THE REGION'S PATHFINDERS
"The science of today is the technology of tomorrow."
Edward Teller
Stone by stone, almost head by head over the past ten years, there has been built up a strong and innovative research environment in Mo i Rana. From being an industrial town that had to bring in cutting-edge expertise from outside, Mo i Rana has become a technology cluster that also exports knowledge, new technologies and industrial products of ever better quality. And the research is done on everything from battery cells to shellfish, from the dissemination of knowledge to business development.
Mo i Rana has taken the position as the country's most sustainable industrial city. But in order to maintain this position, it require a continuous development of new knowledge and technologies. Even in a city where the local industry has been solution-oriented and innovative for more than a hundred years, one can not rest on one's laurels. Mo i Rana are connected to a world that is becoming increasingly digitalized and knowledge-based. The term Industry 4.0 has long been incorporated, and the telecommunications network's 5G is already in use. Still, - there is not just in the digital field that research is happening.
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The local industry's production methods, products, circular economy and energy use are also under continuous research, in the entire range from aquaculture to smelters.
Through various initiative schemes from both the Research Council and Innovation Norway, many measures have been taken to strengthen the interface between industry and academia. In Mo i Rana, it has been a goal that research should be a natural part of a company's business. The Helgeland Knowledge Park has played a central role in this work, and the establishment of Campus Helgeland was an important and crucial milestone.
The challenges for the region's industry and business are many and complex
Kunnskapsparken Helgeland
Kunnskapsparken Helgeland (Helgeland Knowledge Park) is a regional innovation company with 18 employees. KPH have branches in Mosjøen, Sandnessjøen and Mo i Rana, and has an important role in facilitating regional research and development projects (R&D). Their employees operate at the interface between industry and research, and connect the necessary resources and partners, and assist with applications for funding.
KPH has become a driving force for increased innovation, value creation and growth in the Mo i Rana region. With a strong industrial ownership and good anchoring in the business world, KPH is well positioned for the job.
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KPH leads the ACT, Arctic Cluster Team, which is one of Norway's leading industrial clusters. The cluster will be a spearhead in the sustainable restructuring of Norway, and has over 80 partners. The companies have more than 5,300 employees and a turnover of more than NOK 32 billion (€ 3.20 billion)
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SINTEF Helgeland
SINTEF Helgeland is the region's own technical-industrial research institute. With access to the entire SINTEF Group's expertise and in collaboration with the region's existing R&D environment, SINTEF Helgeland offers contract research and research-based advice to the region's industry and business. The focus areas of SINTEF Helgeland are circular economy, sustainability, future production, and associated digitization, and projects in, among other things, process/smelter industry, CO2 capture, environmental monitoring and battery production.
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Center for Industrial Business Development
The Center for Industrial Business Development (SIF) is a research center at Nord University business school, with its core activities located at Campus Helgeland in Mo i Rana. SIF's vision is to be a leading actor in Norway in research and education at the intersection of industry, business development and innovation. Our team consists of doctoral fellows, associate professors, researchers, associate professors and professors, as well as mentors from regional business and industry who through relevant research projects and teaching contribute to a robust and competitive Norwegian businesses. Key subject areas are circular economy, innovation and entrepreneurial processes, and the research is mainly related to the industries industry and aquaculture.
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Nordlands Forskning/Research
Nordlandsforskning AS is a social science research institute with about 40 employees, located in Bodø, with branch offices in Svolvær and Mo i Rana. The institute has a basic grant from the Research Council of Norway, but the main income is related to grant and contract research nationally and internationally. Nordland Research delivers high quality research and works hard to be relevant, innovative and reliable. The institute is the region's only social science research institute with both ownership and head office in the north.
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In 2022, Nordland Research and their office in Mo i Rana were set to lead the giant EU project EnpowerUs. The project has a budget of 6 million euro over three years, and will, from a social science point of view, contribute to more sustainable coastal communities. The purpose is to make coastal communities better equipped to meet the many challenges of the future. EmpowerUs will focus in particular on coastal communities in Finland, Ireland, Bulgaria, Spain, Cyprus and Norway.
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INDIGO
In the period 2022 - 2027, the local research community in Mo i Rana will, with funding from the Research Council, implement the Indigo project, which will create a stronger regional innovation system for green change in industry. The project will contribute to developing new value chains in the mineral, process, energy and commodity-producing industries on Helgeland.
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The project framework is set at 2,8 million euro and is given to Nord University with its partners SINTEF Helgeland, Nordlandsforskning, Kunnskapsparken Helgeland, Rana Gruber, Mo Industripark AS, Nexans and Alcoa.
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