Cities worldwide are establishing test facilities where new products and services can be developed and tested. A roadmap is now being developed for establishing Oslo Science City as a test facility.
A new report commissioned by Oslo Science City outlines the framework for creating multiple test facilities where researchers and companies can develop innovative solutions and test them in practice. Such test facilities can range from advanced laboratory facilities to living urban environments where, for example, new solutions for green energy production can be tested. This allows innovators and companies to systematically test and evaluate new ideas and solutions in controlled environments. The City of Oslo aims to establish more test facility to facilitate new solutions and industries, and the new report establishes a framework for this.
"The City Government aims to enhance Oslo's position as an internationally leading knowledge capital. A crucial part of this is to streamline the journey from idea to knowledge-based value creation and new jobs. We need more and better test facilities, and this report provides valuable inputs on how we can achieve this in Oslo," says Rina Mariann Hansen, Oslo's Vice Mayor for Business.
Common Understanding of Testing Arenas
The report is prepared by Siri Beate Arntzen from Fabric+. Having worked internationally with innovation districts and test facility concepts, she believes it's important to unify around a common framework for the use of test facilities in Norway.
"A key purpose of this report is to present a definition that can serve as a tool for a common understanding of what test facilities are and how they can best be utilized," she explains.
Arntzen's report introduces the following definition of test facilities, inspired by the definition used by the Swedish innovation agency Vinnova: "Physical and/or virtual environments where actors within business, R&D, the public sector, and others can collaborate to develop, test, and introduce new products, services, processes, and organizational solutions within selected areas."
She also emphasizes that test facilities are characterized by being open to more than one actor, systematically working with testing over time, and often having an administration that offers services to those wishing to conduct testing.
Excellent Preconditions in Oslo Science City
In Norway, as in many other countries, there has been some ambiguity around the use of the term test facility, in part because different actors have unique needs for testing.
"There's a big difference in needs whether you're testing welfare technology, mobility solutions, or using drones to deliver blood samples between hospitals. But the need for systematic knowledge gathering is the same – just on a different scale," Arntzen emphasizes.
She believes the Oslo Science City area has excellent preconditions to become an internationally recognized testing arena, as members of Oslo Science City possess diverse expertise environments with extensive subject knowledge and access to various forms of advanced research infrastructure.
"Additionally, the area includes a range of different physical and virtual environments suitable for testing, from laboratories and urban environments to a public transport hub with a high flow of people. Taken together, this is dynamite," says Arntzen.
Test Facility for Microchips
The MiNaLab laboratory at Blindern is part of Norway's national infrastructure for micro- and nanofabrication, boasting the only independent cleanroom for microchip production in the country. Mats Carlin, Research Director at SINTEF, oversees the development and production of high-precision sensors and microsystems for numerous Norwegian and international clients. He says MiNaLab's confluence of expertise and sophisticated infrastructure renders it an ideal test facility.
“This facility operates as a genuine pilot line, enabling the journey of a new component from concept to production. Our expertise is deeply rooted in an intricate understanding of physics, chemistry, biology, and material technology, and of how this knowledge can be harnessed to innovate new microsystem-based products,” Carlin elaborates.
Companies engaging with MiNaLab present varied needs: some seek to develop sensor solutions that are yet to exist; others aim to devise solutions that surpass existing sensors in cost efficiency or performance; and some wish to have their sensor designs manufactured. Additionally, MiNaLab caters to the research market, providing researchers with unique components that open new avenues in their projects.
MiNaLab is capable of producing smaller volumes, up to several hundred thousand sensors annually, in a cost-effective manner. Carlin shares that SINTEF, among other projects, manufactures a substantial volume of pressure sensors for measuring altitude or cabin pressure in aircraft for the Norwegian company MEMScap. For larger production volumes, the operation can transition to an international manufacturing partner.
“MiNaLab has been the launchpad for numerous deep-tech startups with the potential to deliver significant societal benefits,” Carlin notes.
Valuable for Transport Research
A short distance from MiNaLab, in Oslo Science Park, is the Institute of Transport Economics (TØI), a national hub for transport research. Marianne Stølan Rostoft, Research Director for Intelligent Transport Systems at TØI, says the institute engages in various research and innovation projects alongside businesses and public entities, and are exciting about the prospects of a test facility within Oslo Science City.
“Test facilities are instrumental in transport research, allowing us to better understand and learn from the real-world application of new mobility solutions,” she adds.
The transport sector is undergoing significant transformation, driven by technological innovation, stricter environmental regulations, and evolving consumer behaviors. Innovations like car-sharing services and electric scooters are reshaping societal mobility patterns. TØI is at the forefront of numerous research projects, testing different mobility solutions in designated sites and arenas.
“In physical test facilities, we contribute by analyzing interactions between automated vehicles and pedestrians, usage patterns of micromobility solutions, and evaluating urban logistics and cycling initiatives. Leveraging transport expertise and methodologies enhances pilot and evaluation quality, leading to effective and purposeful mobility solutions,” Stølan Rostoft stresses.
A Roadmap for Oslo Science City as a Test Facility
Christine Wergeland Sørbye, CEO of Oslo Science City, emphasizes that the forthcoming report will lay a crucial foundation for test facility initiatives in Oslo. The development of a roadmap to establish Oslo Science City as a test facility is the next phase.
“We will commence the roadmap development this autumn, engaging closely with stakeholders and the municipality to map out possibilities and determine the necessary structures for success,” she concludes.