{"id":40427,"date":"2026-05-13T12:18:02","date_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/?p=40427"},"modified":"2026-05-13T12:18:02","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T10:18:02","slug":"sintef-helgeland-turns-10-research-close-to-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/sintef-helgeland-turns-10-research-close-to-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"SINTEF Helgeland Turns 10: Research Close to Industry"},"content":{"rendered":"
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  1. July marks ten years since SINTEF Helgeland was established. Since its founding in 2016, the research environment has worked closely with industry in the region to develop new knowledge, technology, and solutions.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
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    \u201cWe started with one employee. Today we are around ten, and over the years we have built a strong professional environment that works closely with industry here in the region,\u201d says Managing Director Stein Espen B\u00f8e.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The anniversary will be marked through several events during the year, with a main celebration planned after the summer.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cWe have already started marking the occasion on a smaller scale, but the largest celebration will probably take place in early autumn,\u201d says B\u00f8e.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Created from a Regional Need<\/h2>\n

    The establishment was driven by a clearly identified need for more research and innovation in Nordland.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cAround 2014, several regional strategies from the county council showed that the level of research activity in the region was low compared with other industrial regions. At the same time, there was a growing recognition that research and innovation are essential for maintaining competitiveness in industry,\u201d says Chairman Jack Arild \u00d8deg\u00e5rd.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    The initiative to establish a SINTEF office in the region came through Kunnskapsparken Helgeland. Following a preliminary project and internal processes within SINTEF, the company was established in 2016 with several local stakeholders as owners.<\/p>\n

    Today, the company is owned by SINTEF as the majority shareholder, together with Mo Industripark AS, Kunnskapsparken Helgeland, and Nord University.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cLocal co-ownership has been important. It creates both engagement and a close connection to the environments around us,\u201d says \u00d8deg\u00e5rd.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Part of a Larger Research Environment<\/h2>\n

    Although the Helgeland office is small, it forms part of one of Europe\u2019s largest independent research institutes.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cSINTEF has around 2,200 employees and a broad range of professional environments. When we work on a project here, we can draw on experts from across the organization,\u201d says B\u00f8e.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    He describes the Helgeland office as a gateway to a major research environment for industry in the region.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cThrough the SINTEF system, we can connect companies with the expertise needed for each individual project.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Research That Is Put into Practice<\/h2>\n

    Over the past ten years, SINTEF Helgeland has been involved in numerous projects together with industrial companies in the region.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cOne of the things we have received particularly positive feedback on is that we understand industry and its challenges. We work closely with the companies, and many of the solutions we develop are implemented quickly,\u201d says B\u00f8e.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    One highlighted project is the development of carbon capture technology from ferrosilicon production in collaboration with industrial partners.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cThere we demonstrated a solution on an industrial scale, which was a world first,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Other projects have focused on the safe handling of industrial waste and new ways of using slag from industry in concrete production.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cSlag used to be considered a waste product. Now it can be used to replace parts of the cement in concrete, significantly reducing the climate footprint,\u201d says \u00d8deg\u00e5rd.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Research Is an Investment<\/h2>\n

    According to SINTEF Helgeland, there is still major potential for more research and innovation work in the region.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cMany companies are naturally focused on the urgent issues of daily operations. But research often involves a longer-term perspective. If you raise your sights and consider where you want to be in five or ten years, research can be an important tool for getting there,\u201d says B\u00f8e.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    He also believes that the way research is discussed matters.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cResearch and innovation should not be viewed as a cost item, but as an investment in future competitiveness. In many cases, public funding mechanisms can also help reduce the risk through co-financing of projects.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Ready for the Next Phase<\/h2>\n

    Ten years after its establishment, the research environment is looking ahead.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cWe have now gained several years of experience and built a solid foundation,\u201d says B\u00f8e. \u201cWith determination, youthful curiosity, and energy, we are now entering our teenage years \u2014 and as we know, that is an exciting time when many new and important relationships are formed.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    At the same time, he emphasizes that cooperation with industry and surrounding research environments remains crucial for further development.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cThe most important thing for us is still the close collaboration with companies and the ecosystem here in the region. Together, we can develop new solutions and create value for industry in Helgeland,\u201d adds \u00d8deg\u00e5rd.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    Throughout the anniversary year, SINTEF Helgeland plans to host several events where partners and other interested parties can gain insight into the organization\u2019s work.<\/p>\n

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    \u201cThere will be celebrations throughout the year. So just stay tuned,\u201d says B\u00f8e.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"July marks ten years since SINTEF Helgeland was established. Since its founding in 2016, the research environment has worked closely with industry in the region to develop new knowledge, technology, and solutions. \u201cWe started with one employee. Today we are around ten, and over the years we have built a strong professional environment that works […]","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":40332,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40427","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40427","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40427"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40427\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40428,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40427\/revisions\/40428"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40332"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40427"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40427"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40427"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}