Telenor Group has announced two initiatives to support entrepreneurship and competence-building in Norway. With the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and research institute SINTEF (Stiftelsen for industriell og teknisk forskning ved NTH), Telenor will set up a laboratory for artificial intelligence and big data at NTNU in Trondheim. It will also will develop an Internet of Things (IoT) network in several Norwegian cities.
Norwegian start-ups and students will get free access to the IoT network in order to develop and test their products and services. The first pilot will be located in Oslo, in collaboration with StartupLab.
Sigve Brekke, President and CEO of Telenor Group, said there is a need to build critical competencies within artificial intelligence (AI) and the company wants to give Norwegian startups the resources they need to succeed. This is imperative for its ability to seize digital opportunities and contribute to creating new jobs, he said.
Telenor's AI Lab at NTNU will conduct research into how machines can contribute to developing new services, by identifying structures and hidden knowledge in large data sets. It will rely in part on data from next generation IoT Analytics (Iota) networks such as the one Telenor will pilot with StartupLab.
The lab will work closely with the industry, research institutions, academia and the start-up community. Research institute SINTEF will contribute actively to projects at the lab and ensure tight integration with the Norwegian industry at large.
