
What’s the story behind Oslo Innovation Week (OIW)?
Since 2005, Oslo Innovation Week has been gathering startups, corporates, investors, innovation drivers, tech experts and creatives in the city centre of Oslo. Our first ever digital Oslo Innovation Week last year attracted 25,000 attendees from over 50 countries. Oslo Innovation Week invites you to the heart of Nordic innovation – the home of Kahoot, No Isolation and Otovo. An arena for facilitating actions and thought provoking ideas for bold and new innovation. Connect and experience with pioneering entrepreneurs, founders, investors and business leaders. Join us in bringing together a smart compact Nordic capital with high quality of life and easy access to nature alongside world leading startups, technology innovation, climate friendly solutions and entrepreneurship – to the global stage.

What role is OIW playing in furthering the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals?
Every single event must meet at least one of the 17 goals. The UN SDGs are key to everything we work with and believe in. This year we will have various climate tech specific events including a Nordic Climate Tech Demo Day which will feature the best nine Nordic Climate Tech growth companies presenting to a panel of investors from EQT, Pale Blue Dot, Voima Ventures and Ecosia. The one common goal for everybody on stage is that their sustainable solutions and investments will help reduce carbon emissions.

Which of this year’s 80+ events are you most looking forward to?
Well aside from the Climate Tech Demo Day I mentioned above, I am also really looking forward to the diverse range of events happening around Oslo including one of the worlds fastest growing solar panel companies Otovo hosting an event about scaling your product and product organization during fast growth. We also have a great event called Scaleup Workshop where the best scaleup founders and investors meet to discuss the big growth subjects such as international expansion and company organization amongst other things. We are also really excited about all of the hybrid events where we will be able to gather the most important Nordic founders and investors as well as allowing an international audience via our digital program.

What’s the most exciting thing about OIW for founders?
I think it is has to be the chance to network and meet the right people to help their companies grow. We have countless amazing panel discussions, workshops, conferences and networking events gathering innovators and business drivers – we put extra emphasis on creating smaller arenas where founders can take home some tangible learnings as well as building networks and who knows, meet their next investment or their newest CTO or co-founder. There is a real buzz this year to meet again after 18 months of almost no physical events in Norway.

How are you planning to facilitate networking opportunities between attendees?
Since most will be hybrid, many events will focus on creating excellent digital content that in addition have smaller, exclusive physical audiences. The pandemic hasn’t ended so digital content is vital for our international attendees with many panels for example including both physical and digital speakers – we make it all work! There will also be various physical networking events that take place before or after digital events and of course the odd digital only events where networking will moderated via various digital event platforms.
Interested in finding out more about this incredible annual event in Oslo? Check out our Sesamers profile of Oslo Innovation Week 2021