On the closing day of Arendalsuka, the first sit-down-meeting between Røttingen and the two leading industrial clusters in Agder, took place at the Eureka building in downtown Arendal.
Anne-Grete Ellingsen, CEO of GCE NODE and Lars Petter Maltby, CTO at Eyde Cluster, gave thorough presentations of the clusters’ scope of activities.
“It was inspirational to learn more about NODE and Eyde. Both clusters have large companies with international owners. Together, we should see ourselves as an industrial ‘national team’ that works to promote the many qualities of Norway and Norwegian competence,” says Røttingen.
The Research Council of Norway works to add value to the research system by facilitating research that actors in the system could not successfully achieve on their own. Activities extend across the regional, national and international levels.
Ellingsen says it is important to meet the CEO of a main public funder of research projects.
“I would love to see other executives in the Norwegian innovation system copy Røttingen. They should travel more to meet key players in Norwegian industries. A direct dialogue is always going to improve relationships and effects of public programs,” says Ellingsen.
