Clusters

Norwegian Innovation Clusters contributes to value creation in the Norwegian business sector by triggering, reinforcing and implementing collaborative development, which would not have taken place on the same scale or at the same rate without public support.

The purpose of the cluster programme

• To increase the innovation capacity and value creation of the companies participating in the cluster collaboration.
• To reinforce the clusters’ role as facilitators of renewal and growth in the Norwegian business sector.
• To increase the clusters’ contribution to developing attractive innovation ecosystems regionally and nationally.

The programme supports the establishment and development of clusters through financing, expertise, advisory services, profiling and networks. The objective is to develop good, effective clusters that assist member companies and the business sector through collaborative development activities.

Activities

39 clusters have received services from the cluster program in 2022. As a result of a budget cut to the program in 2021, no admission of new clusters was carried out in 2022.

Work has been initiated in 2022 to look at the programme's structure. In this context, input rounds have been carried out with owners, partners and stakeholders. Central is the need for an increased change of pace in new, green industrial construction and value creation. The aim is to have a new program ready in 2023, with a new announcement in 2024.

Innovation Norway conducts an annual assessment of member companies’ developments related to sales revenues, value creation, productivity and the number of man-years compared to a control group of similar companies. Annual average value creation is 15.8 percentage points higher for companies that are members of the cluster compared to the control group, 18.6 percentage points higher for sales revenues and 3.6 percentage points higher for man-years. All the figures are significant, and they are at about the same high level as the year before.

Clusters receiving services in 2022

Nodes

Smaller networks/clusters that have a connection and collaboration with a larger established cluster.

• Havbruksnettverk Helgeland
• HelseINN

Arena

Clusters that are at an early stage of development with a main focus on the development of a good collaborative foundation.

• Construction City
• Marin Recycling Cluster
• Autonomiklyngen
• Nosca Clean Oceans
• ProptechInnovation
• Circular Packaging
• Norwegian Wood Cluster
• Cluster for applied AI
• H2Cluster - The Norwegian Hydrogen Cluster
• Energi i Nord
• Circular Wave

Arena Pro

Clusters that have a well-developed collaborative foundation and that initiate and carry out collaborative development projects.

• WoodWorks Cluster
• Norwegian Smart Care Cluster
• VIA Cluster
• Solenergiklyngen
• Arctic Cluster Team
• Cod Cluster
• NF&TA
• Nordic Edge
• Norwegian Offshore Wind Cluster
• Stiim Aqua Cluster
• Ocean Hyway Cluster
• Norwegian Energy Solutions

Norwegian Centres of Expertise (NCE)

Clusters with a well-developed collaborative foundation, a large portfolio of development projects, and a national position within its sector.

• NCE Seafood Innovation
• NCE Aquatech
• NCE Energy Technology
• NCE iKuben
• NCE Finance Innovation
• NCE HeidnerBiocluster
• NCE Blue Legasea

Global Centres of Expertise (GCE)

Same as NCE, but with a global position.

• GCE NODE
• GCE Blue Maritime
• GCE Ocean Technology

Modne klynger (Mature clusters)

Clusters that are qualified according to specified requirements and criteria, and that provide a basis for applying for funding regarding major ‘common good’ projects.

• NCE Media
• NCE Eyde
• Oslo Cancer Cluster
• Norway Health Tech