Check out the photo series from AI+ Academia on Wednesday. Click on an image to enlarge and browse through the gallery. All photos: Veronica van Groningen and Stein Johnsen / Contentvideo.no
Tag: 2026
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AI+ 2026: Photos from AI+ Business
Check out the photo series from AI+ Business on Wednesday. Click on an image to enlarge and browse through the gallery. All photos: Veronica van Groningen and Stein Johnsen / Contentvideo.no
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AI+ 2026: Photos from AI+ Public Sector
Check out the photo series from the morning session at AI+ Public Sector with Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance, Karianne Tung, on Wednesday. Click on an image to enlarge and browse through the gallery. All photos: Stein Johnsen / Contentvideo.no
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AI+ 2026: Photos from AI+ PreParty
Check out the photo series from the AI+ PreParty on Tuesday evening. Click on an image to enlarge and browse through the gallery. All photos: Veronica van Groningen
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AI+ 2026: Photos from Social Meetup & Dinner
Check out the photo series from the afternoon activities and culinary experiences of the startups and investors at AI+ on Day 1. Click on an image to enlarge and browse through the gallery. All photos: Veronica van Groningen
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AI+ 2026: Photos from AI+ Investors & Startups Day
Check out the photo series from the dedicated AI event for startups and investors on Tuesday. Click on an image to enlarge and browse through the gallery. All photos: Veronica van Groningen
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AI+ 2026: Photos from “Vacation Planning with Artificial Intelligence”
Check out the photo series from the opening AI event for “seniors” on Tuesday morning. Click on an image to enlarge and browse through the gallery. All photos: Veronica van Groningen
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The Minister of Digitalisation Opens AI+ 2026 – Bringing Together More Than 90 Speakers in Historic Halden
How is artificial intelligence being used in practice – and what actually works? These are some of the key questions when the AI+ conference takes place in the border town of Halden from 26-29 May.
“Artificial intelligence is no longer something happening in the future. The technology is already changing how businesses operate, how public services are developed, and how decisions are made,” says Tore Lie, Project Manager of AI+ 2026.
During AI+, participants from business, public sector organisations, academia, startups and investor communities will gather to share experiences and explore how AI is being applied in real-world contexts.
“AI+ is not about the hype surrounding artificial intelligence. It is about what actually works – and what we still need to figure out,” Lie explains.
AI conversations with the minister
This is also a topic of great importance to Norway’s Minister of Digitalisation and Public Governance, Karianne Oldernes Tung, who will open AI+ Public Sector on Wednesday 27 May (one of the conference’s three main tracks). She will also participate in a panel discussion titled “How does the use of AI change competence needs?”
Following her visit to the Public Sector track, the minister will continue to Byparken and attend AI+ Business, where she will join AI+ moderator Ruth Astrid Sæter for an on-stage conversation about artificial intelligence, digitalisation and the future of work.
This year marks the seventh edition of AI+, and the conference has grown into its largest and most ambitious version yet, featuring 89 speakers and 31 events across four days. AI+ has evolved into something closer to an AI festival than a traditional conference.
Highly relevant themes
The programme includes dedicated tracks for business, public sector and academia, as well as a full day for startups and investors. There are still a few tickets left for selected events.
Key themes include:
- AI as a competitive advantage in business
- Responsible and trustworthy use of AI
- Regulation and developments in Europe
- How organisations move from pilots to real implementation
The conference takes place in Halden, a historic fortress town with strong traditions in technology and research, and is organised by Smart Innovation Norway in collaboration with Østfold University of Applied Sciences (HiØ), Institute for Energy Technology (IFE), Halden Business Development, Halden municipality, the Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS), and Nemonoor.
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Norway’s Leading Tech Research Institute Takes the Stage at AI+
Smart Innovation Norway and Simula’s Department of Applied AI share an ambition to connect world-leading research more closely with Norwegian industry – and to contribute to the development of safe, useful and robust AI.
For AI+ 2026 in Halden this May, the collaboration becomes especially visible: Senior Data Scientist Claudia Battistin from Simula, who was recently recognised by Abelia as one of Norway’s 50 most influential women in technology, will join the stage to share insights from the frontlines of artificial intelligence (AI) research and safety.
Bridging academia and industry
Simula is a government-owned, but privately run research institute with internationally leading expertise in ICT and AI. Its main objective is clear:
“Simula’s main objective is to solve fundamental problems in ICT that benefit society. In 2025, we established the Department of Applied AI, where we focus on building safe, useful and robust AI innovations, and we want to continue working with companies that push the state-of-the-art in their respective fields, to bridge the gap between academia and industry,” says Omar Richardson, Chief Technology Officer at Simula.
Omar Richardson is Simula’s the Chief Technology Officer. This bridge between cutting-edge research and real-world implementation is at the heart of AI+. As AI adoption accelerates across sectors, ensuring that innovation is grounded in scientific rigor and responsibility becomes increasingly important.
Supporting startups and tomorrow’s industry leaders
Through its partnership with Smart Innovation Norway, Simula’s Department of Applied AI aims to deepen its engagement with startups and scaleups – a key target group for AI+ 2026.
“We want to redefine industry outcomes through innovations, and educate the leaders of tomorrow’s industry,” explains Richardson.
By participating in AI+, Simula contributes not only advanced research expertise, but also a strong commitment to competence-building and long-term industrial development.
World-leading research in AI safety
Simula hosts world-leading expertise in IT and AI and has a long history of successful industry collaborations. According to the national research evaluation EVALMIT 2025, Simula is Norway’s leading research institute in terms of both impact and excellence.
The institute also leads several national and international AI initiatives, including the newly established, nationally funded research centre SURE-AI (December 2025), dedicated to AI safety and security.
The focus on safe and responsible AI aligns closely with the mission of AI+, where technology development, value creation and societal responsibility go hand in hand.
Real expertise on stage at AI+ 2026
At a time when AI discussions are often dominated by hype, AI+ aims to bring forward voices grounded in research, experience and responsibility.
Claudia Battistin, Senior Data Scientist at Simula. With Senior Data Scientist Claudia Battistin on stage during AI+ Business, participants will gain insights from one of Norway’s strongest AI research environments – directly connected to international research initiatives and national competence-building efforts.
“Together, Smart Innovation Norway and Simula’s applied AI department are helping ensure that Norway’s AI journey is not only innovative, but also safe, responsible and knowledge-driven,” comments Tore Lie, Senior Business Developer at Smart Innovation Norway and AI+ Project Manager.
AI+ 2026 is where that journey continues.
About Simula
- An government-owned, privately run research institute specializing in ICT and artificial intelligence
- Dedicated to solving fundamental ICT challenges that benefit society
- Hosts world-leading expertise in IT and AI
- Recognized as Norway’s leading research institute in its field in the national EVALMIT 2025 evaluation (impact and excellence)
- Leads several national and international AI initiatives
- Hosts SURE-AI (established February 2026), Norway’s new national research center for sustainable, risk-averse and ethical AI.
- Strong track record of successful industry collaborations
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Student innovators will serve sustainable food concepts at AI+ 2026
From candy made from orange peels to tortilla chips made from algae: Student-run companies from Østfold will bring their innovative and sustainable food products to AI+ 2026, where conference participants will get a taste of the next generation of food innovation.
Ahead of the conference, four student companies from upper secondary schools across the region visited Smart Innovation Norway in Halden for a masterclass in food product development.
- Read also: AI+ Doesn’t Build Itself
The session was led by the founders of TasteForge, a startup in Smart Innovation Norway’s incubator that develops an AI-driven platform for faster and smarter product development in the food and consumer goods industry.
From orange peels to algae protein
During the visit, the students met TasteForge founders Stig Ola Johansen and Aleksander Johansen, who shared insights from building and launching new food products in a highly competitive market.
“These student companies are working creatively with food and circular resource use. Some turn orange peels into candy, others produce chips from root vegetables, smoothies from surplus fruit and berries, or tortilla chips enriched with algae protein. It’s incredibly exciting to see what they are creating,” says Sille Solberg, responsible for upper secondary education at Ungt Entreprenørskap Østfold.
Sille Solberg brought the students to Smart Innovation Norway in Halden to learn. She is responsible for upper secondary education at Ungt Entreprenørskap Østfold. The student companies represent four upper secondary schools in the region. SnackBack UB from Moss produces candy made from orange peels. TombGULL UB from Råde develops chips made from root vegetables. Too Good To Waste UB from Fredrikstad gives fruit and berries a second life through smoothie products, while Sjøprotein UB from Halden produces tortilla chips made from algae.
Learning from seasoned entrepreneurs
During the masterclass, the students gained both practical advice and a realistic understanding of what it takes to succeed in the food industry. Topics such as product development, packaging and market positioning were central to the session.
“For these student companies, it means a lot to meet entrepreneurs who are actively working in the industry. They gain insight into how demanding the market can be, but also concrete tips they can use as they continue developing their products,” Solberg explains.
Aleksander Johansen, CTO of TasteForge, sat down with the student companies to provide advice on each of their business concepts. Among other things, the students received advice on packaging and product presentation, and the TasteForge founders will also provide packaging samples that the companies can use in their further development work.
Serving the future of food at AI+
Their visit to Smart Innovation Norway also opens the door to a new opportunity: The students have been invited to present and serve their products during AI+ 2026.
“We want to connect young entrepreneurial talents with environments that work professionally with innovation and technology. It provides inspiration and a glimpse of what is possible,” says Tore Lie, Business Developer at Smart Innovation Norway and Project Lead for AI+.
Tore Lie, seen here with his back to the camera, is the project lead for AI+ and Senior Business Developer at Smart Innovation Norway. He wants to give the student companies a platform where they can showcase their products. He believes it is important to give young entrepreneurs a platform where they can showcase their work.
“At AI+, people working with technology, innovation and new solutions come together. Having these student companies present their products at the conference is both inspiring and well deserved. They represent the next generation of entrepreneurs,” says Lie.
For the students, being invited into a professional innovation environment is a valuable recognition of their work.
“It’s a great source of pride for the student companies to be seen in this way. They put a lot of effort into developing their projects,” Solberg concludes.
