Join the 2025 UiB Innovation Day
On September 19, the University of Bergen will host the second edition of UiB Innovation Day. “Our goal is to create an inspiring meeting place – not least for researchers who want to take their work further into innovation and increase its societal relevance,” says Øyvind Frette, chair of the program committee.
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“Last year’s event drew significant interest in the topic, and we were able to highlight the breadth of innovation activity across UiB’s faculties. I hope researchers and students will be inspired to think creatively about how their own research can lead to innovative solutions,” says Øyvind Frette, Vice Dean for Research and Innovation at the Faculty of Science and Technology, and head of the Innovation Day program committee.
- See the full program and register for Innovation Day here. The event is free and open to everyone, but space is limited – so early registration is recommended!
“In celebration of the University Museum’s 200th anniversary, we’ve chosen the theme ‘200 Years of Research and Innovation.’ We’ll be presenting a special exhibition showcasing UiB’s proud history of innovation, alongside stands featuring forward-looking innovations,” say Frette and Lilit Mailyan from The Division of Research and Innovation, who are coordinating the Innovation Day.
CERN and UiB
Frette and Mailyan are also looking forward to this year’s keynote speaker: Michael Doser, a research physicist at CERN, the world’s largest physics laboratory. Doser works mainly in the field of antimatter physics and quantum sensing. Thanks to fundamental curiosity-driven research like that at CERN, a number of breakthroughs have resulted in technology inventions and dissemination. In this presentation, a few highlights of this dissemination process will be given, but also a glimpse into technologies that are still nascent but will form the backbone of future experiments and industrial processes.
“I believe many students and academic staff at UiB will find this fascinating, especially since CERN’s work is a prime example of how fundamental research can be translated into societal impact,” says Frette. He points to CERN innovations such as the World Wide Web and the pioneering work in artificial intelligence, among many others.
Frette also notes that UiB has maintained a close collaboration with CERN since its inception over 70 years ago.
“This partnership has given us a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of research in nuclear and particle physics. Today, UiB contributes to areas such as data analysis, technology development, and programming at CERN, with active involvement from students, PhD candidates, and established researchers.”
Innovation in 200 seconds
Another highlight of the event will be the Innovation Relay, featuring exciting innovation projects from researchers across all seven faculties and the University Museum. Each researcher will have 200 seconds to present – a format that is engaging for the audience and demands thorough preparation from the presenters.
“We will also gain a political perspective on the innovation activity in Norway and within academia, from former Minister of Climate and Environment Ola Elvestuen (V). It will be interesting to hear his expectations for our sector,” says Frette.
In addition, there will be parallel sessions and a variety of engaging stands. The day also includes an official ceremony for the recipients of the UiB Idé innovation grant.
“Our goal is to create an inspiring meeting place – not least for researchers who want to take their work into innovation and increase its societal relevance,” reiterates the program committee chair.
Innovation on the agenda
“For both the University of Bergen and the society around us, it is important that innovation remains high on the agenda, and that we continue to evolve in this area,” says Kjell-Morten Myhr, who assumed the role of Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Collaboration at UiB on August 1.
He believes such a meeting place holds great value for several reasons:
“For researchers looking to turn their ideas into societal value, it can be useful to draw inspiration from colleagues who have already gone through the process. The day also offers an opportunity to learn more about the needs of industry and society – while potential partners in the private and public sectors gain insight into the university’s activities. By getting to know each other better, regional collaboration can also be strengthened.”
“I’m also looking forward to using this day to deepen my understanding of the work being done at UiB in this important field – and to engage in discussions about how research can contribute even more to the development of industry and society,” says Myhr.
UiB Innovation Day
First held in September 2024, with around 200 participants.
This year’s Innovation Day will take place on September 19 from 09:00, under the title “200 Years of Research and Innovation.”
Location: Nygårdsgaten 5, 1st floor.
UiB Innovation Day is part of InnovasjonsukenOPP – Western Norway’s innovation festival, which runs from September 15–21.
Some key goals of the event are to showcase the breadth of innovation at the university, to inspire and build competence among researchers, students, and administrative staff in innovation within their fields, and to strengthen collaboration between UiB and the surrounding society.
See the full program and register here. Note: Places are limited, so we recommend registering early!
