Thousands take part in innovation week

Innovationsuken OPP, or “Innovation Week UP”, is an annual event that brings together entrepreneurs, industry leaders and investors. The aim is to spark off new ideas that can bring growth to our region.

During the week, guests will hear about innovative and sometimes surprising projects including seaweed farming, underwater drones and even smart waste bins!

The programme kicked off with a lively launch party in Bergen, where guests sampled locally‑produced cider and heard music from Norwegian rock star Fredrik Saroea.

You can watch some of the best moments from this launch party in the video below.

A busy week for western Norway

Innovasjonsuken OPP promises to be a busy week in western Norway, with events taking place across more than 50 locations from Førde to Stord, and Voss to Bergen.

Here are some of the highlights from the week so far:

• In Bergen, more than 400 guests attended a new conference for the ocean industries
   
• At an event in Førde, startups went on “speed dates” with investors
   
• Entrepreneurs in Kvinnherad learned how to get their ideas ready for market
   
• For some lucky guests, there was even a networking session in a floating sauna!
   

All in all, the innovation week promises to be an enriching experience for all of those who take part.

We cannot say for sure how many new connections will be made as a result of this week, or how many new business ideas will be launched.

But what we can say is that western Norway is a pretty exciting place to do business.