design methods through the focus on hands-on experiences. Around the same time, the Florence project looked at methods to give nurses a voice in the development of IT and other processes in hospitals.

REAL RESULTS IN HEALTHCARE This focus on healthcare had a lasting impact, so much so that some of the best examples of modern co-creation can still be found within the industry.

A recent project in Trondheim tackled mobile health (mHealth) technology solutions for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients.

COPD is one of the leading causes of mortality worldwide and incurs significant healthcare and societal costs.

Anita Das, Silje Bøthun, Jarl Reitan, and Yngve Dahl of SINTEF described the project in the book Design, User

Experience, and Usability: Interactive Experience Design: “We involved COPD patients in exploring their perspective on how mHealth technology and appurtenant healthcare services could support them. By the use of generative tools, we identified central aspects that the participants experienced to be of importance related to their health condition and disease.”

Five separate co-design sessions were held with COPD patients and most took place within the participants’ homes. With the use of the tools provided, the participants created their past, present and future life scenarios, and their desires related to current healthcare services. “The approach provided us with a vast and rich amount of data, and with great details about information that the participants reported that they had not articulated before,” said the team.

When a patient has a chronic illness, they are regularly in contact with healthcare professionals. The study

found they experienced frustration that they had to repeat their stories many times to different people. An mHealth solution that stored key information about a patient’s medical history and medication was suggested as an important support tool to create a reliable, single point of information.

A NEW TYPE OF CLINIC Meanwhile in Oslo, the outpatient Clinic of Innovation at the Ullevaal Hopsital is an outstanding example of what can be achieved with co-creation.

Unlike traditional outpatient clinics, the Clinic of Innovation is designed to bridge the gap between innovative research, and useful products and services that benefit society. The clinic doesn’t deal with patients, but rather to individuals with ideas that can be tested within a professional healthcare environment.

Andreas Moan MS PhD launched the idea in 2007 after spending ten years in the pharmaceutical industry, where he saw an entrepreneurial mindset that was lacking in the public healthcare system.

The process begins when people refer themselves to the Clinic with an idea for a product or service innovation. Ideas are reviewed on a weekly basis and those selected enter a ‘diagnosis’ phase, where they are reviewed against research and commercial criteria. One successful idea generated from the clinic was to use stem cells to grow corneal eye tissue, an idea which was spun off into a new venture in collaboration with Harvard University.

Such has been the popularity of the clinic, ideas can now be submitted online.

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1998

2007

2010s

2014

THE LEGO MINDSTORMS PROGRAMMABLE ROBOT

CLINIC OF INNOVATION AT THE ULLEVAAL HOPSITAL

[PICTURED BELOW]

NORWEGIAN CREATIONS

TRONDHEIM REGION

Mindstorms was hacked by hundreds of people around the world who wanted to customise and improve the product.

Andreas Moan MS PhD pioneered a program that let individuals and patients with ideas, be tested within a professional healthcare environment.

Since 2012 products from Norwegian Creations have been tested out at Trondheim Playground, giving producers the opportunity to interact with real users.

Co-design sessions were held with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) patients and most took place within the participants’ homes

NOT JUST FOR THE PUBLIC SECTOR But what of the private sector? Cocreation is a way to meet shifting consumer demand and identify growth areas in our modern world where rapid change has become the norm, yet many companies still seem cautious of opening themselves up to user input.

The most notable example of cocreation comes from our Danish friends at LEGO. Embracing a more innovative and open mindset not only saved the company, it rocketed yearly profit growth to 40% for five years running during the global recession. Quite the feat.

But it was almost a very different story as innovation spiralled out of control in the 1990s. The complexity within the supply chain due to so many new products took the company to the brink of bankruptcy. However, the user community of adults that sprung up around the Mindstorms programmable robot ultimately led to the company’s reinvention.

After its first release in 1998, Mindstorms was hacked by hundreds of people around the world who wanted to customise and improve the product.

Rather than lock down the product, LEGO embraced these communities, putting in place a hierarchy of volunteers to help with research and testing.

By the time the second Mindstorms product was released, LEGO had adopted a structured approach to open innovation.

Today, LEGO Ideas is an online community where members can vote on submissions and give feedback.

When a project reaches 10,000 votes, the company’s management reviews the idea. Some get made into sets to be

sold worldwide. The creator gives final product approval, earns a percentage of the sales and is recognized as the creator on all packaging and marketing.

While the company has engaged in co-creation, the LEGO bricks themselves can also be used to help open up boardrooms to the creative process.

LEGO Serious Play is a methodology based on research which shows that this kind of hands-on learning produces a deeper, more meaningful understanding of the world and its possibilities, possibly opening the door to a future of co-creation.

If you’re meeting with resistance of the idea of open innovation, why not dump a box of bricks on the table at your next board meeting and watch what happens?

GETTING CREATIVE IN TRONDHEIM One company encouraging the private sector to get creative here in Trondheim is Norwegian Creations. While not a co-creation company per se, the small startup works with others to create prototypes, which can then be tested with users.

Brothers and co-founders Ragnar and Gunnar Ranøyen Homb say that while initially they expected to be working with small startups and individuals, the recent trend is for more established companies wanting to try new things. “A lot of big companies are open to using external software consultants, but when it comes to products, it’s been a different story.”

Several products from Norwegian Creations have been tested out at Trondheim Playground, which gives everyone an opportunity to see how real users will interact.

The annual event is just one example of how Trondheim’s creative infrastructure has grown over recent years.

With these events, the large number of makerspaces both within the environment of NTNU and open to the public, and a community of creative thinkers at places like Work-Work and DIGS, the city is fast becoming an ideal testbed for co-creation.

THE BOTTOM LINE While developing better products and services should be motivation enough for co-creation, it also offers a potential cost saving. Using your existing customer base as a marketing group saves on costly market research, allowing more money to be set aside for product development.

As the world of products and services becomes ever more dynamic, co-creation makes more sense. By taking advantage of the knowledge and desires deep within your customer base, your business can co-create unique and most importantly relevant products, while increasing the loyalty of those customers. a

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STORY

Jennifer Wold

PICTURES

Images provided by Akademika

Bookstores play host to some of the world’s most innovative texts. Karianne Sæter, manager of Akademika in Trondheim, believes academic bookstores are more than simply retailers and is innovating for the future.

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hen does a bookstore become more than a bookstore? One could argue it never does, but then that person has apparently never stepped foot in an Akademika shop.

The chain of stores which specialise in academic publications, has outlets in nine campuses across town, and prides itself on doing more than simply selling books to students.

Akademika is not your typical bookstore, and although you'll find some casual reading books, the majority of texts are purely academic publications, carefully gathered for the students to have the correct course materials readily accessible. Akademika’s expertise is what sets their stores apart from the other booksellers in town.

"We spend the spring gathering lists from all the courses to ensure we have

all the current titles from Norway and abroad,” explains Sæter. “We have the expertise to serve the professors and the students, and we would love them to come to us more. Some employees have more than 30 years of knowledge.

We are experts.”

One of the services Sæter is most proud of is the pensumpakker, a complete package of the books needed for a full course. No guessing involved for students or money wasted on the wrong edition. "We make it easier and cheaper.” Another offering to help students is the Akademika app which gives members the opportunity to participate in their 50% off your fifth book programme and receive deals on other supplies.

Physical book sales have seen a decline since the introduction of e-books and internet shops. Sæter recognises a

need to innovate the traditional bookstore, to be more than four walls and stacks of books. Akademika had a mobile store at the Technoport conference in March and an even bigger presence at Starmus in June. At the Gløshaugen campus, and in partnership with Spark NTNU, there is now a ‘Made at NTNU’ section, featuring products created at the university, such as MovieMask and Magination. The public can support these startups by purchasing their products. "We want to get closer to the students and the environment because student welfare is important,” states Sæter, who believes she has the “greatest job working with students.”

"It's not only about the curriculum books," Sæter smiles knowingly.

“Just before exams students come in last minute for the right calculator, a book of formulas recently approved for exam use, and the good 'exam pen' to keep their fingers happy. It would be a problem if we weren't here."

It is Akademika's aim to have these extras and go the extra mile, as they discovered students don't always know they need. It is clear that Akademika is not just a store you can find at the campuses, rather it is a part of them, and proud to be so.

See akademika.no for your nearest store. a

Changing the

Dialogue Words of Wisdom from Neil deGrasse Tyson

PICTURED

Neil deGrasse Tyson by Max Alexander

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techlist FEATURE

The Wisdom of Neil deGrasse Tyson

STORY

Jennifer Wold

ILLUSTRATION

Masao Yamazaki

At the recent Starmus Festival, Jennifer Wold had the opportunity to sit with Neil deGrasse Tyson to get his insights on developing better science communication with the public.

“D

id you know that Steve Jobs built an alien-capturing system into the iPhone? Hit button, swipe left. It takes 2.5 seconds. When someone finally uses that 2.5 seconds smartly, and I can see the proof, then I'll believe.” Neil deGrasse Tyson animatedly used a borrowed iPhone to demonstrate. Between his wit and his ability to make connections with easily relatable things, it is little wonder why he’s considered the gold standard in science communication.

In the presence of Tyson, it’s easy to see his genius (and perhaps be star

struck or intimidated) but when his humble nature and his sense of humour kick in, it’s remarkably disarming. His demeanour, coupled with his intelligence and education, help Tyson deliver science in a way that is appealing to as many people outside the scientific community as within it.

Witnessing Tyson speak to all types of audiences from his professional peers, to aspiring students in the sciences, to mere science enthusiasts with little background in the field, and even young children, there was never a moment when his demeanour changed to one of frustration, boredom, or arrogance. No matter the age or academic

background (or lack thereof ) Tyson’s interactions carry warm respect. He asks only for a willingness to learn, to look at facts with objectivity, and genuine curiosity from people.

Many people will recognise figures like Stephen Hawking, Brian Cox, Ben Goldacre, or Bill Nye. Popular television also introduced us to Sir David Attenborough, Mayim Bialik, and the Myth Busters. Tyson is one of the most prolific. He has 14 books to his name, 108 TV appearances to his credit, produces his own TV show, and has been a contributing editor on four other programmes.

His work, recognised at the Starmus Festival, was awarded the Stephen Hawking Medal for Science Communication in Writing. Although not planned as a topic of discussion for the festival, the importance of comfortable, but sound, communication of hard sciences and deep-tech was either at the forefront or peppered into most of the talks. The panel discussions often delved into the topic as well.

Trondheim, already known for scientific and technological advances, is hosting a discussion on ways to increase visibility and viability of the hard sciences and deep-tech among its residents, thereby ensuring long-term growth in the technology sector. The aim is for Trondheim to be known, as was stated by the New York Times, as a “mini Silicon Valley”. Tyson suggests that Trondheim should not be too concerned with intentionally pushing hard in trying to reach an international audience. Rather, he suggests focusing on what makes our city great and allowing Trondheim’s technological backbone to carry us, using social media along the way and not as a mainstay.

“Visibility comes not through cherry picking channels; it comes through creating opportunities by ‘doing’ visibly. If some awesome discovery comes out of a town, company or startup, the press is going to talk about it,” Tyson said. He advocates for creating curricula across all levels of the educational system that bolster the mission of a town’s university, then hiring the best faculty from across the globe, thus creating a long-lasting cycle of regional academic success. “You won’t have to try too hard with that combination,”

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Autumn 2017

“Pop culture matters.

The definition of pop culture means that everyone knows what it is”

HAYDEN PLANETARIUM

Tyson remarked.

“Universities are only the sum of their faculty. If you can find those that are doing good work, follow those people. It doesn’t matter where they are because universities always think they are great. Is there something inherently great about universities or a specific university? No. It’s the intellectual capacity that resides there. It’s the sum of the parts.”

A surprising remark when you consider Tyson attended schools such as Harvard and Columbia.

Referring to NTNU specifically, Tyson’s suggested that the university should focus then on finding faculty members

NEIL DEGRASSE TYSON ABOUT

INDUSTRY

Neil deGrasse Tyson is an American astrophysicist, author, and science communicator, and is the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space.

Science and Astronomy HEADQUARTERS

New York WEB

www.amnh.org

which both students and the world will want to follow naturally. The same principle can be applied to the business sector, as well. Employers should look beyond the traditional channels to hire talent. If you want to create new and fresh, you need to bring in differing perspectives. Find the best and the brightest and remove the hindrances that will prevent them from joining your local ecosystems of education.

But after gathering the best and the brightest in our schools and workforce, what methods should be used to incite public curiosity in what they are doing?

What tools can the university, business leadership, and public sector actors provide to them? Brian Cox, physicist and fellow science presenter, has had plenty to say about ways which should be utilised. “Don’t stymie the ability of researchers and professors from talking to the media. Take the leash and collar off. This applies to the policies enacted and to those funding the research.

There is a difference in protecting intellectual property and plain being secretive for no good reason,” says Cox, “This secretiveness is what is causing public fears and scepticism. They feel like they are not getting the whole truth. It is a breeding ground for what we are seeing today.”

There have been many experts from the journalism and communications fields who have said providing better training to scientists and engineers to become comfortable speaking in public would take them leagues from where they are now in being believed and understood.

Language is an inescapable necessity. This is why Tyson speaks out so liberally about research and academia using populous vocabulary, so when the inevitable analysis by the public

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“Cherish curiosity. Curiosity is what will lead you to the correct answer in the face of false answers.”

happens, the interpretation of what is being said becomes narrower due to clearer language, thus less likely to be misconstrued or purposefully manipulated by those with an agenda against science.

“There are a couple of challenges that fields which are not astrophysics have because astrophysics has the benefit of remarkably transparent vocabulary. What do we call spots on the sun? Sunspots. That isn’t even the best example I can raise. Other fields have a lexicon that is precise and very efficient for communicating amongst themselves, but not for stepping out and referencing to the public. You heard it today, I am interviewing two of the moonwalkers, and they are using geology terms that if you are not geology fluent you have no idea. They are talking about breccia, and even I can’t remember the other thing it at the moment, and I might have learned this years ago, but they do not evoke the image of what they are, so that is a challenge. They should be self-aware of that. They should recognise when you are teaching the public you don’t have to teach an entire syllabus, you hand pick the coolest stuff, and if they are interested, they will come back for the complicated stuff to learn the nuances between that which is less sexy or less attractive.” Tyson has employed this method in his own books.

Most recently in his book, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry, Tyson cherry picked from the best the astrophysics field has to offer to create a work that is intriguing, not overly complicated, and which could incite further interest.

Other barriers to public acceptance and enthusiasm can be broken down if the scientific community takes steps to

remove public scepticism around the validity of methods used in research and the data collected. Scientists need to continue to assemble research and studies to the highest standards. Peer review must carry on as a means of verifying the good from the bad in the community. A vocal opposition about scientific studies being held back by paywalls is gaining traction because paywalls mean that published studies can only be in the hands of those who can afford it. The pool of those who can afford it is becoming a dwindling

market. Paywalls are particularly problematic for areas without access to academic libraries. Publishers are, in effect, controlling access to information required for critical analysis.

Alex Mayyasi, in a blog article for Priceonomics, has written there are estimates that Elsevier, the most highly recognised publisher, charges 642% above industry averages for its publications. Those industry averages have already risen 600% from 1980 to 2012. Many universities and libraries are starting to discontinue their

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Autumn 2017 subscriptions leaving a dangerous gap in their public’s ability to gain access to the most current research.

In addition to those barriers, scientists also have to perform a tricky balancing act. They must communicate information in public spheres in a way that doesn’t bewilder audiences with technical jargon, and still presents ideas with enough authority and tact to change opinions. Katherine Hayhoe gave a talk at Starmus keenly highlighting that the public should not be treated as blundering idiots whom more facts and studies will educate.

In her estimation, the public (including those who fiercely deny certain scientific principles) are still intelligent, and it would be a mistake to treat them otherwise. It’s necessary to take the time to craft messages about science and tech which can slip around the automatic firewalls that shoot up in people’s minds when certain trigger terms or theories are brought up.

The current atmosphere of communication, either interpersonal or political, has de-evolved into little more than a full frontal assault on people’s belief systems and viewpoints when it revolves around science. Those believing themselves under attack become staunchly unwilling to listen and such attacks, however, based in facts and evidence, make little headway. In most cases, an aggressive message can make people even more convinced to stick by their personally held beliefs.

This is where Tyson shines. He refuses to dumb-down, but also refuses to stop trying to educate no matter the resistance.

Tyson believes that anyone can be reached, even those who oppose scientific truths and discoveries. He explains that scientists must know what is relevant and at the tips of peoples fingers in social media. Another voice, Terry Virts Jr., Astronaut and Colonel in the US Airforce, echoes the idea that you can engage without posturing. “Artificially creating a media buzz is a fulltime job,” mentioned Virts. “Do something well, do something passionately and honestly and you’ll find people will be equally passionate about hearing about it.” However, how do we get that buzz? To many, the answer might be surprising. To Tyson, it’s plainly

logical: pop culture.

“Pop culture matters. The definition of pop culture means that everyone knows what it is, and knowing that, you have to find ways to link what you are teaching to it. You can clad the pop culture scaffolding with what you bring to the table and then you will see that they have done half the work for you.”

On social media it's easy to watch Tyson tweet about Beyoncé's baby, the Super Bowl, a TV show, and still find a way to attach to that real science without dumbing it down, and then have it go viral. The public becomes the buzz generator, and that is why this is brilliant. It is causing public acceptance.

However, we have also to be aware that on the dark side there is a lot of published materials which state opinions that pose as facts. Tyson has advice for battling just that, “In all these places where people who are scientifically illiterate have a voice, always push back. Don’t let anyone get a free ride with their ideas that have no objective truth based on it. I don’t mind if you have ideas that are not true, but if you try to then convince others, and you have power over them, then that can be dangerous. Dangerous for an informed democracy.”

Tyson is not saying that every scientist needs to be on social media full time, but accessing these channels will allow for the free flow of what their particular research, laboratory, company, or university is doing, which increases chances the general public will pick it up and generate the buzz that needs to happen. It will also flood these channels so those who seek to undermine science and technology, have their voices drowned out by truth spoken by those actively researching and reporting it.

What is beneficial about buzz other than introducing cool new happenings in the science and tech worlds? It can turn the focus of investors towards areas like Trondheim. Tyson believes there is a failure on the part of many investors, and even sometimes the public sector, to realise that investments in technology and science always have striking returns. “You could be a farmer, but your yields, your productivity, your profits will be limited by the forces of nature rather than the

PICTURES

[top main] From left, Harrison Schmidt, Charles Duke and Neil deGrasse Tyson by Trond Sverre Kristiansen [lower left] Brian Cox by Kai T. Dragland [centre] Terry Virts by Max Alexander [lower right] Katherine Hayhoe by Kai T. Dragland

forces of science. The forces of science are unlimited. So, if you look at any field that is not science or technology, if it has grown, it has grown because of the influence of science and technology on it.”

Investments in businesses, research, and in building a strong startup community are the primary goals of the Trondheim Municipality. Many believe that to be an international success you have to go to places like California, London, New York and so on.

If the communication and collectively in the Trondheim region is done correctly, that will no longer be the automatic assumption. To accomplish this, it is going to take proving to the entire Sør-Trøndelag community why this matters. Tyson gave a perfect example, “Let’s go back to the late 19th century expos, say the one which featured Bell’s telephone as an example, you need expos to show everyone what you have discovered and to show the value it might be to society or civilisation.” The widespread acceptance and use of the telephone needs no explanation.

It is a very cyclical process: create good research, use that research to develop excellent products and policies, communicate to the public why it matters, help the public create a buzz, investors take notice, the area grows in viability, which produces a stronger economy propelling more research and on it will go.

Trondheim must earnestly craft a unified, clear and accessible message that our entire community can use to talk about the place Trondheim occupies in the scientific and technological global community. Let the message be spread by not just those doing the work, but those who support it. Capture the hearts and minds of all the residents of this incredible city, and it won’t be long before the world also takes notice. a

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maker faire saturday 26 august MAKER FAIRE

Make Making Great Again (or the joy of making)

STORY

Frode Halvorsen

PICTURES

Torbjorn Buvarp

Humans are curious and creative by nature. It's what got us out of the caves in the first place. So, what happened to our abilities to fix things?

B

ack in the olden days, the socalled 90s, it was still possible to fix a car with a screwdriver and a medium sized wrench.

That same screwdriver could even repair the VCR. Now we are lucky if we are even able to open the hood on our car without violating some warranty.

No surprise it had to end in a revolt, and it’s probably the most fun revolution in modern history. About ten years ago, in San Fransisco, some people had had enough and wanted to celebrate the joy of making, and also repairing things.

The result was Maker Faire, a festival celebrating creativity and the joy of making stuff, and probably the most important aspect; showing and telling it to other people, so they also can start making things.

Sharing your experience and knowledge is an important thing, not only in the maker movement but in life in general. If cavemen didn’t teach each other

to light a fire, and not eat that poisonous toad, we wouldn't have to wait for the next iPhone right now; we would still be eating raw elk and having a bad day tomorrow because of that toad dessert we shouldn't have had.

Trondheim had its first Maker Faire back in 2014, and quickly got attention from global makers for our exotic location and the small, but tightly knit, welcoming community of local makers.

Maker Faire is for all kinds of people.

The fact it has attracted participants all the way from Japan, and that Melhus Municipality annually books 12 buses to bring excited kids to visit the festival since 2014, confirms the diversity of people.

It doesn't matter if you are building flying robots out of 3D-printed material with high tech, low energy consumption micro-controllers, or if you are forging knives over red hot coals, or knitting the most beautiful scarfs.

What matters is that you are making it yourself and that you're improving your skills, and hopefully sharing your skills and ideas with others.

So, if you like to make stuff, whether it's robots, knitted hats or stuffed toy cats, join the community of makers in Trondheim and show your makings at Trondheim Maker Faire. Who knows what marvellous things will be shown this year or dreamed up by those attending. a

trondheim playground wednesday 23 – Saturday 26 august

What is Trondheim Playground?

TR0NDHEIM PLAYGROUND

STORY

Ona Grinderud Nordbø

PICTURE

Torbjorn Buvarp

What is Trondheim Playground, you ask? It is an annual, fiveday innovation festival aiming to shed light on the innovation and creation taking place in Trondheim.

This year’s festival will be held from August 22-26, and there will be events taking place all around the city throughout the week. The unique thing about Trondheim Playground is that the festival is a shared initiative with hundreds of people involved, organizing events for thousands of visitors.

The enthusiasts behind the events all share a drive to inspire young and old to explore the fields of creativity,

innovation and technology. Trondheim Playground is the perfect opportunity to visit and dive into the depths of the innovation ecosystem in Norway’s technology capital.

To make it all happen, Technoport invites companies and organizations across the private and public sector to host events during Trondheim Playground, and we work hard to put together activities that show the range

of what people in the city are working on. The programme includes workshops, seminars, debates, Pecha Kucha night, hackathons, conferences, concerts, the biggest Maker Faire in Scandinavia and plenty of opportunities to network, connect and exchange experiences and knowledge. Most of the events are free (some have costs involved) - just remember that some events require a sign-up due to a limited number of seats.

The majority of the events will take place at venues located alongside an innovation axis that can be drawn through Trondheim’s city centre. Stretching from Solsiden, via Bakke bru, all the way to Work-Work in Munkegata, the axis contains the offices and event spaces of many of the innovation ecosystem’s important players. Of course, there are others of importance located elsewhere, but if your goal is to partake in as much of the programme as possible, you could start out along that imaginary line.

Without the contributors, this festival would not be possible. For the third year in a row, Trondheim Playground puts innovation, technology and creativity on the agenda through sharing experiences and knowledge with everyone and anyone who wants to listen. Whether you are a student, an investor, an aspiring entrepreneur, new to the city or just curious to learn more about what innovators are working on, the Playground programme will have something to your liking.

Invite colleagues along to a breakfast meeting, join your friends for one of the evening events, take your entire family to Maker Faire or go to an event all by yourself to make new acquaintances. See you there! a

19

20

Tuesday 22 august

trondheim playground programme of events tuesday 22 august

Innovation Breakfast @ WattsUp, Klæbuveien 118, 7031 Trondheim

8:00-9.30

Norway and Norwegian energy businesses are well placed for “the green shift”, but are we also ready to handle all the other megatrends? Ann Merethe Sommerseth and Gøril Forbord, experienced in the fields of innovation and technology, will discuss the global megatrends which are influencing the opportunities in the renewable market now and in the future. This meeting is for anyone interested in what’s happening inside the world of renewable energy.

The presentation will be given in Norwegian. A small breakfast will be served.

Teknomorgen @ DNB Solsiden, Beddingen 16

8:00-8:30 8:30-9:15

Registration and breakfast How will blockchain revolutionize payment methods, economy and finance?

Lasse Meholm / IT Business Partner / Digitization DNB Coffee and networking What are the most important technological trends and drivers, and how will they affect businesses and society as a whole?

Jone Løvik, VP & Business Area Manager, Acando Fruit and networking Digitalization and innovation DNB SoMe team from Oslo Artificial intelligence and the use of robotics Jørgen Otre Størksen DNB ITOP Robotics Short presentation of DNB's customer service robot Lunch and networking

9:15-9:30 9:30-10:15

10:15-10:45 10:45-11:15 11:15-11:45 11:45-12:00 12:00

Opening of F3 - Fintech for Future @ Sparebanken, Søndre gate 4

10:00-11:00

Join the official grand opening of F3, Trondheim's newest incubator devoted solely to fintech. F3 aims to develop the future for bank and finance. The incubator will be run by NTNU Accel with support from SMN.

NxtMedia Preview: Trondheim Playground @ WebStep, Kjøpmannsgata 42, 7010 Trondheim

11:30 12:00 12:20 12:40

Intro: NxtMedia and Trondheim Playground combined with lunch Media innovation case #1: PhotoCarrier - Terje Kvannli Media innovation case #2: Mito.ai - Signe Søråsen NxtMedia recommends: a look at the Trondheim Playground programme from a media perspective Sign-up required as seating is limited

Workshop: We cannot create a future we are unable to envision @ Otium Sanserom, Kongens gate 85

13:30-15:30

Inspired by Starmus, this workshop aims to draw out, through collective strategizing, from participants their ideas of what an attractive tomorrow is and how we are going to get there.

DIY IoT #1 - Displaying data in the physical world @Hackheim, Work-Work, Munkegata 58

17:00-21:00

Hackheim, in collaboration with Dataforeningen, is launching a series of workshops where the goal is to design and build your own IoT gadgets from scratch. The workshops will introduce you to the tools you need to get from idea to prototype in a night. After every workshop, the participants will take home a protoype ready to use. This event has a materials coverage cost of 500 NOK, which is paid for through purchasing a ticket at www.hackheim.hoopla.no. Participants are required to have a basic understanding of programming and they need to bring their own computer.

Pecha Kucha night @ DIGS, Olav Tryggvasons gate 30

19:00-21:30

Ekaterina Prasolova-Frøland, Professor at NTNU - VR/AR for diversity and inclusion Amanda Jørgine Haug, Kodeløypa - How does one teach a 10th grader to code?

Arne Jenssen - About hackathons and what they enable.

Reidar Stølan, Head of Business, Evry - Financial technology Hilde Amundsen, Founder of MindFit - When health becomes digital BREAK Ingeborg Volan, Adresseavisen - From wide open to closed on the internet: what happens to us in social media?

Sigurd Stendal, system developer Kantega - Cork on the water Axel Tidemann, scientist Telenor - Applications of artificial intelligence within science, arts and industry Kristine B. Fredriksen, Leader of technology and innovation, R.Kjeldsberg - TBA Steinar Bjørlykke, Head of technology and development NRK - TBA (sportstechnology)

10 speakers share stories and experiences that display the diversity in technology and innovation. 20 frames x 20 seconds make the Pecha Kucha format fun, likeable and forgiving. The perfect way to learn something new.

For more details on our events, and to check for any last minute programme changes, please see our website at trondheimplayground.no

21

Seminar: "The messy waters of learning organisations, individual development and innovation" @ Venue: please refer to website

8:30-11:30

How do we develop the organisational systems to meet increased complexity and accelerated changes in the world around us? Come and explore organisational learning and innovation together with House of Knowledge and Abilator.

Seminar: Tomorrow's Payments are Mobile and Digital @ Sparebanken, Søndre gate 4

10:00-11:00

The new EU directive PSD2 enables all companies to challenge banks on their payment system monopolies, opening the way for a revolution within payment solutions. Vipps was only the beginning! Come learn more at this collaborative event between NTNU Accel and SMN.

Innovation Open House Tour @ Jacobsen & Svart Ferjemannsveien 8

10:00 - 11:45

Trondheim innovation actors and companies open their doors for this special event.

Discover behind the scenes planning and projects as we visit up to 10 locations and end the tour at DIGS for the Innovation ecosystem lunch.

Innovation Ecosystem Lunch @ JDIGS Olavstryggvasonsgt. 30

11:30 - 13:00

Drop in to meet some new friends and old and become acquainted with Mid-Norway’s innovation ecosystem, startup scene and business sector over some pizza and brew.

Introduction round and giveaways. Participants responsible for their own meal costs.

Innovation week @DNB - Day 2: DNB NXT @ DNB Solsiden, Beddingen 16

wednesdday 23 august

trondheim playground programme of events wednesday 23 august

Where investors and entrepreneurs meet.

14:00-14:30 14:30-14:40 14:40-15:10 15:10-15:30

15:30-15:50 15:50-16:30 16:30-16:45

16:45-17:00 17:00-17:15 17:15-18:00 18:00-18:30 18:30-19:00 19:00-

Registration, snacks and networking Introduction by event hostess Rigmor Bråthen, DNB Gobi CEO Kristoffer Lande shares experiences from his journey as a young tech entrepreneur SuperEgo - Henning Meier and Svein Øverland. The winners of the 2016 NXT final share experiences from their time as finalists and what happened after the win. The company develops digital health soloutions, and offers a broad spectrum of services.

Networking and snacks Ivar Koteng, Koteng Eiendom - From entrepreneur to investor Thomas Berglund, Angel Challenge. Angel Challenge aims to teach investors to invest "right". Multiple start-ups compete for a sum of money and the investors time and knowledge Julia Navarsete, winner of last year's Angel Challenge shares her story about what happened after she won.

Haakon Skar, CEO of NTNU Accel, shares his experiences from last year when he was an angel investor and part of the jury.

Tapas, DJ and networking Pitching - six local startups pitch their idea, hoping to secure a spot in the national NXT final taking place September 28th.

Tapas, DJ and networking The winner of the pitch contest will be announced and invited to NXT Oslo in september.

Open workshop @ Hackheim, Work-Work, Munkegata 58

18:00-22:00

Every Wednesday and Sunday, Hackheim opens its doors and invite the public in. For everyone who is curious about want the people behind Hackheim works on and those who just want to say hello!

Girl Geek Dinner - Female Entrepreneurs @ Habitat, Olav Tryggvasons gate 30

19:00-22:00

Six female entrepreneurs share their experiences of being an entrepreneur in different environments in Trondheim. Speakers Janina Lamøy, Ingrid Lonas, Julia Navarsete, Merete Moum Lo , Sylvia Stølan, Cathrine Vik, Elina Willert, Ingeborg Volan and networking and drinks @Habitat. At the time of publication the event is fully booked. Please check website for updates.

For more details on our events, and to check for any last minute programme changes, please see our website at trondheimplayground.no

thursday 24 august

22

trondheim playground programme of events thursday 24 august

Launch of Climathon Trondheim 2017 @ Habitat, Olav Tryggvasons gate 30

8:00-10:00

Climathon Trondheim 2017 will take place on October 27th. At the launch, we will announce this year's city challenge and start the registration. Climathon is a global 24-hour climate change hackathon which will take place simultaneously in major cities around the world. So far, 189 cities from six continents have signed up!

Innovation week @DNB Day 3: Innovation and Design Thinking @ DNB Solsiden, Beddingen 16

8:00-8:30 8:30-9:15 9:15-9:45

Registration and breakfast Presentation of Digital Floor in DNB - Halvor Lande, ITOP IT Digitalization and Business Presentation from one of the winners of Digital Challenge. NTNU students Ingeborg Lie Monsås and Sindre Sætre Hammerlund present their idea "Gode avtaler" - enabling digital contracts between friends and businesses.

Coffee and networking Design Thinking workshop for entrepreneurs and innovators The participants will be divided into groups, having to identify a problem, develop a solution and test a prototype. The workshops ends with a small pitching competition.

Lead by Vegard Jørmeland, Innovation Catalyst, ITOP DAB Digital Floor, DNB. Lunch and networking Lean Startup Workshop for entrepreneurs and students DNB Digital Floor have employees who pratice Lean Startup the way it's done in Silicon Valley.

9:45-10:00 10:00-12:00

12:00-12:30 13:00-14:00

8:30-19:00 Opening of F3 - Fintech for Future Seminar Day 1 of 2: How can maker spaces and science centers contribute to a better connection between education and business? @ Vitensenteret, Kongens gate 1

Vitensenteret invites you to a two day seminar on innovation for those working inside of education, politics, public administration and STEM recruitment on how the social learning and cooperative workspaces can enhance education and commuity growth.

Seminar: Fintech for the Future @ Sparebanken, Søndre gate 4

10:00-11:00

NTNU Accel invites you to meet the incubators first participting companies. F3 will work with these companies to develop new and disruptuve solutions to challenge the established financial solutions.

Lunch and seminar @ NTNU Accel, Kongens gate 30

11:30-12:30

Every Thursday, NTNU Accel is hosting lunch for entrepreneurs, students, investors and curious souls. Each week includes a mini-seminar, revolving around a relevant topic. This Thursday, Erik Wold from NTNU TTO will speak about "How to appreciate a startup".

Semester kick-off @ TrønderEnergi, Klæbuveien, 118, 7031 Trondheim

11:30-13:00

TrønderEnergi invites students and researchers at NTNU and SINTEF to a lunch where attendees can hear presentations of recent Bachelor and Master's dissertations, and current challenges in the renewables industry, to inspire future work to come.

Conference: State of the art sports technology @ Granåsen, AHA Granåsen konferansesenter

11:30-16:00

NxtMedia and Trondheim municipality invite tech and sports enthusiast to a sports technology conference in Granåsen to hear the latest news from NTNU Sports Science Division, sensors for sports performance, football technology and highlights from NxtMedias research on the future of connected sports arenas.

Music/ tech meet-up @ Trondheim Callings facilities, Olavshallen, Kjøpmannsgata 44

13:00-16:00

A workshop where music and tech people meet up to explore new opportunities in the intersection between music and tech.The event will meet Bas Grasmayer, the founder and lead strategist at music x tech x future, a few of the startups in this space and partake in a short workshop to ideate new business concepts in the space. Event in collaboration between Technoport, Trondheim Calling and Music Norway. (free, but sign-up required)

House festival @D IGS, Olav Tryggvasons gate 30

15:00-18:00

DIGS festival is a short house festival @ DIGS where you can get to know the different startup companies in the building and do fun activities with them. We will have product testings, demos, VR relaxation lab, marketing & branding workshops, architect drop-ins, general viewings and much more. The festival will end with an acoustic office concert.

IxDA meetup #30 @D IGS, Olav Tryggvasons gate 30

18:00-21:00

Connected to Trondheim Playground and the upcoming Maker Faire this meetup will be dedicated to displaying the designer's secret weapon: simple visualization with a marker.

Full programme can be found on Facebook.

For more details on our events, and to check for any last minute programme changes, please see our website at trondheimplayground.no

23

Technoport Innovation Breakfast: Artificial intelligence @ Dokkhuset, Dokkparken 4

8:00-10:30

Can a self-taught machine teach other machines? How can businesses utilize this technology and what ethical challenges arises? Ieva Martinkenaite, VP of Telenor Research, will speak on how they work with startups and businesses to develop Artificial Intelligence.

In collaboration between Technoport, Trondheim Kommune and NĂŚringforeningen i Trondheim.

Seminar Day 2 of 2: How can maker spaces and science centers contribute to a better connection between education and business? @ Vitensenteret, Kongens gate 1

8:30-10:30

Vitensenteret invites you to a two day seminar on innovation for those working inside of education, politics, public administration and STEM recruitment on how the social learning and cooperative workspaces can enhance education and commuity growth.

Full programme can be found on Facebook.

Innovation week - Day 4: Finding your funds @DNB, DNB Solsiden, Beddingen 16

8:00-8:30 8:30-9:30

Registration and breakfast Seminar: which funding opportunities are available for start-ups and businesses in growth?

Lead by DNB and Innovation Norway Talk by entrepreneur who has used the crowfunding platform startskudd.no.

Coffee and networking DNB will announce the winning company which will get their company/project featured on the front page of startskudd.no and DNB.no Seminar: VippsGo Lunch and networking

9:30-10:00 10:00-10:15 10:15-10:45 10:45-11:15 11:15-12:00

Seminar: The Challenges of Applying Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Industry @ Sparebanken, Søndre gate 4

10:00-11:00

One of Trondheim's fastest growing startups is AIA Science, working to solve industrial challenges with artificial intelligence and machine learning. In this seminar, CEO Odd Jostein Svendsli will give us a status update on how far we have come in developing these technologies which are considered to be creating the fourth industrial revolution.

Maker Faire @ Solsiden

10:00-17:00

Maker Faire is the world's largest inventor festival - a family-friendly event with inventions, creativity and ideas, and a celebration of the do-it-yourself movement. It's a place where people show what they've made and share what they've learned.

friday 25 august

trondheim playground programme of events friday 25 august

Makers are everything from technology enthusiasts to craftsmen to homebuilders to scientists and garage inventors. They come in all ages and with vastly different backgrounds.

The goal of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, build relationships and develop the Maker movement.

Startup Friday @Habitat, Olav Tryggvasons gate 30

19:00-23:00

Startup Friday is a meet and greet event for all startups in Trondheim and surrounding areas.

This is the place to meet like-minded people and talk business, ideas and just have some fun.

You bring yourself and your ideas, and we promise a great selection of beers and delicious pizza you can buy.

For more details on our events, and to check for any last minute programme changes, please see our website at trondheimplayground.no

saturday 26 august

24

trondheim playground programme of events saturday 26 august

TEDxTrondheim: Ask Me Anything - Meet the Makers @ Dokkhuset, Dokkparken 4

10:00-12.30

The world of making is vast in materials, methods and imagination driven by creative and dedicated artisans. Come meet a few of our cities makers from time honoured traditions where you can hear their story and ask them any burning questions you might have. Perhaps you'll be inspired by their Ideas Worth Spreading.

Maker Faire @ Solsiden

10:00-17:00

Maker Faire is the world's largest inventor festival - a family-friendly event with inventions, creativity and ideas, and a celebration of the do-it-yourself movement. It's a place where people show what they've made and share what they've learned.

Makers are everything from technology enthusiasts to craftsmen to homebuilders to scientists and garage inventors. They come in all ages and with vastly different backgrounds.

The goal of Maker Faire is to entertain, inform, build relationships and develop the Maker movement.

Trondheim Open Hackathon @ DNB Solsiden, Beddingen 16

10:00-18:00

The aim of Trondheim Open Hackathon is to facilitate innovation in the region. We believe that hackathon is a great way to generate new ideas and start innovations. An open hackathon will help to strenghten the network of people and companies.

A hackathon is an event where participants of diverse backgrounds work together to solve problems, and develp new idas.

We believe that hackathons are a great way for people to expand their network. When you work together on a challenge for a whole day, you risk making new friends for life.

When people from diverse backgrounds spend a day togheter to hack on 'creating the future', instead of just talking, magic will happen.

09:30 10:00 10:30 11:00 12:00 12:30 16:30 17:00 18:00 19:00

Welcome and registration Presenting the challenges Ideation, Pitching Team up Lunch Hacking Pizza Presenting the solutions Done!

Announcing the winners – And yes, there will be prizes!

Non-techies (also) wanted!

To solve the challenges of the future, we need technology, social sciences and the arts to work together.

Therefore, anyone is welcome to join in at Trondheim Open Hackathon – students and professionals with all kinds of backgrounds and skill sets. The word hackathon sounds technical, but a hackathon is better the more diverse the participants are.

If you think that spending a day to “hack” the future toghether with other innovationenthusiasts sounds exciting, you got what it takes!

Tech, Hugs & Rock n' Roll @ Dokkhuset, Dokkparken 4

19:00-

This year's Tech, Hugs & Rock 'n' Roll will be the grand finale for Trondheim Playground and Maker Faire.

Detailed programme is yet to be released, but we can already say that there will be panels, talks, live music and the announcement of this year's "Community Builder of the Year".

Tech, Hugs & Rock 'n' Roll is a reoccurring party concept for all those whose heart belongs to technology, innovation and creativity. It's a loose and informal network of enthusiasts, professionals and aficionados who just meet to hang, dance and have those great conversations.

For more details on our events, and to check for any last minute programme changes, please see our website at trondheimplayground.no

trondheim playground partners

In collaboration with key players in both public and private sectors, we in Technoport aim to foster capacity and capability for innovation. Through community building and engaging events, we cultivate an ecosystem where new knowledge and new ideas can grow to have a positive impact on our society.

This would not be possible without the continued support of our partners.

We are truly grateful for your participation and support.

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26

techlist

Visible Figures NURIA ESPALLARGAS

STORY

Janina Lamøy

ILLUSTRATION

Masao Yamazaki

PICTURE [OPPOSITE]

Torleif Kvinnesland for Innovasjon Norge

Nuria Espallargas is the pioneering figure behind the patented technology behind Seram Coatings. Believing in changing the rules, hands on innovation and encouraging women to take risks puts her in the forefront of entrepreneurial thinking in Trondheim. She was acknowledged for her hard work and persistence by Innovation Norway and was awarded the Female Entrepreneur Award of 2017.

E

spallargas' company, Seram Coatings, was born by breaking the rules and believing in herself when many others said she could not do it. "No no, this is impossible. What you are going to try, many people have tried before. What, do you think you are going to succeed?"

On the path to a purely academic career, a more traditional trajectory, Nuria dove into the unknown field of startups, intrigued by the possibilities in creating something of her own, although the community being unknown.

"I am stubborn by nature. My parents often said ´Nuria, you always do

what you want. You don't want rules´."

She tells the story of being an active and stubborn child and being given the opportunity to do what she wanted, never hearing that she had to do certain things because she was a girl. "I got the freedom to choose what I wanted to do." Her upbringing crafted a mindset and determination which she took with her into the academic field, finding success.

Nuria never thought that it would be important to promote women in tech until she tried to innovate. While developing her research and creating the company together with her co-founder and PhD student Fahmi Mubarok, she met a lot of scepticism, and people telling her that "it cannot be done".

The support she needed to continue researching the technology behind Seram Coatings came through the NTNU Technology Transfer Office (TTO), having people believing in her, and her goal oriented mindset.

Nuria believes that awards like Female Entrepreneur and other local awards are significant to promote and boost female driven ideas. She says that they can help promote inclusion and grow female driven initiatives like Girl Geek Dinners or other tech groups for women. There is a need for promoting what happens in the startup community, especially to the young while in school. "This is one thing that I feel is lacking. You can make these awards, but if you don't give them visibility to the younger generations, they will

SERAM COATINGS

NURIA ESPALLARGAS ABOUT

INDUSTRY

Nuria Espallargas is a Professor at the Department of Engineering Design and Materials and CTO of Seram Coatings. She has a MSc in Chemistry from University of Barcelona (Spain) and a PhD in Metallurgy and Materials Engineering from the same university.

Engineering Tech HEADQUARTERS

Trondheim, Norway FOUNDED

2014 WEB

seramcoatings.com

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Autumn 2017

CREATING STABLE COMMUNITIES

community builder award never know what is out there, what can be done with ideas." She feels that the community in Trondheim needs to focus more on young people. It needs to show girls and boys that they can do many things with hard work and determination. Children should learn about all of the possibilities that exist, so they are not limited or bound by gender stereotypes.

"I would like to see this kind of award given to a person that has created something - a company, a startup - out of nothing," answered Nuria about the future of The Female Entrepreneur Award. She says that even though she has had some hardships, she has always had a research infrastructure and a system that allowed her to experiment and explore. Nuria said it's hard to give specific characteristics in what she'd look for in future winners, but it would be wonderful great to see a woman that comes from nothing winning the award.

Nuria believes awards with monetary rewards show an investment in continuing female entrepreneurialism.

The money is important because it shows that society puts a value on ideas and gives capital to develop innovation further. She thinks there is a responsibility to prepare future generations for a more entrepreneurial world, with freedom of choice and equality. This is achieved by better communication, giving everyone equal rights to choose their path and maintaining diverse companies.

Nuria says she was lucky trying diversity and meeting a person like Fahmi Mubarok, who shares a similar untraditional mindset and curious nature. "I got lucky; I can tell my story, my successful story. But many people try this path, and they fail." a

STORY

Jennifer Wold

PICTURE

Torbjorn Buvarp

Kristina Brend, Tine Almås Hunt, Borgar Ljosland and Work-Work, have been nominated by their peers as this year's contenders for Community Builder of the Year. They have been put forward as key players nurturing and helping build the thriving innovation ecosystem in Trondheim.

C

ommunities are only as strong as those who build and sustain them. It takes dedication. It takes collaboration. It takes being welcoming and inclusive to all manner of people, ideas, goals and methodologies of others.

It is no secret that Trondheim

is a hotbed in the tech, science and research areas. This community has spectacular talent innovating and working for a better tomorrow. In Trondheim, innovation spaces are backed by many key stakeholders, with the sole purpose of ensuring an ideal environment for growth and longevity.

There comes a point, however, when recognition should happen for those playing supporting roles, and that is the aim behind the Community Builder Award. This isn’t just a pat on the back; it is a 15,000 kroner award to show that their work is valued, and to allow them to do what they are so passionate about.

The nominations for the winner come from the community and are decided on by a panel of judges.

The community nominations are an important part of making this award reflect accurately who the community sees as a driving force.

The award will be presented at Technoport’s Tech, Hugs and Rock’n’Roll on 26 August.

Last year's recipient was the team behind DIGS, and the reason can be seen. DIGS is a buzzing hub of activity from the street level Habitat cafe, to the second-floor office space housing 55 businesses, meaning 100 or so Digsters are always coming and going. It has a feel and spirit that only a well-tended community spot can have.

“What should young people do with their lives today? Many things, obviously. But the most daring thing is to create stable communities,” wrote Kurt Vonnegut Jr., and that is very much what this award is about; recognising the work of growing stable communities. a

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techlist

disability tech DISCOVER • CHALLENGE • DEVELOP

STORY & PICTURE

Brandur Bjarnason Karlsson

If we're upfront about it, our society is not made with disabled people in mind, and it'll be a while before those with disabilities can enjoy the same opportunities as those of able body and mind.

S

ome things have to be experienced to be understood. Being dependent on a wheelchair to get around is one of them, living off a social system is another. I learned quickly, a large number of buildings are inaccessible to me, and after a few experiences of showing up to events only to have to turn around feeling rejected, you tend to stick to the limited venues you know are accessible. It's not only a pattern that can be difficult to break out of; it often becomes a long-term trap.

I always envisioned the welfare system like a trampoline; when you trip or fall it helps you bounce back. Sadly, it is more like a spider's web that once you're in it, it can be near impossible to get out due to limited and unexciting opportunities, or pure lack of incentives.

But things are looking bright. New technological solutions are opening up incredible possibilities for people with limitations. For example, I used a device to write what you are reading right now using my eyes and not my fingers.

After I first got this device I was suddenly able to communicate in places that were not possible before. My ability to be active on social media gives me the ability do things like set up meetings, engage in creative discussions and network with like minded people.

Not being connected on social media by choice is one thing, but because you have no way to access it is another. My newfound online presence allowed me to start an association, which lead to the creation of Frumbjorg. Frumbjorg is a social innovation centre dedicated to the implementation and improvement of new health and welfare related innovation.

In Iceland, plans are in progress to improve the support structure for entrepreneurs, mandated by our Minister of Social Affairs who recognised the importance of having someone who has experienced the system be part of creating the next version. I am excited to be representing the population that needs to be seen and heard in today's entrepreneurial and startup ecosystems.

One of the perks of my new role in Frumbjorg is that people share with me their ideas and expectations for the future. There is optimism around exoskeletons that will allow paralysed people to walk again, blind people are gaining sight through new mechanical eyes, and rumours of robotic helpers emerging from Japan that can do an array of tasks, thus freeing up time for people to socialise, are swirling through conversations. The list of possibilities is growing daily. One fascinating project coming out of Frumbjorg is called HomeHeartbeat. It is a non-invasive monitoring platform for elderly people who live home alone. If there is an alarming discrepancy in their behaviour, a call goes out to a loved one or caretaker. This project recently awarded a $500,000 grant and further investors looking to support this initiative.

Our efforts are have been recognised by receiving a nomination as a contender for Best Startup Ecosystem Initiative for the 2017 Nordic Startup Awards.

If we want to become inclusive societies, we need to help disabled entrepreneurs find their own solutions to the problems they face in everyday lives and then assist them to share those solutions with others in similar situations. Today's social media platforms allow us to easily create groups around any issue or problem. Once identified, those who comprehend through experience can couple with problem solvers and innovators. Who then need to meet with those who can provide the entrepreneurial guidance necessary to navigate the maze of product development and company foundation must occur so that we can vastly accelerate the improvement of the standard of living for some of those who have been left behind.

That is my goal with Frumbjorg: innovating and creating our collective tomorrow, so we leave no one behind a

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Autumn 2017 G L O B A L P R E V A L N C E O F D I S A S B I LI T Y

16%

of the adult population worldwide is disabled*

I N THE UK . . . ‡

25%

of EU nations have a population 16+ with some kind of impairment†

IN NORWAY... +

85,000

75%

11% 12% O C C U R RED I N C HI L D HOOD W E R E D ISABLED F R O M B IRT H

DE SI R E WOR K

HA P P E N E D A S A R E S U L T O F W O R K IN G LIF E

349,000 T O T A L D I S A B L E D P E RSON S I N NO R W A Y . . . ±

46,750

E MPLOYED REC EIVE D A N AD APTED WORK ENVI R ONM E NT

14,450

A R E COM PL E T E L Y U NE M PL OY E D

24% 46%

OF DISABLED WORKING

O F D I S A B L E D W O RKIN G

ARE MEN

ARE WOMEN

IN NORWAY... ±

4.0% 3.0% 6.0% 35% 4.5%

have psychological disorders resulting in disability

* T H E W O R L D BA N K ( 2 0 1 1 ) † GRAMMENOS (2011) ‡ BURCHARDT, T. (2003)

have vision or hearing disabilities

of the population have mobility disabilities

+ F U N K S J O N S H E M M E D E , A R B E I D S K R A FTUND E R S Ø KE L S E N, (2 0 16 ) ± B A R N E - , U N G D O M S - G O F A M I LI E D I R E KTO R A TE T S TA TI S TI CS

of those with disabilities have only primary school education

have a better chance to be employed if they have more than primary school education.

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techlist IMAGE

Wil Lee-Wright

Got a startup hub or coworking space not included on this list? Get in touch and tell us your story techlist@thelist.no

01 Coworking spaces in trondheim COME TOGETHER

STORY

Wil Lee-Wright

PHOTOGRAPHY

Wil Lee-Wright

For those of us from larger cities, the concept of shared workspace is nothing new. In London, for example, finding a desk in a shared office is not so much a choice as a prerequisite for cash-strapped startups and independent creatives. Space is at a premium.

In space-rich Trondheim however, small firms have traditionally been able to find their own, affordable corner to run operations without breaking the bank. This ‘advantage’ has in fact stifled creativity in the past, as imaginative and entrepreneurial initiatives have not benefited from being in proximity. Sharing space is not just a imposition but an opportunity.

Several years ago the collaberative community in Trondheim made a positive choice to embrace the coworking economy and has seen the benefits in the number of startup companies which now thrive in cross-disciplined environments. Today there are more coworking spaces than ever, with energetic hubs opening all the time.

As the coworking map grows and diversifies, however, and specialist centres open, the community finds itself at a crossroads.

Is this a return to the segmentation of industry, which coworking sought to address in the first place? Here the Tech List takes a look at 10 of the city's collaberative spaces, and ask what next for coworking in Trondheim. a

Kjøpmannsgata 11 / Coworking Kjøpmannsgata 11 +47 91 51 50 13 Terms: Open to all applicants. Private offices from 5.000 NOK/month (1-4 people), dedicated desk 2.500, hot desk 1.650, meeting rooms available for private hire.

Nidarholm Investment, a local family business, bought the property in 2014, one of the oldest standing commercial property in Trondheim in 1780, and the coworking space is due to open in September 2017.

“Our mission is to transform one of Trondheim's most historical trading buildings into what we believe is the future of professional relations, yet carefully respecting and preserving the heritage and history behind it.” Truls Blaasmo, co-owner. kjopmannsgata11.no

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Wil Lee-Wright

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Wil Lee-Wright

DIGS Olav Tryggvasons Gate 30 +47 928 23 938 Terms: Flex Desks (drop-in use of facilities for up to 10 days/month) from 990 NOK/ month, personal desks 2.500 NOK/month, offices starting from 5.000 NOK/month and has 3 - 6 months' notice period.

Founded five years ago by Arnstein Syltern, Mats Mathisen and Jaya Thomlison, with the ambition to make Trondheim’s startup community more visible, DIGS is the godfather of coworking spaces in Trondheim. It has ensured that the innovation ecosystem is established in the local business sector, and inspired other spaces to evolve.

“Coworking spaces work as facilitators and catalysts for the startup community, playing a key role in the innovation ecosystem by binding small actors together.

When we now see an increase of spaces, it reflects a growing community, hence the growing needs and sustainability of the communities. I believe this is a positive thing for community, and the city, as a whole.” Arnstein Syltern, co-founder. digs.no

Work-Work Munkegata 58 +47 930 48 892 Terms: Full 24/7 access 2.650 NOK/month, Flex-desk 24h access 3 days/week 1.900/ NOK/month, Flex-desk 24h access 1 days/ week 1.200/ NOK/month. Get in touch to discuss teams/offices.

This creative laboratory and coworking house, aimed at developing new digital media, was established by Rolig Bare AS in 2014, with co-founders Zedge.

“Work-Work is one of the primary street-level co-work hubs in Trondheim. We play an important role as a meeting point between students, entrepreneurs and the various industries. The challenge going forward will be to make sure that the different hubs are able to coordinate their efforts, so we make sure that the community as a whole can reap the benefits of the entire ecosystem.” Marius Thorvaldsen, Founder and General Manager. work-work.no

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NTNU Accel Midtbyen Kongens gate 30 +47 917 26 303 Terms: NTNU Accel is an incubator for companies participating in the incubator programme (applications must be submitted).

The costs is 3.750 NOK/month. Free temporary seats for startups located in another incubator in another city, available on request.

Established by NTNU in October 2015.

The biggest owners behind the company are NTNU Technology Transfer (TTO) and Siva.

“The investor community in the region has become aware of the startup environment and has become more forward-looking when it comes to investing in startups. Coworking places are good for smaller startups that do not fall under the incubation criteria. Startups will benefit from energy and competence, and they can reap from each other's experiences. My view is that all these initiatives enrich the environment and the region.” Åse Straume, Incubator Manager. www.ntnuaccel.no (NTNU Accel also have a incubator focused on renewable energy, WattsUp. See ntnuaccel.no/watts-up, and a FinTech incubator, F3, see overleaf).

IMAGE

Wil Lee-Wright

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techlist

Got a startup hub

IMAGE

Wil Lee-Wright

or coworking space not included on this list? Get in touch and tell us your story techlist@thelist.no

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FRAM Gamle Fysikk, NTNU Gløshaugen Terms: collaberative space open to all, limitations for non-students.

FRAM is one of many NTNU coworking spaces set to assist the creativity of the student and research body. Others include: NTNU Technology Transfer, Innovasjonssenteret Gløshaugen NTNU, NTNU School of Entrepreneurship, TrollLabs.

"FRAM is an umbrella organization for the innovation environment at NTNU. With our unique premises at NTNU, we want to be a link between innovative organizations and people who want to think new.

Our venues are a meeting place where you can get in touch with committed people with immense skills or just a place you want to disconnect from a busy day. Everyone is welcome!" quote from Startup Guide Trondheim. framntnu.no

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F3 - FinTech for Future (NTNU Accel) Søndre gate 4 Terms: startups working in FinTech.

Trondheim's latest incubator which focuses exclusively on FinTech, creating new digital solutions for the future of banking and the financial industry. The incubator is operated by NTNU Accel with support from Sparebank1 SMN. “One of the ways Sparebank1 SMN inspires companies to establish and remain in Trondheim is by funding F3. At SMN we have skills and knowledge of the current infrastructure and models. The bank has been here 200 years and is one of the oldest companies in this area. We have changed and evolved. During the next 2-4 years however we are going to change more than we have done in all of those years. At lot of innovation in banks has been inside the bank, now we think it is going to happen on the outside. By making more startups start here, we are making jobs in the region… Within this collaborative area at the bank, we have 30-40 different projects. If we run these ideas as independent startups then they have to be clever, have to have customers, have to be valuable to the economy.” Knut Eilif Halgunset, SMN ntnuaccel.no

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OLO Ormen Langes vei 12 +47 991 02 502 Terms: You have to be selected to get a desk or an office space. Desk 1.750 NOK/ month, office (circa 20m²) 4000 NOK/ month. Workshops available to all; 4 hours 680 NOK, 8 hours 1.080 NOK, introduction course 680 NOK Daniel Bansal Dahn, Sylvia Stølan, Thomas Sørlie Hansen and Olav Åsheim (Grafill Trøndelag and NKF) felt the graphic community was missing a workspace, and last year acted on a tip from Skogen owner Magnus Holder Bjørk about a cheap and promising location… where paint and ink spills wouldn't be a problem.

“It's exhilarating to see what is happening in Trondheim recently. Maybe startups always have existed in Trondheim, but now they are more visible through coworking spaces like Digs, Work-work etc. We love to work with startups, since design and illustration has a more important role that ever to help a business communicate efficiently what they do to the masses. And since they are just starting, it feels more like a collaboration when working with them since we help shape them in the initial stages.”

Daniel Dahn. oloverksted@gmail.com

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Tobias Liljedahl

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Lademoen Kunstnerverksteder Mellomveien 5 +47 476 55 871 Terms: There is a selection process by a grant committee and the applicant must qualify for either Norske Kunsthandverkere / Norske Billedkunstnere. The cost is 50 NOK/m2 LVK is a private foundation with four board members and supported by Trondheim Municipality who own the building. The initiative was created by artists in 1993 who it started out as a studio and workshop.

“My impression is that more and more people work independently (own companied), and I think coworking spaces are a way to replace some of the benefits that usually come from being employed in a business: colleagues to talk and possibly share assignments.” Tobias Liljedahl, manager. lkv.no

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Sosiologisk Poliknikk Brattørgata 8 918 97 611 Terms: Sosiologisk Poliknikk (The Sociology Clinic) does not operate with rates, but membership. Membership is free, but requires voluntary work in maintaining the Clinic as a community as well as contributing to income-generating projects in collaboration with other members.

“The establishment is of major importance for the demonstration of entrepreneurial and innovative social science (social science faculty being the largest student-wise at NTNU). The Clinic is however an independent enterprise with no public, private or university support. In that way, the clinic is an unusually dense coworking space since it demands collaboration among members to generate income doing research-oriented projects for private and public enterprises.” Aksel Tjora, NTNU professor of Sociology sospol.no

Incubator and Labs at Sluppen Sluppenveien 6 452 93 390 Terms: You must apply to be considered for space and can do that by contacting Kristine at kristinebangstad.fredriksen@kjeldsberg.no An incubator and startup lab in Sluppen opening this autumn. Kjeldsberg, Wireless Trondheim, Inventas and NTNU Accel are collaborating on this project “So many great things have happened in the startup scene in the last couple of years! Coworking spaces and incubators serve different purposes, working together well. The coworking spaces are important meeting arenas, both professionally and socially. We must all keep up the good work, and become even better at promoting ourselves, and Trondheim, as an innovative tech hub of industry, research and education.” Kristine B. Fredriksen, leader of technology and innovation kjeldsberg.no

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techlist

Trondheim Open Hackathon COLLABORATIVE POWER TOOLS

STORY

Bradley Kurtz

PICTURE

Torbjorn Buvarp

Moving from the days of its software-only origins, hackathons are not only here to stay, but have become a cross disciplinary tool from low to high tech. Open source collaborative work is becoming more the norm, making hackathons a powerful tool in accomplishing community driven solutions.

T

his August, Trondheim will be adding to its technological tendencies with the creation of a new event: the Trondheim Open Hackathon.

Everyone is welcome to join in at Trondheim Open Hackathon; as long as they love to learn and build cool stuff.

No coding skills required. Students, techies, entrepreneurs, designers, humanists, and other enthusiasts of innovation will be working together to 'create the future', which is the theme of this year's event. There will be a host of unique challenges and missions based on the central theme in the hopes that this meeting of minds will help solve

problems and bring fresh perspectives to the challenges facing innovation.

Although you are reading Tech List, you may be wondering what in the world is a hackathon? In general, hackathons are an event where groups of people meet to collaborate on making or 'hacking' prototypes of new technology and try to solve problems. The word hackathon is a combination of hack and marathon, hack being used in the more playful sense of seeking out a contemporary solution to a problem, not its alternate meaning referencing cyber crime.

At this hackathon, participants will turn the world upside down for the day

and work cooperatively to learn, build, and develop new ideas. It also won’t be a bad place for people to expand their networks (both social and professional); working together for a day will bring you in touch with some of Trondheim’s best and brightest.

This all-day event will be held at DNB Solsiden from 10:00-18:00 on 26 August. Winners will be announced during the Tech, Hugs & Rock'n'Roll party starting at 19:00 the same evening.

The Trondheim Open Hackathon is organised in collaboration with Technoport, Trondheim Playground, DNB, and numerous other sponsors from both the corporate and private sectors. a

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techlist

Five hottest WHAT'S HOT?

Sounds Good

Same same, but distinctively different STORY

Jaya Thomlison

Norway is no longer a nation entirely dependent on oil & gas and fish-farming, and our new and booming startup scene doesn't just make “fun” and useless apps, despite popular belief!

With startup trends being mainstreamed across the globe, lists of new companies and everything cool they have to offer, are plentiful. Yet no one quite captures the low profile underground currents of Norwegian activities, like Tech List. We reviewed hundreds of startups to deliver you the goods on five early stage companies, each providing a unique service or product with a strong consumer or industrial potential. Our compilation of interesting innovation-based Norwegian companies may not have received that much exposure to date, but they should be on your radar.

b /SoundsGoodApp a /SoundsGoodApp itsoundsgood.no

Grabster

Eating well should not need an occasion.

b /grabster x /grabster grabster.no

Speak to any given expat living in Norway and you’ll hear that second to missing their friends and family back home — they miss food. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just glance at your phone, tap a couple of icons and, voilà, your favourite culinary longings are ready for pick-up in your neighbourhood? As of 2016, there’s an app for that!

Grabster is Norway’s first circular economy food app that connects its user with regular people, often newcomers to Norway, with a passion for cooking. It’s a service of social benefit, equally attractive to both consumers and cooks, who earn a little cash on the side by preparing dishes that you are too time-pressed, lazy or unskilled to do yourself. Already hailed as App of the year and praised by Nordic media outlets; everyone in Trondheim, where the app is piloting, now has the opportunity to sign-up and sell their goods, or feed their cravings in a conscious way.

What if the difference between getting a job and a getting good job came down to how well you speak English? By 2020 there will be 2 billion people learning the English language around the globe at a time. While hundreds of thousands of language courses, tutors and books teach grammar and vocabulary, there are few quick and affordable tools that help hone pronunciation, something that can be stigmatising. Never before has there been a tool that can cater the pronunciation of English to the user’s mother-tongue — that is, until Sounds Good invented a unique algorithm based on ten year’s of research and 500 languages, which provides speech exercises specifically designed for the user’s greatest challenges. With the assistance of Competency Norway (formerly VOX), Sounds Good has now developed a prototype for their pronunciation evaluator program. Tests in the Nordic Region have hailed great results and they are quickly gaining international interest, especially in Asia. Keep your ears open for Sounds Good.

Autumn 2017

startups ...

Heat Experience

Socratic

Social Creative Intelligence Platform

socratic.eu

Five organisations, three countries, one social innovation startup — one goal to solve the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It turns out that when you mix some NGOs with Computer Science experts and the world’s largest multinational research programme, the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme, you end up with a brilliant knowledge-based internet platform. Sounds ideal, but what does it do? Socratic is a Social Innovation Life Cycle platform that provides tools and services to enable agile innovation processes between different actors to work collaboratively.

In short, it is a step-by-step guide including a workbook and internet platform to help your MDG project or startup succeed, regardless of where you are in the world.

Projects involving multiple actors and ideas can be complicated, but with this new platform users can expect a deep usercentric approach implementing gamification techniques to engage citizens. Socratic has beta-tested their programme with the European NGO CiberVoluntarios, and a group of young social innovators from the “Experts in Team” programme at NTNU. Soon this platform will be available for anyone, at no cost, slowly making the world a better place.

Great fabrics and solid technology for those tired of being cold

b /theheatexperience heatexperience.eu

This smorgasbord of Product Design alumni, business heads and economists never anticipated a future career in the fashion industry…until they froze their asses off in the Norwegian mountains and discovered a gap in the high tech, heated clothing market. Yes, the Heat Experience combines their high newest carbon fibre threads to keep you warm, dry and in good spirits for even your most daring Arctic tours.

Their unique technology is based on a carbon fibre textile covered with fireproof and water-resistant materials, offering you 6000mAh battery-warmed garments, which keeps you cosy for up to ten hours in just one charge. Sporty and sexy outdoor gear never felt so good. Heat Experience vests are sold competitive prices allowing you maintain your focus on the activity at hand, despite the weather. Stay tuned for their next applications: warming gloves, shoe soles and pants. As they say in Norway, there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing; so next time you may wish to clad yourself in some Heat Experience.

Mio

Your Slice of healthy PAI

mioglobal.com

When the province of North Trøndelag set out to measure the health and heart activity of 120,000 of their inhabitants over thirty years ago, they had no idea that they would be creating the world’s largest longevity study of its kind. Health Study of North Trøndelag (HUNT) has provided a fantastic platform for new startups and spin-offs in the high tech health sector. Using this comprehensive data, the team behind the MIO Slice created an activity tracker that is monitoring real data for measurably increasing your quality of life and long-term health.

They started as an NTNU startup collaborating with an excellent Trondheim-based cybernetics team and have since attracted one of the world’s largest Wearable companies, MIO Global from Canada. The MIO Slice team boasts a wearable system where the only number you need worry about is your PAI: Personal Activity Intelligence.

Your personal data, plus your 24-hour activity, run through their sophisticated programming ensures that long as you keep 100 PAI for the week, you are doing all that your heart needs. The system also selfadjusts, so that the fitter you get, the more challenging it is to earn your Slice of PAI.

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techlist

ZEB Living Laboratory at the NTNU Gløshaugen Campus

The lab you live in LIVING LABS

STORY

Mats Jørgen Skaslien

PICTURE

Courtesy of SINTEF

A house, an art installation, a public wifi. These everyday objects are some of the living labs popping up world-wide, and you might be using one right now.

T

o gather genuine feedback, some scientists and developers are moving from controlled environments to the controlled chaos that is real life. Observed subjects are being turned into active developers by just acting naturally.

One early living lab was the Aware Home – an experimental home brimming with gadgets and smart appliances. Researchers at Georgia Tech found that they could not realistically

replicate normal family life in a usability lab, and so they built a house and invited a family. How the occupants engaged with their live-in lab was monitored and analysed through recordings and sophisticated sensors.

Besides being a privacy nightmare, the researchers had difficulties in recruiting volunteers to uproot their lives to move into a lab.

Modern living labs, however, are more discreet and generate massive amounts of information. Just by moving about in an urban environment daily, the activities of an average person can contribute a wealth of data. Major European cities are using their own streets and parks to gather data, often in surprisingly simple ways, to remake the spaces to be more environmentally and user friendly at the same time.

Such as testing pavements, new signs and even using different plants to direct foot traffic in parks.

One such project is Wireless Trondheim. Providing about 17,000 users monthly with high speed internet throughout the city, the network has become a fact of life for some. The network elegantly connects users to the next wifi hotspot as they move, providing a seamless experience.

Invaluable data on the everyday digital lives of users is gathered by them simply connecting to the wifi. This data yields information such as geographical location, length of connectivity, and type of device. No more wondering whether iPhone users are more active than Android users, or at which NTNU campus the most all-nighters are pulled.

Fun facts aside, this candid data can be used to improve our lives. When designing the new NTNU Campus, architects might use location data to show where people like to move and stay. This could lead to a more social and usable campus – without the need for biased questionnaires or costly field trials.

Getting honest and real-time feedback is crucial whether you’re designing a new campus, or trying on a new pair of jeans. In the former case the information you don’t know you’re sharing by just being you might be the key to better solutions. In the latter case, well – maybe there’s a living lab tested app for that. a

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Sponsored

1805_NXT symbol seethrough_350px.indd 1

03.08.2017 11.52

DNB NXT connecting capital with ideas

DNB launch new Norwegian crowdfunding platform, startskudd.no.

“Within the entrepreneurial community there is a perceived threshold for when you can go out and launch a crowdfunding campaign,” explains Paul Magne Amundsen, CEO of ReTyre. “And so some small startup companies are not trying for funding. They seem scared to lose face if the campaign is not a success.”

ReTyre, creators of the world’s first modular bicycle tyre, were one of the first two companies to take advantage of DNB’s new Norwegian crowdfunding platform, startskudd.no, launched in April this year. The website connects startup campaigns with sponsors, investors and customers, supporting projects through donations or pre-purchase of products. ReTyre achieved over double their 100.000 NOK target within 25 days.

“We could have launched ReTyre through a larger, international crowdfunding service,” continues Amundsen. “But with a smaller platform with less fuss around it, is was easier to get going. There is a lower threshold and for us it was great to get confirmation from our immediate marketplace, [pictured right] Rigmor Bråthen and Knut Kristensen of DNB [pictured left] Bike by ReTyre.

before we initiated production.”

There are 60,000 new businesses established in Norway every year. Some succeed while others go back to the drawing board. One thing’s for sure; these new initiatives demonstrate a seismic shift in the Norwegian industrial structure and people’s attitudes towards entrepreneurial activities.

The shift is partly due to the realities faced by the oil industry, with declining oil prices the focus of most Norwegian financial debate. But the upturn in the amount of new business is also the manifestation of entrepreneurs’ smart ideas and burning desires.

However, startups are generally more risky investments than many other options. Entrepreneurs are often forced to look for alternative sources of funding in order to achieve a satisfactory level of equity, which is why DNB has has created numerous products and services to facilitate fundraising for new businesses. Great news for the tech-heavy industry cluster in Trondheim: “In 2016, IT and technology was the most popular sector for investors,” explains Rigmor Bråthen, head of corporate relations for DNB in Trondheim.

“3,665 new businesses were created in the Trøndelag area last year, which is a 10.5% increase from 2015.”

“Over a million Norwegians dream of starting their own business, but that requires capital. We want people to keep chasing new ideas, develop their business models and find more efficient ways to work. Startskudd.no

is an initiative to help people realise their dreams.”

Startskudd.no not only facilitates funding, but also offers small businesses marketing experience, connection to the customer, general brand awareness and increased competence. In DNB NXT’s 2016 report, entrepreneurs said that developing business models was their number one priority when it came to the kind of competence they were looking for in an investor.

“As Norway’s biggest bank, we have a formidable network of capital and entrepreneurs,” said DNB’s Bråthen.

“We have been able to use this to create a new platform where investors and entrepreneurs can meet: DNB NXT, connecting capital with ideas.”

DNB NXT is a meeting place for new businesses and investors. The platform hosts events and participates in other fairs and conferences, allowing both parties maximum opportunity to evaluate each other’s competence. Startups can meet investors, practice their pitch, make connections, receive mentoring and get the momentum they need to move their business forward.

"Approximately a quarter of all new jobs in Norway are created by startups," explains Knut Kristensen, head of corporate banking in Trondheim.

"And of this number nearly half are created by the top six to seven percent of new startups. Your new startup or your latest investment has the potential to be a big actor in maintaining a sustainable job market in Norway." a

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TECHNOPORT 2018

DEEP TECH 28. FEB - 01. MAR 2018 IN TRONDHEIM, NORWAY

Deep Technological Innovations are new solutions built on scientific or engineering advances that are unique, protected or hard to reproduce.

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