Norway ranks in the top ten worldwide in innovation, according to INSEAD's 2009-2010 Global Innovation Index. Some of the country's best ideas have even been sold through big international acquisitions, such as the USD3.4 billion sale of Norwegian video conferencing company Tandberg to Cisco. The country is working to develop more of this type of innovative competence here - and keep the value creation here - through its scores of research parks and incubator programmes spread across the country. 

Norway has launched its first White Paper on innovation policy.

The White Paper 2013 sets out the Government's aim of establishing favorable conditions for competitive enterprises throughout Norway and developing a society where we provide for our citizens' needs while maintaining a strong resource base for future generations. The key goal is to have an optimal level of wealth creation, while reducing the strain on the environment. The paper highlights the importance of focusing on innovation in both the private and the public sector.

A short version of the White Paper can be accessed here
www.regjeringen.no/upload/NHD/Vedlegg/brosjyrer_2008/innomeld_kortv_eng.pdf
Source: Regjeringen

Cultivating great ideas

Oslo Innovation Center (Forskningsparken) is one of the oldest and largest of the nine research parks in the country. It is also one of 29 incubator parks supported by SIVA, the Industrial Development Corporation of Norway, which help commercially viable research results and project ideas develop into profitable enterprises.

There are currently 140 companies in the Oslo Innovation Center, representing mostly life science, ICT and environmental. These consist of small companies, research departments to international companies such as Texas Instruments, Aptina and GE Healthcare, and research institutes and universities.

The centre accounts for about 2,000 workplaces with a value of about NOK 1.9 billion. The greatest value creator so far has been Kelkoo, the European prime comparison service company, based in France, which merged with Norwegian company Zoomit. Kelkoo was later bought by Yahoo for EUR475 million.

Source:
Nortrade
www.nortrade.com/items-list/?mode=0
http://norway2uk.com/en/news/innovation/