AI+ 2023 – another great conference on applied AI

Earlier this week, Halden once again became the epicentre of applied AI in Norway by hosting the annual conference on applied artificial intelligence called AI+, bringing together industry, tech, and researchers from the field of AI.

The AI+ conference has become one of the most important events in Norway for applied artificial intelligence. AI+ brings together professionals from various industries, including academia, business, and research, to share their knowledge and ideas on the latest advancements in AI technology and its applications.

The conference is held in the town of Halden, and this year’s edition was attended by 270 physical participants and 130 digital participants. The event featured great speakers from leading companies around the world and Norway. These speakers included representatives from HUB Ocean, Google, Microsoft, Silo AI, Völur, Computas AS, INTOTO, E.ON, and DNV, among others.

AI written speech, of course

The opening day of the conference featured speeches from Nikolai Astrup, former minister of digitalization in Norway, and Ruth Astrid L. Sæter, the conference host. Astrup’s speech was particularly interesting as it was fully written by the popular AI software ChatGPT by OpenAI, which provided a good laugh when revealed. The conference covered various topics ranging from challenges faced in different industries to how AI can solve these challenges. The speakers provided great insights into the world of machine learning and data.

Nikolai Astrup. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen, Contentvideo.no
Nikolai Astrup, former minister of digitalization in Norway. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen, ContentVideo

Huge export opportunities

The second day of the conference featured a morning seminar by Abelia, which discussed how AI can be the next big Norwegian export and how the Nordic region has many of the needed prerequisites to succeed in AI. This was followed by parallel sessions presented by the organizers of AI+. The conference offered a great platform for professionals to share their ideas, insights, and experiences with others in the field.

Applied artificial intelligence is crucial for solving real-world problems and improving the efficiency of various industries. It can help organizations make better decisions, automate processes, and improve their overall performance. The AI+ conference is an excellent opportunity for professionals in the field to learn about the latest advancements and exchange ideas and knowledge.

Will we see you in 2024?

AI+ features great speakers from leading companies around the world and Norway, covering various topics ranging from challenges faced in different industries to how AI can solve these challenges. The event demonstrates the importance of applied artificial intelligence in improving the efficiency of various industries and solving real-world problems. It is a great opportunity for academia, business, and research to meet and exchange ideas, and we will make sure to be an important event in the field of AI in the coming years.

Follow AI+ on LinkedIn and check out https://aiplus.no/ to see updates for next year’s conference, where we hope to see you! A huge thanks to all the partners and sponsors who help us deliver a great and important platform for applied AI!

AI+ 2023: Highlights from Day 2

AI+ 2023: Highlights from Day 1

Automating battery maintenance with AI

Nornir is an IoT- and AI operator facilitating the real-time movement, usage, and leverage of data, through their core offering – Nornir HIVE. Having acquired Norwegian BMS (battery management system) company Appollo at the start of 2023, Nornir has made the Norwegian Building Maintenance industry the focus of its go-to-market strategy. 

According to founder and CEO Pål K. Levang, the BMS (no; FDVU, forvaltning, drift og vedlikehold) industry is ripe for innovation and is the ideal market for Nornir HIVE to focus on as they unleash their technology.

CEO Pål K. Levang, Nornir
CEO Pål K. Levang in Nornir. PHOTO: Smart Innovation Norway

Pål continues stating that today’s FDVU systems are plagued with manual processes, static data, and vendor lock-in. All of which he, Nornir and the daughter company, Appollo, plans to eradicate. 

We are already working with big and exciting customers through Appollo, Oslobygg, being chief among them – one of Norway’s largest real estate companies. Oslobygg is very open to innovative solutions to traditional problems, and we have already started rolling out AI-driven processes in their BMS value chain.

Working with forward-leaning organizations like Oslobygg is invaluable, according to Pål.

– Having Oslobygg as a client grants us credibility and puts our technology to the ultimate test, as no one has stricter demands regarding data security and operational integrity.

A short presentation of the company

Nornir is something as rare as a Norwegian deep tech company, founded, funded, and run by Norwegians in Norway. That doesn’t stop us from being diverse where it matters, on the inside, with a 50/50 gender split across more than eight nationalities.

We are passionate about seeing our technology facilitate the solutions of tomorrow and strive to continue to be pioneers in the field of AI-driven networks. 

How do you use AI in the company?

We use AI to build semantic networks of devices, software, and otherwise “dumb” nodes, linked by bi-directional linking, communication, and semantic services. This allows us to smartify existing infrastructure, which again can lead to benefits – like in the case with Oslobygg – automation of labour-intensive processes, securing data integrity, eliminating vendor lock-in and much more.

Tell about a recent success story from your company or an exciting project you are working on.

A good example of “smartifying existing infrastructure” is the project we have underway with KfiO at Nordberg kirke in Oslo. Here we have an ongoing pilot project where we’re utilising our HIVE in combination with a set of temperature sensors and “dumb” actuators to smartify their existing heating system. The HIVE will utilize temperature data from the strategically placed sensors to control the existing heating system’s actuators in true real-time. As the pilot progresses, we can use machine learning to add data from the church’s calendar, weather reports and more to make the system even smarter. A solution that could save the church tens, if not hundreds, of thousands in heating costs in the coming winters.

What goals does the company have for the future?

Short-term, we aim to be a leading system provider within the Norwegian BMS (FDVU) vertical, both in the private and public sectors. And we wish to do this with key clients and partners.

Long-term, Nornir has great plans for the HIVE and the underlying technology that includes-, but also goes beyond the scope of Appollo, BMS and Norway. With time, we will roll out our technology, with key partners, in new verticals and markets – while also expanding our portfolio of offerings. 

Why do you sponsor the AI+ conference?

We are sponsoring the AI+ conference as we see it as a vital forum to meet key people, clients and partners within the AI space. 

Smart Innovation Norway has a good history of facilitating valuable relationships, which is why we are a part of their cluster and events such as this one.

Facts about the company:

  • Name of business: Nornir (& Appollo)
  • Number of employees: 20
  • Location: Oslo
  • Industry: Smart City operator & BMS (FDVU) system
  • Briefly about the product/service: https://nornir.io/

VIDEO: – AI must be a general concern for politicians

Abelia is a representative of small companies on the innovation front that use new technology and data to create new businesses. 

Nils Ola Widme, Abelia
Nils Ola Widme, Abelia, on stage at AI+ 2022. PHOTO: Stein Johnsen, ContentVideo

At the AI+ conference in 2022, Policy Director Nils Ola Widme spoke about Abelia’s role as a promoter of AI and digitalization to the Norwegian public and politicians. 

– Knowledge about AI positions us better to devise policies that foster growth and assure us to reach our full potential as a nation. A challenge to the AI+ partners is to make AI a general concern of politicians with a positive approach, he said.

Among many businesses, Widme sees excellent potential in the industrial sector for harnessing AI. In the years ahead, he expects industrial AI projects focused on increasing production to create new products and services and get more out of the country’s resources.

– Look at the public debate; the attention is directed towards the global giants and their use of AI and other tools, Nils Ola Widme says.