In 2022, Innovation Norway boosted its efforts to advise companies and provide guidance on EU innovation instruments. In May, Innovation Norway opened a new office in Brussels with more staff members. The EU advice is also integrated into the customer-oriented work at Innovation Norway’s regional offices.
Horizon Europe is the world’s largest research and innovation programme. Innovation Norway and the Research Council of Norway work closely with each other to help both research environments and companies with mobilisation and advice in relation to cooperation projects. Almost NOK 4.9 billion was brought home in 2022.
Innovation Norway has, together with the Norwegian Digitalisation Agency and the Research Council of Norway, contributed to mobilising industry, research, and education environments for the Digital Europe programme. Some 65 per cent of applications that included Norwegian partners were successful. Innovation Norway has a particular responsibility for the participation of business. In 2022, we followed up two Norwegian European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) on the road to achieving EDIH status, which have now been formally approved by the European Commission.
A new and key initiative in the EU is Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEI), a regulatory change designed to support companies that want to help build European value chains in selected areas. The legislative amendment has the effect of allowing participating countries to support projects financially in excess of the rates permitted under state aid rules.
Innovation Norway is responsible for mobilising and advising Norwegian companies that submit applications to the European Innovation Council (EIC). The EIC is reserved for SMEs, which can apply for grants and equity funding of up to EUR 15 million.
The programme is open to all sectors, although the innovation must contribute to resolving one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Priority is given to deeptech, i.e. an innovation or solution that comes from challenging technological development or a science-based invention or discovery. Innovation Norway has advised companies such that they have brought home NOK 125 million in grants and NOK 225 million in equity.
Innovation Norway is also following up the COSME programme in Norway. The programme has a budget of approximately NOK 10 billion and is targeted at SMEs, clusters, and entrepreneurs. The aim is to improve the competitiveness and sustainability of European companies, while ensuring a level playing field and an open and competitive internal market. COSME also provides funding opportunities aimed at clusters and other networks.
In November 2022, Innovation Norway signed a contract with the European Commission on Norwegian participation in the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN), which is a European network providing business advisory services. We will launch a number of new services for Norwegian companies through this network in the future.