On October 22nd, we together with Statens vegvesen and Nye Veier invite you to an interactive meeting space focusing on climate-smart and innovative solutions for roads, bridges and tunnels.

The Innovation Arena brings together close to 300 builders, contractors, road managers, advisors and innovators each year. Here you will meet professional expertise from the builders' organizations, and you will have the opportunity for professional replenishment and competence enhancement. You will also gain insight into the latest technological and innovative developments in the industry and the opportunity to build networks on a national level.

On the program are presentations from the stage and mingling area for exhibitors. There will also be opportunity for 1:1 -meetings and presentation for subjects panel composed of builders, experienced engineers and contractors. The Innovation Arena presents everything from early-stage development projects, to piloting and market-ready solutions.

Useful meeting place for commercialization‍

The subject panels are composed of builders, experienced engineers and contractors. Companies are given the opportunity to present their idea to the panel, before there are questions and immediate feedback.

“As a start-up company, it was very valuable for us to get in touch with potential customers and partners,” says Andreas Bjune Kjølseth of Infraspace.

During the Innovation Arena, he has previously had the opportunity to present Infraspace's new online service for early stage planning of road and track routes. The invention, which uses map data, algorithms and so-called parametric design to calculate the most environmentally friendly, affordable and fast routes in the terrain, aroused the excitement of the panel of experts. After the event, Kjølseth and his colleagues went home with several important people on their contact list.

“It has been important for us to meet visionary people from builders, contractors and consultants, so that we could get started with pilots,” says Kjølseth.

Anne Stine Johnson, head of the technology and science department at Nye Veier, advises innovation actors to think of the Innovation Arena as a useful meeting place to move forward with their commercialization.

“Immediate guidance from the market that you're entering is incredibly valuable for an entrepreneur; you get the vibe going, you get your input early, and it happens in a simple way.

More way for the money

New Roads sees great benefit in participating in the Innovation Arena.

“We live for “more money”, and then we absolutely have to play on teams with good forces from entrepreneurs and others who are engaged in innovation and development, says Johnson in Nye Veier.

She believes that the meeting place at Gardermoen responds to a great need for innovation on the part of road management and builders.

“It is terribly difficult for entrepreneurs to come up with new ideas due to strict regulations with test and documentation requirements. We need to break a barrier to be able to encourage new and innovative solutions.

The Norwegian Directorate of Roads will participate in pilot projects

Department Director of the Construction Department at Authority and Regulation in the Directorate of Roads, Ing-Cristine Ericson, sits on the board of VIA. She can tell of a keen interest in the event in the agency, which invests over NOK 100 billion a year.

—All major divisions of the Road Administration will be there: Roads, Development, Transport and Society, as well as Authority and regulations in the Directorate of Roads. We have a clear purpose about putting together a puzzle with the right pieces.

Among the innovations of previous years, she highlights the recycling of artificial grass and the reuse of material for noise screens.

“When we hear good ideas from the country's Petter Smarter, we think “let's try”, and we would very much like to participate in pilot projects, says Ericson.

Illustration: Torgeir Ketilsohn Kjevik

‍