Published: 11 November 2024
Text: Anne-Marie Korseberg Stokke
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The 1980s in Norway were characterized by optimism and a willingness to invest, yet there was no culture of collaboration between academic research and industry. Driven by a desire to innovate and think big, the University of Oslo, the City of Oslo, research institutes in the Oslo region, and 11 industrial companies founded Innovasjonssenteret A/S in 1984, which became the precursor to what is now Oslo Science Park.
The first ground stone of Oslo Science Park was laid in 1988. The architect Niels Torp envisioned creating a space for "unplanned communication":
"A large glass-covered street will connect all five floors and four main blocks of Oslo Science Park. People can wander around on expansive outdoor terraces, stairs, and galleries here. It will be impossible for people not to see each other. This will be a public space. Researchers need an open house. Research activities should not be presented as mysterious or secret," said Niels Torp in Oslo Science Park's newsletter "Treffpunkt" in 1988.
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"Initially, funding was quite limited, but Svenning demonstrated ingenuity by securing tenants before launching new construction phases."
Karl-Christian Agerup)
The history of Oslo Science Park is closely tied to its buildings and infrastructure, but it would not be the same without some key individuals. It all began with Svenning Torp, a visionary leader and director of Oslo Science Park for the first 25 years, who managed to secure funding for its establishment in the 1980s.
"Initially, funding was quite limited, but Svenning demonstrated ingenuity by securing tenants before launching new construction phases," says Karl-Christian Agerup, chairman and former CEO of Oslo Science Park.
Research activity and the commercialization of research have always been cornerstones of the park's mission. The Biotechnology Center (now NCMM) moved in in 1990.
"There wasn't a strong focus on commercialization originally, but we were perhaps more attuned to it in Oslo Science Park than elsewhere. We were open to commercialization, largely because the proximity made it natural. What we achieved in Oslo Science Park would not have been possible at an institute. At the same time, Oslo Science Park gained recognition through the Biotechnology Center," explains one of the pioneers behind the center, Anne-Brit Kolstø, in a 2010 interview.
A building specifically constructed for the University of Oslo was completed in 1999, further strengthening the bond between Oslo Science Park and the university. The opening of construction phase 3 (CIENS) in 2006 marked a new milestone, as important research institutes such as NIVA, NINA, CICERO, TØI, and NIBR moved in.
"Much of the history of Oslo Science Park is reflected in its buildings," Agerup emphasizes.
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During the 1990s, an environment for technology companies began to emerge in Oslo Science Park, including IT companies such as Oslonett (Norway's first commercial web server), Mogul Media, and Chipcon. The latter was founded in 1996 by three Sintef researchers: Geir Førre, Sverre Dale Moen, and Svein Anders Tunheim, and was later sold to Texas Instruments for 1.3 billion kroner.
"I remember we were placed in a part of the building that I believe they called 'The incubator' or something similar, alongside some other small companies. However, the environment in Oslo Science Park wasn't particularly active, and we were probably not very aware of that either. We were more focused on building our own company," says Geir Førre.
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He is now back at Oslo Science Park as the head of the investment company Firda and is also one of the investors in the Startuplab Founders Fund.
"We enjoy being here because there is so much energy in the building. I believe this comes from the great mix of research, startups, and other companies that reinforce each other. I constantly run into familiar faces that I can have a chat with. That gives me energy!"
Despite several promising initiatives throughout the 2000s, including collaborations with the Research Council and the University of Oslo, the financial crisis of 2008 brought new challenges. When Karl Christian Agerup took over the leadership of Oslo Science Park in 2010, the foundation for a new building was in place, but there was no funding for the rest. However, the crisis also served as a catalyst for change. With new leadership came a fresh strategy focused on growth companies and innovation, along with a deliberate effort to create a strong and vibrant environment.
"One of the sources of inspiration was 'First Tuesday,' a startup network at Mølla by the Akerselva river in Oslo, which I was part of in the 90s, along with Northzone, Hugin, and several web agencies. We thought, 'If we can achieve this at Mølla without really any resources, what can we accomplish at Oslo Science Park?'" says Agerup.
Along with Alexander Woxen, who was brought in to lead the startup initiative, he spent time in Silicon Valley studying successful innovation environments. They concluded that one of the most important things they could do was to build networks.
"We were already spending a lot of time introducing people to each other and facilitating serendipitous meetings. So, part of the idea was to continue doing that."
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"You grow up in a pack, right? And the value of this pack is greater than standing alone."
Karl-Christian Agerup)
What would eventually become an incubator for emerging tech companies began to take shape. By combining expertise from the university, successful former entrepreneurs, and the business community, along with fresh funding from the Oslo Science Park, Agerup and Woxen aimed to accelerate the “production” of successful startups. Startuplab opened in 2012 and already housed companies like Attensi, Pulze (later Spond), and the math game DragonBox.
The philosophy at Startuplab was to place the entrepreneurs and their qualities at the center, believing in the people on the team more than the idea itself. However, what is now Norway's largest environment for startups and the birthplace of several well-known companies had a tough start. The premises were empty, and there was a shortage of entrepreneurs with good ideas. Initially, the initiative was run without any form of public support and cost the Oslo Science Park a significant amount of money.
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“It looked pretty hopeless at first,” Agerup admits. “But over time, it became an attractive place for both entrepreneurs and investors, and the way of thinking here has inspired the next two incubators, Aleap and ShareLab.”
The next natural step to accelerate the startup initiative was to bring in capital.
“The Startuplab Founders Fund wasn’t really a venture fund; it was a fund backed by successful entrepreneurs we knew, like Erik Bakke, Geir Førre, Jon von Tetzchner, and others. They didn’t invest because they thought they would make a lot of money; the belief in early-stage technology wasn’t very strong at that time. But today, we see that this first fund has returned the investment between 8 and 10 times,” Agerup says.
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The Oslo Science Park is operated by Oslotech AS, which is owned by the University of Oslo, the City of Oslo, SIVA, and several smaller shareholders. Oslotech's purpose is to contribute to value creation from growth companies and the commercialization of research by providing meeting spaces and infrastructure that promote growth and innovation. The company does not distribute dividends to its owners, and all profits from its property activities are reinvested in operations, maintenance, and expansions.
Today, Startuplab is a strong brand and an independent environment. But the security and flexibility that such an environment needs can only be found here, according to the chairman who still refers to the Oslo Science Park as "we."
“We support the operations of all our incubators both financially and with flexible spaces. If Startuplab or Aleap needs another floor, we make that happen. If ShareLab sees a market for more lab suites, we build it. We are a long-term partner with a 20-30 year perspective.”
“Additionally, there’s the value that the various environments in the park represent. We have startups, entrepreneurs, investors, clusters, research environments, and established companies all benefiting from each other. The fact that some environments become strong and autonomous doesn’t change this. It’s like watching your kids grow up and have independent conversations with each other,” Agerup laughs.
“You grow up in a pack, right? And the value of this pack is greater than standing alone.”
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Throughout its history, the Oslo Science Park has initiated many projects that haven’t necessarily been successful from day one or even day 100, but over time, they have shown results. The current director, Bjørn Erik Reinseth, believes that the business model makes this possible.
“We do not pay dividends to our shareholders. All profits are reinvested back into the park, in the form of operations, maintenance, and activities. We are also not a line item in anyone's budget because we focus on profitability in everything we do. This gives us freedom and room to manoeuvre.”
This approach has meant that the Oslo Science Park has been a strong driving force behind initiatives such as the incubators Startuplab, Aleap, and ShareLab, with ShareLab still being 100% owned by the park, as well as the clusters Norway Health Tech and The Life Science Cluster, the innovation district Oslo Science City, and the collaboration arena Health2B.
“Health2B is a good example of something that takes time and requires patient partners. This arena addresses a central challenge in today’s society: with an increasing number of elderly people and fewer in the working-age population, how do we create a sustainable healthcare system? Health2B’s contribution is to invite public and private actors to develop effective solutions together. We have created a neutral space where both parties can meet to exchange expertise, understand each other's needs, and collaboratively develop technology and services. The ecosystem within and around the Oslo Science Park includes the actors necessary to achieve this,” concludes Reinseth.
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Architect Niels Torp's plan for Oslo Science Park was to create a building for "spontaneous communication," where researchers would be encouraged to leave their offices. It was designed to be easily dismantled again—and it might even turn out to be ugly.
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"Five days a week in the office, please." That was the message the tech-giant Amazon recently sent to its corporate employees. Could it be that the post-pandemic rush of freedom has subsided, and we are slowly but surely realizing that a good work environment cannot be sent via email?
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Over 3,000 people from academia, research and business have their daily workplace in Oslo Science Park, midway between Gaustad and Blindern in Oslo. Our tenants form a unique ecosystem for innovation, value creation and commercialization of research.
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The initiative to replace the grass lawns surrounding Oslo Science Park with flower meadows started in the summer of 2023. This will benefit the area's biological diversity and provide an insect sanctuary. Now, the children at Forskningsparken Montessori kindergarten are working on their own accommodation for small critters.
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