COMPANIES SELECTION CRITERIA

The meeting will serve as an informational event on the planned bilateral activities. It will also give an overview of the application process for the “Oslo Meets Sofia” project.

 

The preliminary agenda is:

18:00 – 18:15 h

• Welcome speech – Vladimir Danailov, CEO of Sofia Investment Agency;
• Introduction of Sofia Investment Agency and the events under the Sofia Meets Oslo/Oslo Meets Sofia project;

18:15 – 18:30 h

• Introduction of Innovation Norway activities and presentation of BG10-Green Industry Innovation Programme Bulgaria – Venceslava Yanchovska, Manager Innovation Norway in Sofia, Bulgaria;
• Presentation of “Sofia Meets Oslo”/“Oslo Meets Sofia” project & guidelines on how to apply;

18:30 – 18:45 h

• Presentation of a successful project implemented with a Norwegian partner under the Norway Grants Financial Mechanism – Stoian Boev, CEO of Inter Consult Bulgaria (ICB).

18:45 – 20:00 h

• Meet & Greet session.

The event will bring together Norwegian and Bulgarian business organizations and companies. Presenting the business climate of the two countries, experience sharing, networking and opportunities for doing business together will be the main focus of the event.

 

24th of January 2017 (Tuesday):

09:30 – 10:00 h

• Welcome coffee & registration

Conference “Sofia Meets Oslo” – Moderator Venceslava Yanchovska, Manager Innovation Norway, Sofia Office

10:00 – 11:00 h

• Welcoming speech by Yordanka Fandakova, Mayor of Sofia (tbc);
• Welcoming speech by H.E. Mrs. Tove Bruvik Westberg, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Norway to the Republic of Bulgaria
• Presentation of Sofia Investment Agency, Vladimir Danailov, CEO of Sofia Investment Agency –  Sofia As an Investment Destination;
• Presentation of Invest Bulgaria Agency, Stamen Yanev, Executive Director of Invest Bulgaria Agency – Investment Climate In Bulgaria.

11:00 – 11:15 h.

• Coffee break

11:15 – 12:30 h.

• Presentation of Innovation Norway, Knut Ringstad, Programme Director EEA Norway Grants Bulgaria, Poland;
• Project Green Industry Innovation Programme Bulgaria, “Green Construction Products into BIM”, Bistra Papazova CEO coBuilder Bulgaria (topic tbc);
• Presentation Oslo Renewable Energy and Environment Cluster (OREEC), Alexandra Maria Almasi, Project manager
• Q&A.

Other event participants: 

Bjørn T. Nøstdahl, Senior Software Advisor in Gunnebo Nordic AS;

Eirik Henriksen, Innovation Norway, Oslo Akershus District Office;

Elisabeth Kalsnes, Executive Director of Oslo International House;

Anna Hansen, InnoVius AS;

12:30 – 14:00 h.

• Networking lunch

 

Visits to Puzl CowOrKing Space

14:30 – 14:45 h.

• Opening – welcome speech by Puzl

14:30 – 15:00 h.

• Presentation by LauncHub and Eleven – “Why To Choose Sofia as Destination for Starting Up a Business” (tbc)

15:00 – 15:30 h.

• Office tour

15:30 – 15:45 h.

• Coffee break

15:30 – 15:45 h.

• Networking – some of the participants are: 7 Security Group, Hiil, AdvokataMi, Puzl, LauncHub, Eleven, Halfbike, Imagga and the Norwegian delegation

17:00 – 18:45 h.

• Free time/optional B2B meetings (Radission Blu Grand Hotel – Lobby)

19:00-21:30 h.

• Dinner at a traditional Bulgarian restaurant (Manastirska Magernica)

 

25th of January 2017 (Wednesday):

10:00 – 12:30 h.

Business breakfast at Telenor:

Presentation by Innovation Norway;

Presentation of Telenor – “Doing Business In Bulgaria”;

Presentation of the Norwegian-Bulgarian Business Group and its members;

B2B meetings.

13:00 – 14:00 h. 

• Lunch

 

Visit to Sofia Tech Park:

14:30 – 14:45 h. 

• Presentation of Cleantech Bulgaria (Sofia Tech Park, Cleantech offices)

14:45 – 15:00 h.

• Presentation of the Bulgarian Association of Clusters (Sofia Tech Park, Cleantech offices);

15:00 – 15:15 h.

• Presentation of Sofia Tech Park (Sofia Tech Park, Cleantech offices);

15:15 – 15:30 h.

• Coffee break

15:30 – 15:45 h.

• Presentation of Playground Energy (Sofia Tech Park, Playground office)

15:45 – 16:30 h.

• Short sightseeing tour of Sofia Tech Park laboratory complex

17:00 – 

• Free time

 

26th of January 2017 (Thursday):

10:00 – 11:00 h. 

• Visits of a project promoter under the Norway Grants Financial Mechanism – ICB

Presentation of the Project with the Norwegian partner.

12:00 – 

• Departure

Main objectives:

“Oslo meets Sofia” is a follow up event of the “Sofia meets Oslo” project with the following objectives:

• To promote and strengthen commercial relations between Oslo and Sofia;
• To present good examples of partnership projects, implemented in the frame of the Green Industry Innovation Programme in Bulgaria, Norway Grants 2009-2014;
• To promote cooperation between entrepreneurial hubs in Oslo and Sofia;
• To present good examples and well-established companies in Sofia and facilitate establishment of partnerships with Norwegian entities;
• To raise awareness of business opportunities in both countries;
• To create opportunities for development of business relations between Norwegian and Bulgarian entities in the private sector;
• To promote different sectors through exchange of knowledge and collaboration;
• To build on existing network, cooperating partners and results from previous initiatives.

 

Target group:

• Selected Bulgarian and Norwegian private companies;
• Selected Project partnerships (Green Industry Innovation programme Bulgaria);
• Bulgarian and Norwegian business and municipal organizations tbd.

 

Priority sectors:

• IT;
• Energy;
• Clean technology.

The participants will meet Oslo business organizations, receive an understanding of the Norwegian key business values, ethical and environmental criteria and priorities.  The Bulgarian companies and organizations will have the opportunity to meet with potential partners in Oslo, to exchange knowledge and ideas about the development of future joint projects.

 

Preliminary agenda:

Moderator: Alexandra Almasi, Project Manager OREEC

01.05.2017 (Monday) – Arrival in Oslo

02.05.2017 (Tuesday) – Opening event: International Matchmaking in Oslo:

09:00 – 09:10 h.

Welcome and intro to the day’s program – Alexandra Almasi

09:10 – 09:30 h.

EEA-Grants and business opportunities for Norwegian companies, Knut Ringstad, Innovation Norway Programme Director

09:30 – 09:50 h.

The business climate in Bulgaria – Invest Bulgaria Agency, Stamen Yanev, Executive Director (tbc)

09:90 – 10:10 h.

Coffee break

10:10 – 10:30 h.

Business Environment & Key Sectors of Sofia, by Sofia Investment Agency;

10:30 – 10:50 h.

Solar energy sector in Norway and its digitalization needs- by Trine K Berentsen, CEO Solar Energy Cluster

10:50 – 11:10 h.

The Development of Green Monitor, Software for Online Maintenance & Manufacturing Support by ICB (Dimitar Nikolov) and Kongsberg TeroTech (Jarle Gjosaether)

11:10 – 11:30 h.

Waste-to-Energy, by HEC (Mila Traykova) and Hydrogen Partner (name tbc)

11:30 – 11:50 h.

Q&A

11:50 – 13:00 h.

Lunch

13:00 – 15:30 h.

Pitching Session:

• Companies have the opportunity to present themselves in plenum;
• Each company will have 5 min for the presentation and will use a pre-defined template for the slides;
• Download the template here and send the completed version to alexandra@oreec.no by the 27^th of April the latest. Presentations sent after this date will not be accepted.

15:30 – 17:00 h.

Tapas and networking drinks

18:00 – 21:00 h.

Networking dinner

 

03.05.2017 (Wednesday) – Visit of selected companies and business organizations in Oslo:

09:00 – 10:30 h.

Oslo Municipality- Smart City Strategy and Pilot projects for digitalization – by Lene Lad Johansen

11:00 – 12:30 h.

Hafslund Nett – Digitalization in the energy sector in Norway (TBC)

Afternoon travel by bus or train to Skien.

 

04.05.2017 (Thursday) – Visit to Skien/Telemark county

09:00 – 09:05 h.

Welcome by Innovation Norway Telemark office (Anniken/Tommy)

09:05 – 09:20 h.

Skagerak Arena, a place of innovation (Einar Håndlykken)

09:20 – 09:50 h.

Introduction to business life in the county (Anniken)

09:50 – 10:20 h.

Introduction to ICT Telemark (Torkild Follaug)

10:20 – 10:30 h.

Short break

10:30 – 10:50 h.

The business climate in Bulgaria, by Invest Bulgaria Agency Business

10:50 – 11:10 h.

Environment and key economic sectors in Sofia, by Sofia Investment Agency

11:10 – 11:30 h.

EEA-Grants and business opportunities for Norwegian companies, Knut Ringstad, Innovation Norway Programme Director

11:30 – 11:50 h.

Solar energy sector in Norway and its digitalization needs- by Trine K Berentsen, CEO Solar Energy Cluster

11:50 – 12:10 h.

Successful partnership under GII, by ICB (Dimitar Nikolov) and Kongsberg TeroTech (name tbc)

Q & A

12:10 – 13:10 h.

Lunch & Networking

13:10 – 16:00 h.

B2B sessions (alternatively a company visit)

16:00 h.

Travel back to Oslo

 

05.05.2017 (Friday) – Travel to Sofia