With NOK 30 million in new EU funding, EDIH Oceanopolis will help more Norwegian companies adopt artificial intelligence.

Noroff is a key partner, contributing expertise that makes AI applicable in practice. How can small and medium-sized enterprises use artificial intelligence to create value here and now? This is one of the main questions in the EDIH Oceanopolis initiative, which has now been renewed by the European Commission.

The project will receive around NOK 30 million over three years, funds that are matched by Norwegian sources, to make digital technology available to Norwegian businesses and the public sector.

Noroff connects education and business

Noroff contributes with its expertise in applied technology to ensure that the project’s target groups can achieve a practical and tangible impact in their daily operations.

– For us at Noroff, this is a unique opportunity to make our expertise in practical and applied AI accessible to both businesses and the public sector. We look forward to providing companies with concrete skills and tools that can be put to use from day one, says Bertram Haskins, Programme Manager for Applied Machine Learning at Noroff Vocational School.

Competitiveness through digitalisation

Since its inception, EDIH Oceanopolis has assisted several hundred Norwegian companies with everything from workshops and mentoring schemes to test facilities. Noroff is particularly focused on building on this by providing businesses with applicable competence to harness technology for their industry-specific needs.

– For small and medium-sized enterprises, artificial intelligence can be a game changer, but it requires the right skills and guidance. At Noroff, we have a role in making advanced technology understandable and usable, so that Norwegian companies can take rapid steps towards increased competitiveness, says Isah Lawal, Programme Lead Applied Data Science at Noroff University College.

A part of Europe’s digital backbone

Oceanopolis is part of the EU’s DIGITAL EUROPE programme and a network with over 2,000 partners. The network is an important part of Norway’s digitalisation strategy, where the goal is to become the most digitalised country in the world by 2030.

– This is an important step towards making the responsible use of artificial intelligence a competitive advantage for Norway. At the same time, we create ripple effects in the form of efficient workplaces, sustainable solutions, and new value chains, says Lars Erik Torjussen, CEO of Noroff Education.

Photo: Jeanette L. Bækkevold.

AI with value here and now

Through this initiative, Noroff’s role as a bridge between education, research, and business is further strengthened. With EDIH Oceanopolis, Noroff will help more companies move from curiosity to concrete projects, and to new value creation across the country.

For Norwegian businesses, this means better access to competence, safer adoption of technology, and a shorter path from idea to implementation.

Related studies