Results

Throughout its project period, the Coastal Development Center has aimed to develop and strengthen coastal communities through technology, competence, and community building.

Activity List:

  • Strategic Development: Pilot Coastal Development Center
  • VR Center: Regional center for technology and competence
  • VR Workshops: Knowledge and competence-building workshops
  • Heia Kirkenes: A group of local businesses working to make the region more attractive to new employees
  • Heia Kysten: A student-driven organization at NTNU mobilizing students for coastal development and strengthening ties between university students and coastal industries
  • Finnmark Night: Matchmaking event in Trondheim between NTNU students and employers from Kirkenes
  • Kirkenes Workation: Summer jobs combined with social activities for students and young professionals
  • Practical Entrepreneurship: 10-credit course at UiT to develop change agents in Finnmark
  • Design for Coastal Development: Course at AHO on making the region more attractive through design methodologies, with fieldwork in Kirkenes
  • ArcTech: Technology seminar focusing on artificial intelligence in business
  • Accelerator Program: Supporting startups developing technology for both civilian and military use
  • Arctic Hackathon: Mobilizing students to solve regional challenges through technology
  • Trainees for Barel AS: Basic electronics training course for Barel employees
  • Arctic Circular Economy Summit: Mobilizing students to the region to support the green transition and circular economy
  • Green Energy Transition as a Growth Driver in Eastern Finnmark
  • Youth Exclusion Issues
  • DIANA Dual Use Program: Establishing a DIANA center in Eastern Finnmark

Overview of Activity Results

1. Pilot Coastal Development Center (Strategic Development)

Results:

  • Number of activities conducted: 17
  • Networking: Partnerships established with NTNU, UiT, AHO, and other national actors
  • Political support: Backed by the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development (KDD) and Sør-Varanger Municipality

Key Outcomes:

  • Research & Education: Integrated into NTNU’s Ocean and Coastal initiative. Collaborations established with UiT and AHO, contributing to master’s programs and community development methodologies.
  • Communication & Visibility: Extensive media coverage and social media presence. Regular updates to funding partners and political stakeholders.
  • Innovation & Methodology Development: Experimental design adapted for coastal development. Strategic advisory board involvement to enhance project legitimacy.
  • Political Support & Dialogue: Strong ties with the county government, Innovation Norway, and the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions (LO). Presentations to the Eastern Finnmark Council and the Regional Northern Areas Forum.

Challenges:

  • Limited resources in the pilot phase.
  • Need for stronger anchoring and resources for long-term sustainability.

2. VR Center: Regional Hub for Technology & Competence

Results:

  • Workshops Conducted: Multiple VR competence workshops with funding from the Barents Secretariat
  • Funding Secured: Support from Samfunnsløftet and other key stakeholders for startup and pilot projects
  • Partnerships: Collaborations with NTNU, UiT, Lapin AMK/Frostbit Software Labs, and local actors

Key Outcomes:

  • Funding & Establishment: Funding secured from Samfunnsløftet and the Barents Secretariat. Applications sent to NORA, INTERREG Aurora, and Arctic 2030.
  • Networking: Partnerships with Snappy, Finnmark Hospital, and Lapin AMK established. Dialogue with Sør-Varanger Municipality, NAV, and vocational schools.
  • Workshops & Pilot Projects: Conducted VR competence workshops. Developed a pre-project outline with a budget and analysis of financing and operational models.
  • Strategic Development: Explored integration with NATO’s DIANA Dual Tech Use initiative. Planning the establishment of technology hubs in Eastern Finnmark.

Challenges:

  • Financial constraints in the pilot phase, requiring new funding sources.
  • Uncertainty around the timeline and cost of setting up the center.

3. VR Workshops: Knowledge and Competence Development

Results:

  • Number of Workshops: 2 successful VR workshops in Kirkenes
  • Participants: Regional businesses, students, and youth at risk of exclusion
  • Partnerships: FrostBit Software Lab (Lapin AMK) provided VR programs and training

Key Outcomes:

  • Skill Development for Businesses: Participants gained insights into practical applications of VR technology.
  • Training for Youth & Excluded Groups: Basic VR development training provided. Talent identification for regional VR solutions.
  • Collaboration & International Support: Strengthened partnerships with Lapin AMK and FrostBit Software Lab in Rovaniemi.

Challenges:

  • Need for additional resources and follow-up workshops to expand regional competence.
  • Varied technical backgrounds required flexible training levels.

4. Heia Kirkenes: Branding & Recruitment in Eastern Finnmark

Results:

  • Finnmark Night Participation: 50 NTNU students; majority showed increased interest in summer jobs and careers in Finnmark
  • Planned Initiatives: Three projects, including a workation pilot in summer 2024
  • Network Expansion: Plans to involve businesses from all of Eastern Finnmark

Key Outcomes:

  • Finnmark Night in Trondheim: First recruitment event highlighting Finnmark’s opportunities. Increased interest in jobs and internships.
  • Workation Concept: Planned summer pilot offering covered housing, expenses, and organized activities for national and local summer workers.
  • Business Collaboration: Created a coalition of local companies in Kirkenes, with expansion plans to Eastern Finnmark.

Challenges:

  • Need for more business participation to realize the full potential of the region.
  • The “Heia Kirkenes” brand needs adjustments as the network expands to include all of Eastern Finnmark.

5. Heia Kysten: Student Organization for Coastal Development

Results:

  • Active Members: Increased to nearly 10 from NTNU
  • Main Activities: Finnmark Night and planning workation programs for 2024 and 2025
  • Long-Term Goal: Establish Heia Kysten organizations at multiple universities in Norway

Key Outcomes:

  • Student Engagement & Networking: Raised awareness about coastal career opportunities. Hosted Finnmark Night, connecting NTNU students with Eastern Finnmark businesses.
  • Workation Concept: Developed and promoted a summer package for NTNU students in Kirkenes to provide practical experience and exposure to coastal jobs.
  • Organizational Growth: Recruiting and expanding to 10 active members leading initiatives. Initial discussions with UiT about expanding to more campuses.

Challenges:

  • Young organization requiring further recruitment and structural stability.
  • Needs long-term support to expand and maintain operations.

6. Finnmark Night: Connecting Students & Businesses

Results:

  • Participants (2023): 50 NTNU students, 7 local businesses from Sør-Varanger
  • Participants (2024): 80 participants, including 60 NTNU students and 8 regional businesses
  • Jobs Secured: 12 students received summer jobs through Kirkenes Workation

Key Outcomes:

  • Career Development: 12 students secured summer jobs. More companies in Eastern Finnmark introduced internship and job opportunities.
  • Networking & Collaboration: Strengthened ties between NTNU and local businesses, including Sør-Varanger Development, Barel, Sydvaranger, and Finnmark Hospital.
  • Future Plans: Expanded Finnmark Night scheduled for November 2024, aiming for 100+ participants.

Challenges:

  • Reaching more students and businesses to maximize the event’s impact.
  • Increased coordination to ensure broader representation from all of Eastern Finnmark.

Next Steps:

  • Expanding Heia Kysten and Heia Kirkenes to include more universities and businesses.
  • Scaling up Kirkenes Workation to accommodate 25-30 students in 2025.
  • Establishing a long-term VR Center and securing stable funding sources.
  • Strengthening connections between education and businesses in Finnmark.

7. Workation: Combined Work and Vacation in Kirkenes

Target Results

  • Number of participants (2024): 12 students from across Norway, placed in 4 local businesses.
  • Involved businesses: BAREL, Sydvaranger, Finnmark Hospital, and Norsk Test.
  • Activities conducted: Social and cultural events organized outside working hours to help participants connect with the region.

Key Outcomes

Recruitment and Job Opportunities:

  • 12 students secured summer jobs with local businesses, bringing fresh competence to the region.
  • Feedback from both businesses and students showed great success and a strong willingness to repeat the initiative.

Social and Cultural Integration:

  • The activity package included local experiences such as king crab safaris, paintball, clay pigeon shooting, and hiking.
  • Exclusive activities, such as dinners, cabin trips, and company visits, created strong social networks and increased familiarity with the local business environment.
  • Access to rental cars throughout the summer allowed participants to explore the region freely.

Learning and Connection to the Region:

  • 100% of participants recommended the concept and expressed interest in returning to Kirkenes, either for work or vacation.
  • Social and cultural activities were identified as crucial for fostering a strong connection to the region.

Challenges:

  • Limited capacity: Only 12 students were able to participate in 2024, despite significant demand.
  • Need for financial sustainability: The goal is for local businesses to gradually take ownership and finance the workation initiative by 2026.

Future Development Plans:

  • Expand to more businesses and summer jobs to increase the number of participants to 25-30 in 2025.
  • Strengthen connections between national educational institutions and the local business community.
  • Establish financial sustainability and reduce reliance on external funding by 2026.

8. Practical Entrepreneurship Study: Change Agents for Finnmark

Target Results

  • Credits: 10 study credits as part of a continuing education course in entrepreneurship.
  • Participants: Students with and without general university admission included to promote education in the region.
  • Practical Focus: Addressing real-world challenges for businesses and public institutions in Finnmark.

Key Outcomes

Course Implementation:

  • In Fall 2024, UiT launched a 16-week continuing education course providing students with practical project work experience.
  • The course is directly linked to local challenges, adding value to businesses, public entities, and communities.

Collaboration and Regional Development:

  • Partnered with the Coastal Development Center, East Finnmark Knowledge Center, and Hanken University in Finland to ensure academic quality and regional relevance.
  • The course helps mobilize change agents to create sustainable solutions for organizations in the region.

Education Program Expansion:

  • Experience from the course is being used to develop a 60-credit course in “Micro-Business Management,” led by the East Finnmark Knowledge Center.
  • Discussions on establishing a master’s program in collaboration with UiT and Professor Lars Ailo Bongo are ongoing but facing challenges.

Challenges:

  • Establishing a master’s program in entrepreneurship at UiT has proven difficult despite initial ambitions.
  • Additional resources and partnerships are needed to expand course offerings and ensure long-term implementation.

Future Plans:

  • Apply lessons from the Practical Entrepreneurship Study to the upcoming 60-credit Micro-Business Management course.
  • Explore more partnerships to strengthen and expand regional entrepreneurship networks.

9. Design for Coastal Development: Strategic Design for Community Development

Target Results

  • Number of project rounds completed: 2 (2023 and 2024).
  • Participants: Design students and researchers from AHO, in collaboration with local and regional stakeholders.
  • Concepts developed: Several concrete and feasible projects for community development in Kirkenes and Sør-Varanger.

Key Outcomes

Completed Projects and Solutions (2023):

  • Kirkenes Workation: Designed to attract more people to the region.
  • Matregion Sør-Varanger: Concept based on local ingredients and food traditions.
  • Innovation Festival for Youth: A blueprint to engage young people in creative and entrepreneurial processes.
  • Short-Term Worker Integration: Models for incorporating short-term employees into the community.

Student Contributions (2024):

  • 14 new design students explored regional challenges during a week-long field study in Sør-Varanger.
  • Results will be presented digitally in December 2024, focusing on new concepts for regional development.

Collaboration and Capacity Building:

  • Strengthened partnerships with Sør-Varanger Development, the Coastal Development Center, the East Finnmark Knowledge Center, and AHO.
  • KYST and AHO are working to secure funding for a new master’s course with East Finnmark as a case study.

Explored Themes:

  • The coast as a knowledge society.
  • The coast as an arena for new industries.
  • The coast as an attractive everyday community.

Challenges:

  • A Research Council funding application was rejected, requiring new funding opportunities.
  • Developing a long-term methodology and academic foundation requires additional resources and support.

Future Plans:

  • Continue connecting design concepts with local project leaders and owners.
  • Secure funding for new projects through Research Council applications and other opportunities.
  • Further develop methods and academic fields to drive sustainable community development through design and innovation.

10. ArcTech: Technology Seminars for Increased Tech Competence

Target Results

  • Number of events conducted: 2 (2022 and 2024).
  • Participants: Over 160 people, including healthcare workers, startups, and local business actors.
  • Partnerships: Established collaboration with startup Fornix and Kirkenes Business Association.

Key Outcomes

Events:

  • ICE Festival 2022: Focused on health technology, with 30 Finnmark Hospital employees and 5 startups participating. Result: Further collaboration with Fornix.
  • ICE Festival 2024: Focused on artificial intelligence in business, conducted in Norwegian for the local audience. Participation: Around 130 attendees. The topics generated significant interest and positive feedback.

Networking and Collaboration:

  • Events laid the foundation for increased networking and collaboration among local stakeholders, startups, and tech enthusiasts.

Further Development:

  • Due to success, ArcTech is planned to become a series of technology seminars under the name “ICEblue”, with the goal of creating a technology-oriented business cluster in the region.

Challenges:

  • Need for long-term funding and support to ensure continuity of the ArcTech series.
  • Requires expansion of participation from more industries and stakeholders in the region to increase impact.

Future Plans:

  • Expand seminars to cover more technology fields and target groups.
  • Explore the potential for establishing a business cluster focused on technology and entrepreneurship in blue industries.
  • Continue working with local and national partners to strengthen the technology ecosystem in Sør-Varanger and Eastern Finnmark.

11. Accelerator Program: Entrepreneurship and Technology Development

Target Results

  • Participants (2023): 8 startups from Norway and Finland.
  • Focus Area: Dual tech (technology with both civilian and military applications).
  • Final Event: Pitch competition for investors at Nothing Hill in Kirkenes.

Key Outcomes

Entrepreneurship and Technology Development:

  • Supported the development of technologies with growth potential, including an electric bike for extreme conditions and a mobile port solution.
  • Contributed to the establishment of new businesses and job creation in the region.

Collaboration and Networking:

  • Established partnerships with Finnish partners and Nordic actors.
  • Created a cross-border collaboration arena in the North, strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship culture.

Positioning for DIANA Status:

  • The accelerator program helped position Kirkenes as a possible host for a DIANA Center (dual tech initiative).

Challenges:

  • Limited capacity and resources prevented further development after the pilot phase.
  • Need for funding and collaboration to make the accelerator program a permanent offering.

Future Plans:

  • Establish the program as a permanent semi-annual initiative:
    • Fall semester: Focus on dual tech and DIANA-related projects.
    • Spring semester: Focus on health, green energy, and blue economy.
  • Expand collaboration with academic institutions such as NTNU, UiT, AHO, and Hanken.
  • Integrate the program with “Heia” initiatives and secure funding for long-term sustainability.

12. Arctic Hackathon: Innovation for Local Businesses

Target Results

  • Participants (2023): 30 students and innovators from Norway, Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and the Faroe Islands.
  • Duration: Three days of intensive work on case assignments from local businesses.
  • Main Goal: Solve real-world challenges for local businesses and attract talented individuals to the region.

Key Outcomes

Innovative Solutions:

  • Multiple case assignments from local businesses were tackled with creative and practical proposals.
  • The hackathon strengthened local businesses by introducing new perspectives and tools.

Resource Mobilization:

  • Students from several Nordic countries contributed knowledge and ideas to Sør-Varanger.
  • The event reinforced Nothing Hill’s position as a hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.

Collaboration and Networking:

  • The event established stronger ties between local businesses, institutions, and participants.

Challenges:

  • Logistical difficulties in gathering participants from multiple countries and coordinating case assignments.
  • Need for stronger ties to long-term initiatives to maximize the impact of solutions.

Future Plans:

  • VR Hackathon (2024):
    • Focus on developing VR solutions for local businesses.
    • Connects with the establishment of the VR Center.
  • Education & Business Seminar 2025:
    • Integrate hackathon methodology into the seminar for high school students and businesses in Eastern Finnmark.
    • Expand collaboration with Finnish schools and businesses to promote cross-border innovation.

13. Trainees for Barel AS: Competence Development for Employees and Students

Target Results

  • Participants (2024): Employees at Barel AS without a technical background received training.
  • Partners: KYST, Barel AS, and NTNU (Department of Electronic Systems).
  • Target Audience: Employees at Barel AS and master’s students from NTNU.

Key Outcomes

Competence Development for Employees:

  • Employees at Barel AS received basic training in electronics and system design, improving their technical skills.
  • Direct application of new knowledge in daily work increased efficiency and competence.

Practical Experience for Students:

  • NTNU master’s students gained valuable teaching experience by serving as course leaders and mentors.
  • Helped bridge the gap between academia and industry.

Collaboration Between Academia and Industry:

  • The course demonstrated how close collaboration can create mutual benefits for both businesses and educational institutions.
  • Established a framework that can be used as a model for future training programs.

Challenges:

  • The business must take ownership of further development and implementation of the course.
  • Scaling the program to other industries and businesses depends on collaboration with academic institutions.

Future Plans:

  • Explore the potential of using this method for competence development in other industries and businesses.
  • Build on experiences to develop similar training programs in other fields.

14. Arctic Circular Economy Summit: Innovation and Collaboration in Circular Economy

Target Results

  • Participants (2023): 127 people from 12 countries, including students, experts, startups, and investors.
  • Focus Areas: Circular economy, waste management, and sustainable solutions for increased activity at Kirkenes Port.
  • Target Audience: Local youth, community stakeholders, startups, and international investors.

Key Outcomes

Competence Development and Networking:

  • Students from entrepreneurship and economics programs received training in circular economy principles and gained access to valuable networks.
  • Student participation was enabled through funding from KYST.

Innovation and Sustainability:

  • Proposed sustainable waste management solutions in response to increased activity at Kirkenes Port.
  • Startups had a platform to showcase ideas through the pitch competition.

International Participation and Impact:

  • Gathering participants from 12 countries strengthened the region’s connection to global initiatives in circular economy.
  • Contributions from Nordic Innovation laid the foundation for further activities and collaborations.

Challenges:

  • Long-term impact on business agreements and local economic development requires time.
  • Balancing awareness-raising with concrete economic results is challenging.

Future Plans:

  • Continue focusing on circular economy topics through KYST’s project portfolio and future events.
  • Encourage more business agreements and innovation initiatives through collaboration with local and international actors.
  • Explore opportunities to host similar gatherings with a focus on practical implementation and result measurement.

Activities Under Development

15. Green Energy Transition as a Growth Driver in Eastern Finnmark

Goal:

  • Strengthen the business sector through a green transformation, focusing on renewable energy sources (hydrogen, ammonia, wind, and solar) and energy efficiency initiatives (ENØK).

Status:

  • A proposal was submitted to the Arctic 2030 program but was not approved.
  • The project is on hold to prioritize other ongoing initiatives, but discussions continue with private actors in the maritime sector and energy efficiency projects.

Future Opportunities:

  • Potential to revive the project as part of future funding applications.

16. Youth Exclusion

Goal:

  • Integrate marginalized youth into the labor market using VR technology and low-threshold digital meeting places.

Status:

  • The project was not implemented due to funding challenges.
  • NAV Sør-Varanger has initiated a tender for VR competence, but progress remains uncertain.
  • The VR Center includes elements of this work in its early phases.

Future Opportunities:

  • Develop custom VR solutions to help youth with social anxiety and increase participation in support services.

17. DIANA Dual Use Program

Goal:

  • Establish a technology center in Kirkenes with NATO DIANA status, focusing on technologies with both civilian and military applications.

Status:

  • The project continues through the VR Center and related activities, such as the accelerator program.
  • Meetings with relevant stakeholders have taken place, but political support and interest are lacking for full implementation.

Future Opportunities:

  • Utilize an extensive technology network in Norway, Sweden, and Finland.
  • Establish a “Dual Usage Tech” center with international connections and increased political and financial support.
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