From bold ideas to sustainable growth
Get to know the successful companies, be inspired by their stories, and learn from the experts.
On Thursday, 21 May, we are bringing together innovators, investors, and policymakers to celebrate Nordic innovation and competitiveness.
In central Oslo, companies from across the Nordic region will meet to learn from one another and to crown the winner of the Nordic Innovation Award. We will get to know Nordic players that succeed in combining innovation, intellectual property rights, and sustainability.
You will meet exciting presenters, speakers, and business leaders:
-
Cilia Holmes Indahl from the EQT Foundation will talk about investors’ relationship with innovation and sustainability.
-
Petter Gulli from 12 Years will inspire us by showcasing sustainable innovation at its very best.
-
Karl-Fredrik Tangen from Kristiania University College will challenge our thinking on sustainability and greenwashing.
-
Cecilie Myrseth is Norway’s Minister of Trade, Industry and Fisheries.
-
Edda Sif Pind Aradóttir will share the story of Icelandic company Carbfix, which won the WIPO Global Awards 2025.
-
Frode Iglebæk from Cartesian will show what last year’s winner of the Nordic Innovation Awards has achieved over the past year.
We will also meet the five nominated Nordic companies competing for the Nordic Innovation Awards. Their names will be announced later.
In addition, you will meet the heads of all the Nordic patent and trademark offices.
- Antti Riivari (Finnish Patent and Registration Office)
- Sune Stampe Sørensen (Danish Patent and Trademark Office)
- Anna Jarfelt (Swedish Intellectual Property Office)
- Borghildur Erlingsdóttir (Icelandic Intellectual Property Office)
- Kathrine Myhre (Norwegian Industrial Property Office)
You will find the detailed programme further down the page.
For whom?
This is an arena for those who want to meet innovative players with a focus on intellectual property rights and sustainability. The day offers excellent opportunities for networking and mingling.
The event will be held in English.
We open the doors for mingling and lunch at Stortingsgata Kurs & Konferanse, Stortingsgaten 20 (Høyres hus) Oslo from 11:00.
The webinar and main programme begin at 12:00.
What is the Nordic Innovation Award?
The Nordic Innovation Award is a Nordic innovation prize established in 2025 by the patent and trademark authorities in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden. The prize is awarded annually to highlight and recognise innovations with great potential, inspire startups and businesses, and demonstrate the importance of protecting intellectual property rights.
Details
Lunch and networking
An informal and social start to the day, where participants, finalists, and partners can connect and warm up for the programme ahead.
Welcome
hosted by conference moderator Hilde Sandvik, experienced journalist and well known from the radio program Norsken, svensken og dansken.
Hilde Sandvik opens the event and sets the scene: How Nordic innovation, the green transition and IP strategy work together to build global competitiveness.The Nordic countries in the lead: Innovation, collaboration and competitiveness
Cecilie Myrseth, Minister of Trade and Industry.
The blind spot of sustainability: engagement, understanding and ownership
The Nordics are at the forefront of sustainable innovation – but what is it we actually get right? Petter Gulli highlights the strengths that enable Nordic ideas to gain traction, from communication and trust to engagement and ownership. Drawing on more than 30 years in advertising and communications, he shows how strong ideas become widely adopted solutions.
Presentation of nominees
We present the first two nominees to the Nordic Innovation Award: Iceland and Denmark.
Last year's winner tells it all
Cartesian, last year's winner of the Nordic Innovation Award is back to tell us about the impact of their intellectual property strategy and how the company has developed the last year.
Presentation of nominees
We present the last three nominees to the Nordic Innovation Award: Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Break
An investor take on growth, innovation and sustainability
Cilia Holmes Indahl brings a sustainability perspective from an investor’s point of view. What do investors look for when deciding to invest? How important are sustainability, protected IP, and innovation? How important will sustainability be for future investments?
Innovation, growth and sustainability
Is sustainability a victim of greenwashing, or is it a substantial contrbution to well managed companies? Hilde Sandvik leads a conversation between Karl Fredrik Tangen and Cilia Holmes Indahl on sustainability and innovation.
Going global from Iceland
Icelandic Carbfix won the WIPO Global Award in 2025. The company has developed a solution based on extensive research and advanced engineering that converts CO₂ into solid mineral rock. CEO Edda Sif Pind Aradóttir talks about how Carbfix must develop long term cooperation to navigate regulation and scale internationally.
Break
Innovation in the Nordics – where are we?
Hilde Sandvik leads a panel conversation between the Directors General of the Nordic intellectual proprety offices on innovation and Nordic competitive advantages.
Nordic Innovation Award 2026: Award ceremony
The conference culminates with the Nordic Innovation Award 2026 ceremony, where the winner of this year’s award will be revealed.
The ceremony is followed by photography, press meetings and light refreshments, offering an excellent opportunity for networking and celebration of Nordic innovations.
Petter Gulli
Chief Hope Officer - 12Years
Petter Gulli has more than 30 years of experience as a copywriter, creative director, and strategic advisor, including roles in leading Norwegian agencies and as Creative Director at Bates Singapore, working with major brands across Asia and Oceania.
In 2018, following the UN climate report, he left the advertising industry to found 12YEARS, where he helps organizations define a credible and relevant role in sustainability and social responsibility.
Gulli is a sought-after speaker and public voice on sustainability, describing himself as an “imperfect activist” and climate optimist. He is the initiator behind initiatives such as the Greenwashing Poster and the HÅP Conference, and has held key roles in several organizations, including WWF.