Debate, Research | The government’s new strategy for research and development in business must contribute to building Northern Norway

This week the government launched a new strategy for increased research and development (R&D) in Norwegian business. Ambition is clear and a number of concrete measures and tools are being promoted. There is every reason to believe that it will result in increased research investments in Norwegian business, but the question is whether it will hit Northern Norway.

Norway invests less in R&D, measured as a share of gross national product, than the OECD and EU countries and our closest Nordic neighbors Sweden, Finland and Denmark. This is not because the government’s investments are low, but because the Norwegian business community itself spends less money on R&D. It is serious because it can threaten Norwegian value creation, competitiveness and exports. The government states unequivocally that: “A more knowledge-intensive business sector is, in the long term, crucial to succeeding in restructuring and securing the welfare state in the future.” It is further pointed out in particular that new technology and new solutions rest on R&D; the same applies to the business community’s ability to “absorb, adopt and benefit from new technology.”

Norwegian industry’s own R&D investments are too low, but the lowest (per employee) is in our three northernmost counties of Troms, Finnmark and Nordland. In that case, it is extra important that the measures and instruments proposed by the government hit the northern Norwegian business community well. If not, we risk a growing divide between north and south in the development of business and value creation. In a geopolitically turbulent time, we rather need a robust development of the Norwegian-Norwegian business community.

The government’s strategy highlights well-established and successful financial instruments: the catapult scheme (under the auspices of SIVA), Green Platform and Centers for research-driven innovation (under the auspices of the Norwegian Research Council) and the Cluster Program (under the auspices of Innovation Norway). These programs have proven to be effective nationally, but to a lesser extent cover businesses in the north. The government writes that the schemes must be revised and further developed. That’s a good idea; not least with regard to what arrangement they should be given for an innovative and innovative business life in the north.

However, it is not all about government financial instruments. The government wants the universities to establish and further develop contact and interaction with the business world. It harmonizes well with UiT’s own initiative plan for innovation and entrepreneurship, and something we are happy to do in close partnership with regional players such as Bodøregionen’s development company (BRUS).