Published: 19 June 2026
Text: Anne-Marie Koreberg Stokke
Photo: Anne-Marie Koreberg Stokke
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In her day job, the French immunologist Emmanuelle Benard works as a lab lead at ShareLab. She is also a "scientist for hire", and is currently working on projects for two different companies in Oslo Science Park. Through many years of laboratory work, she has often seen perfectly usable equipment sitting idle.
"Companies or research projects that are shut down or change focus end up stuck with valuable equipment they no longer need. There can also be medical equipment left unused after a clinical trial. At the same time, startups or shorter-term projects often have limited funding and need affordable equipment."
"Even broken equipment can have value for others who need parts or can repair it cheaply. This is both profitable and good for the environment," says Emmanuelle.
"I want more users who can give me feedback on the solution so it can be improved."
Emmanuelle BenardThe idea for the company came to her during a "First Friday Coffee" at Oslo Science Park, where various companies and communities can pitch ideas.
"I always get inspired by listening to other people's ideas, and it struck me that many of these companies need laboratory equipment and that it makes good sense to buy it second-hand. It turned out there was no service for exactly this in the Nordic region. The Nordic countries also have a very positive attitude towards recycling and reuse, so that's an advantage."
She got help from research colleagues to come up with the name ReLabLink and built a website herself. The service works in the same way as Finn.no (Norway's main classifieds site), where buyer and seller make an agreement between themselves. Low-value equipment is listed free of charge. For higher-value equipment, a fixed fee applies for individual listings, while larger volumes of items are offered on a commission basis, with fees only incurred upon successful sale.
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The service is currently in its early stages, but Emmanuelle is not short of ideas or ambitions.
"In the long run, I would like to have a more automated system where you get a notification if a product you need is listed for sale, for example. I could also see myself setting up a warehouse so I can offer quality control and specialist transport of the equipment."
Like all entrepreneurs, Emmanuelle has to handle many different tasks in the startup phase, but she also recognizes the need to bring in more expertise in areas such as coding, design, marketing, and logistics. But the most important thing of all is customers!
"I want more users who can give me feedback on the solution so it can be improved. I get really great help and guidance from my colleagues at ShareLab on how to build a company, and I'm surrounded by many potential customers here at Forskningsparken. But I need more!"
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Fenris Bio was founded on the basis of an idea without experimental data, but with investors willing to take the risk. Now, the ShareLab company is working to test the first candidates for a new biological medicine for Crohn’s disease.
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As almost the closest neighbor to Oslo University Hospital (OUS), it is a short walk for researchers and clinicians to the innovation ecosystem at Forskningsparken. In the ShareLab incubator, there is now a long list of OUS-based companies on the membership roster.
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After many years as a cardiologist and researcher, Maria Vistnes has traded hospital corridors and academia for a day-to-day life as a founder in her own biotechnology company, Klyv Therapeutics. The driving force is not a desire to leave the medical profession, but a conviction that the most effective way to help patients is to develop a new treatment.
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The experienced technology leader Solveig Ellila Kristiansen has established herself in Oslo Science Park with the consultancy Hockeystick Impact and the startup AI Data Defense. They have developed a security filter for companies that enables the use of artificial intelligence without leaking sensitive information or violating regulations.
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In 2019, three entrepreneurs sat in a kitchen in Oslo experimenting with dried mango alongside their day jobs. Six years later, their products can be found in more than 13,000 stores across 11–12 countries. Dellia has, in record time, gone from being a small idea to becoming an international player in the dried fruit snack market. This week, they were listed on the stock exchange.
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On Wednesday, June 11, Norway's best student company was awarded in the Research Park, when the Norwegian Championship for Student Companies 2025 took place under the auspices of Youth Entrepreneurship (YE). The competition brought together the country's most innovative student teams for an energetic final day filled with pitching, engagement, and entrepreneurial joy. This year's winner was Jeta SB from the University of South-East Norway, who will now represent Norway in the European Championship in Greece later this summer.