Opened Norwegian pavilion at Bett

The Bett trade show attracts over 40 000 visitors to London each year, and more than 1 500 Norwegians are expected to visit the four-day event. Educators and school owners from around the world come to Bett to learn about the latest in education technology, or “edtechˮ. Today Crown Prince Haakon and His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, The Duke of York were guests at Bett. The Crown Prince undertook the official opening of The Norwegian Classroom on the exhibition floor.

Led by the ICT industry interest group IKT-Norge, 11 Norwegian companies have stands in the Norwegian pavilion this year. The Norwegian edtech industry is rapidly expanding. There are roughly 60 companies with altogether more than 140 million users worldwide.

New ways of learning

Crown Prince Haakon arrived at Bett accompanied by the Duke of York, who presented the UK company SAM Labs. The company caught the Duke’s attention at Pitch@Palace, an event where entrepreneurs in the technology industry who have promising ideas are invited to pitch their companies for a wide audience including investors.

The Norwegian pavilion was the next stop for the Crown Prince and the Duke, where they met with representatives of Norwegian Edtech companies. There they also made the acquaintance of the robot created by the company No Isolation. This robot has a camera and can be placed in the classroom, enabling pupils who cannot attend school for extended periods to be present in the classroom.

In his opening remarks, Crown Prince Haakon spoke of his visit to Teglverket school in Oslo, which actively incorporates digital learning tools into teaching activities. Digital learning technology can be used to adapt teaching for each individual pupil at an entirely different level from traditional learning methods. The Crown Prince stressed, however, that the role of teachers in ensuring that all teaching is presented within an appropriate pedagogical framework is, and will continue to be, of critical importance.

From a global perspective, this technology opens up opportunities for expanding access to education worldwide.

“Edtech enables us to reach out to groups of children and young people that we have not been able to reach previously. For example, those in refugee camps or in areas of war and conflict,” the Crown Prince pointed out.

Norwegian innovators at Level39

Many Norwegian start-ups dream of establishing themselves in London, and with the help of Innovation Norway many are succeeding. Some of these companies have desks or office space at Level39 at Canary Wharf, which was the next stop on the Crown Prince’s programme.

Level39 is a technology accelerator space and is wholly owned by the Canary Wharf Group. Established in 2013, Level39 has grown from a simple beginning into a space housing over 200 companies from 40 countries. The Crown Prince was given a guided tour of the offices on the 39th floor and was introduced to the five Norwegian companies located there.

Innovation Norway’s Tech City Executive Accelerator (TEA) programme offers ambitious Norwegian companies with the potential for international growth help in launching global activities. Thirty-two companies have completed the TEA programme thus far. The programme comprises a kick-off in Oslo and a six-month stay in London. Companies must have a product on the market and financing for the next 12 months to be eligible to participate.

At a luncheon at Level39’s in-house restaurant, the Crown Prince learned more about the programme and Innovation Norway’s broad-based activities in London.