There is an increasing focus in both the EU and the Norwegian authorities on innovation and commercialization of research results. Increased cooperation between academia and industry are in demand, particularly cooperation with the so-called SMEs (Small Medium sized Enterprises), ie small and medium enterprises. The reason is increased activity among small and medium-sized enterprises are a mainstay to relaunch the economy.
For many in academia are collaborating with industry a somewhat strange idea. People have  come to me and said that this threatens the free research. I think that we should look at this as an opportunity, not only to think in new research projects and implementation of studies, but also financing the research. Also Norwegian industry is increasingly interested in research. The number of companies that has applied NFR for research funding has doubled in two years, and the increase is strongest in Rogaland and Hordaland.
They are many Research environments in K2 that should be of interest to the industry, not only because of the topics we are researching, but also because of the expertise we sit on when it comes to doing research.
One challenge is to create contact with small and medium enterprises. Kine Gregersen from BTO will be on K2 every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month and will help contact as recently featured in an email. Maybe K2 in addition would create a meeting place with the industri?
As an example of the Norwegian authorities’ interest in innovation will eventually mentioned that NFR “will stimulate health industry”

Per

Emphasis new guidelines for research grants funded by both Samarbeidsorganet and The Recearch Council of Norway. Scientific quality is still an important criterion in the evaluation of the applications, but now the patent shall benefit and health services added as much weight. The last point demonstrate the need and importance of new knowledge and innovation potential in the short and long term. In other words, high quality or high benefit alone is not enough to reach the competition for funds.

The desire for patients to initiate research and that research results quickly, will be implemented in the clinic is understandable, but a unilateral focus on this may have negative aspects. Applicants may steer away from ambitious high-risk projects that aim to address the more fundamental issues at the expense of the “low-hanging fruits” that investigate whether diet A gives slightly lower long-term blood sugar than diet B. Persistence is important. It takes a long time to build up good Research environments, and establishing infrastructure such as patient records, equipment platforms and a powerful Research Group.

Nevertheless, this trend is something we have to deal with. When we write applications it is  important to think in an interdisciplinary and inter-institutional way to attack a problem from many different angles. Here are user intervention, regional and national cooperatives important points. To help our recearchers, we now strengthen the  Research advice on K2. MOFs research advisor Itane Sloper-Krivokapić will have office hours four days a week at K2 on the 8th floor. In addition, we will also employ a researchadvisor this fall. . Bergen technology transfer (BTO) will be present at K2 every other Tuesday, and will be able to advise on how to write innovation into applications. In addition, Samarbeidsorganet has established a resource center for innovation that can help to implement research findings in the clinic.

All of this will hopefully lead to New excellent research projects With good fundings at K2.

Eystein