ITovation events 2010

The ITovation planning committee are working on at least two ITovation events in 2010.The first one in march/ april, the second one in the autumn.

More to come soon.

Streaming video and presentations from ITovation October 27

You can watch the ITovation event by following this link.

Here are the presentations:

An innovative culture with multidisciplinary scientists
Per Jørgen Weisethaunet, Director, Norbit AS

Sensorlink – Real time monitoring for oil production and drilling
Tor Inge Waag, Technical Director Sensorlink

Musical Instrumentation
Jan Tro, Associate Professor, Acoustics Research Centre, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, NTNU

Artificial intelligence – Learning through imitation
Axel Tidemann, PhD Department of Computer and Information Science, NTNU

Main Speach: Developing a successful worldwide company – the story of Q-Free
Øyvind Isaksen, CEO and Hans Christian Bolstad, Vice President R&D, Q-Free

Updated program ITovation October 27

When: 27 october 2009, 3 – 6 pm
Where: Realfagbygget, R2, Gloshaugen campus, NTNU.

REGISTER HERE (by monday october 26)

Part 1: 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Welcome by Chairman Geir Øien, Dean, Faculty of Information Technology, Mathematics and Electrical Engineering, NTNU

An innovative culture with multidisciplinary scientists
Per Jørgen Weisethaunet, Director, Norbit AS

Sensorlink – Real time monitoring for oil production and drilling
Tor Inge Waag, Technical Director Sensorlink

Musical Instrumentation
Jan Tro, Associate Professor, Acoustics Research Centre, Department of Electronics and Telecommunications, NTNU

4:00 – 4:45 pm Creative food and drinks-

(In Norwegian:) Lefserull med gravet ørrett og senepsaus, Morrpølse,
Spekeskinke,Tydalsrøye med agurksalat og rømme, Rørosost med urter,
Rørosost med krydder, Tomatsalat, Pesto,  Tomatpesto, Fruktfat, Multekrem, mineralvann.

– and: ArTe by Letizia Jaccheri (NTNU), Urd Schjetne and others.

Sewing: another way of seeing

Part 2: 4:45 pm – 6:00 pm

Artificial intelligence – Learning through imitation
Axel Tidemann, PhD Department of Computer and Information Science, NTNU

Main Speach: Developing a successful worldwide company – the story of Q-Free
Øyvind Isaksen, CEO and Hans Christian Bolstad, Vice President R&D, Q-Free

Join the discussion after the speach with specially invited guests, successfull innovators from the wave of entrepeneurs in Trondheim in the 1980’s.

The panel: Jon Sletthaug (ASEV AS, Norsk nyetablering AS mm), Roe Strømmen (CorrOcean), Svein Tryggestad (Oceanor) og Hans Olav Torsen (Seatex).

REGISTER HERE

Click here to see the complete programme

ITovation October 27: Hans Olav Torsen, Innovator

Hans Olav Torsen and other researchers from NTNU and SINTEF founded Seatex in 1984. The challenge back then was that they got little help from venture capital. Seatex covered a great part of the need for capital through “developing contracts” with oil companies like Shell, Elf, Total and Statoil because these companies were eager to get access to important licenses to oil exploration fields in the North Sea.

Towards the end of 1980 Seatex invested in seismology and at the same time the organization had a large growth which demanded large capital investments and resources. This almost led to a crisis but because of a healty and profitable strong company base it all turned out well.

In 1993 they got listed on the Oslo stock exchange and also merged with Normarc – world leading supplier of instrument based landing systems for airports. GPS technology is one of the reasons for the success of Seatex and is used both in navigation and oil activity. The Kongsberg Group Acquired Seatex in 2000.

Today Kongsberg Seatex is situated in Trondheim with 120 emplyees and NOK 400 mill in turnover. Torsen has a new role at the investment company ProVenture as a mentor and investor in new technology based companies.

Torsen has a masters degree in cybernetics  from NTNU (NTH).

Photo: Glen Musk

ITovation October 27: Svein Tryggestad, Innovator

Svein Tryggestad, founder of OCEANOR. Property developer, investor and member of several boards.

1.    What background did you have when you started – education and experience?
Cand Real from the University at Blindern. Master in Physical oceanography / meteorology. Ten years as a researcher at SINTEF (NHL), Head of the Department of Marine Environment at NHL.

2.      Why did you start – were you on your own or with others, if so, with whom and with what experience?
In order to serve a growing market in offshore we had to commercialize the business we ran at the research institution SINTEF. We needed significantly more capital and faster decision paths to be able to serve this market. Furthermore, we saw great potential in environmental monitoring, which back then was a new market. Left SINTEF with 33 men with approximately 10 years of experience at the research institution, and started up in 1984.

3.      What’s the name of the company you established, and how did it go with it?
OCEANOR (Oceanographic Company of Norway), the company developed well but it took time. Today the company is part of the Fugro group, with a turnover of between 100 and 120 million with annual earnings about 5 million.

4.      Would you do anything different today?
No

5.      One good advice to young people today with an entrepreneur mind?
Go ahead! Get in touch with LEN, Leiv Eiriksson Innovation.

6.      Did you get any special support back then, like economic / other resources that helped you get started – public or private?
I had a good agreement with SINTEF on buying out contracts and equipment. Received a 10 million NOK loan from the bank of Nordea, and had close co-operation with oil companies and the Norwegian Research Council.

7.      What is your own opinion about what caused the success?
Talented people thinking commercially from day one. A pleasant and exciting work environment, with similar commercial enterprises near by. And there was a need in the market for our products.

8.      What do you do today?
Invested in, and member of the board, for several start-up businesses. Property developer (Pirsenteret with about 150 companies).

The picture is from the newspaper Adressa, 11.11.2007: