Conferences

“This is the first time we demonstrate our platform publicly,” said Kjetil Tversland, CEO of Newbringer.

His company combines machine vision, AI, sensor fusion and custom hardware to make physical environments interactive, measurable, and playable. Transforming the real world into a gaming arena can be used for entertainment and training.

“We’re currently in an advanced pilot and rapidly moving toward commercialization. We expect to go to market in the first quarter of 2027. By then, we’ll have a fully industrialized product,” said Tversland.

Newbringer is already collaborating with Kristiansand Dyrepark (Zoo) and is now in the middle of securing an additional NOK 10 million in funding amid strong investor interest.

CUTTING EDGE TECH COMPANIES
Deep Tech Island was supported by the GCE NODE and Digin project Future Defense Industry South. The event brought together cutting edge technology companies serving the defense sector and capital strong communities.

With defense as the backdrop, the program explored robotics, applied AI and space technology – fields where Norway and the Nordics are increasingly positioning themselves.

The debate around dual use, that is technology that serves both civilian and military purposes, was a recurring theme.

Lars Jensen, Founding Partner at Scale Capital in Denmark warned that many companies build only for peace time conditions: “I don’t know if their products will function in wartime. Sometimes we need to fund things that can actually kill people. On the flip side, better peace time products can come from battlefield innovations,” said Jensen.

Newbringer is actively pursuing the dual-use path.

“Whether we build something for the entertainment industry or for training of military personnel, our tech stack is the same. That being said, we are likely to separate our defense initiative into a new company. That gives us the opportunity to build a dedicated team and attract specialized investors,” Tversland said.

The agreement, signed today on UiA’s Kristiansand campus, commits the two parties to closer cooperation on education, research, innovation, and competence development. The ambition is to reinforce Agder’s position as one of Norway’s leading regions for technology and energy.

“By linking world class industrial environments with strong academic expertise, this agreement creates new opportunities for innovation, access to the right competence, and continued development of the regional business sector,” says Knut Mjåland, CEO of GCE NODE.

The partnership outlines several areas of collaboration, including:

• student internships and placements in NODE companies
• bachelor’s and master’s theses connected to industry challenges
• continuing education tailored to industry needs
• joint research and innovation projects
• development of larger national and international initiatives

Rector at UiA, Sunniva Whittaker, emphasizes the importance of strong ties between the university and the regional business community.

“GCE NODE represents a key industry in our region. The university wants to stay close to the business sector, not only by supplying skilled graduates, but also through research collaboration and innovation. We also aim to strengthen NODE companies through continued education,” says Whittaker.

Running until 2030, the agreement is intended to bolster Agder’s position as an attractive region for knowledge driven industrial development.

“Most of Norwegian defense investments go abroad. Last year, just NOK 7 billion was spent on Norwegian suppliers. Kongsberg alone accounted for 5 billion, while the entire market available to small and medium sized Norwegian companies amounted to only 1 billion,” said Lohne.

At the same time, Kongsberg exports roughly 90 percent of its production and purchases several billions worth of goods and services from 1,500 Norwegian suppliers.

“In Agder alone, Kongsberg bought products and services worth NOK 1.1 billion, that is more than the Norwegian Armed Forces purchased from all Norwegian SMEs,” said Lohne.

Knut Mjåland, CEO of GCE NODE, took the stage to give an update on the Fremtidens Forsvarsindustri Sør project, outlining how regional industry is positioning itself to meet national defense needs through collaboration, competence building, and long term industrial development.

CTO at Kitron, Stian Haugen, described how the company navigates new opportunities and challenges in defense and aerospace. Kitron operates 13 factories in 11 countries. As a contract manufacturer, it owns no products but builds scalable capacity for customers across industries.

“Among 2,200 European electronics manufacturers, Kitron ranks as the eighth largest, with our biggest factory located in Arendal,” said Haugen.

He emphasized the complexity of global supply chains, the need for rapid technological adaptation, and the importance of training. During a recent surge, Kitron hired over 500 employees in less than three months, many of whom were trained internally. The company now has 300 engineers and more than 3,000 employees without formal trade certificates.

Tom Fidjeland, CEO of Umoe Mandal, highlighted the company’s sharp focus on high speed and large composite vessels. With nearly 200 employees, Umoe is expanding rapidly, currently hiring one new employee per week, and aims to quadruple its turnover between 2024 and 2028.

Sikkerhetsforum Sør brought together voices from Norway, the Nordics, Ukraine, Poland, Estonia, and several allied nations. An impressive lineup of ambassadors, defense industry leaders, and security specialists from across Europe came to Evje last week to attend the security forum.

Among the international guests at the security forum was Liliya Honcharevych, Chair of the Nordic Europe Hub in Kyiv. She stressed that modern warfare rewards those who adapt faster than the battlefield changes. In Ukraine, 500 dollar drones can destroy multimillion dollar systems, revealing a dramatic gap between real time battlefield innovation and the slow pace of European defense procurement.

Her message underscored the urgency of closer civil military cooperation and faster industrial response.