1. Welcome to Oslo Science City

Norway’s first innovation district has many of the features that are needed to develop a dynamic innovation ecosystem: a highly ranked university as an anchor institution, the largest hospital in the Nordic countries, research institutes with world-leading expertise, internationally leading enterprises, committed students, dynamic start-up communities and access to competent capital. A number of large projects in Oslo Science City are already being developed. Others are in the planning stages.

Today, the district needs more established businesses, a vibrant urban environment and mobility solutions linking the parts of the district together. These challenges must be addressed in order to realize the great potential that has been identified. Furthermore, effective collaborations between the actors in the area need to be developed further, and new mechanisms for cooperation with actors in the public and the private sector regionally, nationally and internationally must be established. It is a clear strength that the City of Oslo has adopted an offensive strategy to stimulate such a development.

To obtain a leading international position, you have to stand on the shoulders of outstanding knowledge. Four thematic areas have been identified where the actors in Oslo Science City have world-leading knowledge: Health and life sciences, Climate, energy and environment, Digitalization and computational science, and Democracy and inclusion. These thematic gravitational fields will provide Oslo Science City with a distinct identity and profile. These are areas where Norway and Oslo Science City can participate in developing solutions with global relevance.

MEETING PLACES AND MULTIFUNCTIONALITY

Outstanding researchers represent the core of a dynamic innovation district. This is the departure point for innovation and entrepreneur-ship, evolving into new products, services, business models and solutions. Incubators contribute to commercialization and the establishment of new enterprises. Larger companies and competent capital stimulate scaling of companies and internationalization. All stages of this process can be strengthened by a well-designed system of public policy instruments. It is the interaction between these actors which is often referred to as an innovation system. The strength of the innovation system is dependent on critical mass within these components and the interaction between them.

To facilitate interaction, it is important to create good meeting places where thoughts, ideas and concepts are presented, discussed, criticized and developed further. It is in these meeting places that people most easily learn from each other, connect with each other and find ways to share resources with each other. In a dynamic innovation district, you find multifunctional buildings, where different actors work in the same place. You find multifunctional areas where knowledge development and start-up communities are represented together with business and urban functions. Here, there is room for a wide variety of different types of meeting places, everything from technology-intensive laboratories to open mingle halls, from digital conference solutions to small group rooms, from exclusive restaurants to cafeterias.

OPEN, VIBRANT AND INCLUSIVE

Oslo Science City will be a vibrant district that is designed for people of all ages, from all walks of life, cultures and professions to meet. Technology and architecture will make spaces, buildings and attractions inviting and available to as many people as possible. The mobility solutions will connect the various neighbourhoods of the innovation district. It will offer a large number of modern and energy-efficient housing units for people in different phases of their life. Service functions and shops and an urban and safe residential environment will activate the street level and promote well-being. The areas will be characterized by a well-developed social infrastructure with schools, kindergartens and residential centres. Oslo Science City will be a district that is vibrant and open, well beyond working hours. Multifunctional buildings and well-designed urban spaces will help people in the area to connect, share and create. Cultural events, debates, seminars, events, lectures and general mingling will provide this district with a unique character in a Norwegian and Nordic context. Openness is also an important characteristic of innovative work. It should be easy for industry players to get access to laboratories, test facilities and arenas for knowledge interaction. This way innovation is promoted, increasing value creation and the number of new sustainable jobs.

WORLD’S GREENEST INNOVATION DISTRICT

Oslo Science City aspires to be a good example of how a holistic approach to planning for an urban district can provide major environmental benefits. Efficient land use and densification go hand in hand with a rise in the amount of biomass in the area. Environmentally friendly buildings, climate adaptation using nature-based solutions, extensive tree planting, emission-free mobility, energy efficiency and circular principles will characterize Oslo Science City. A green and densely vegetated corridor provides people in the centre of Oslo with direct access to Marka, the forested and hilly nature areas surrounding the city. It will service the population in summer and winter, on foot, by bicycle or on skis. The green corridors bring people close up to buildings, restaurants and cultural activities at street level in Oslo Science City

An innovation district for all of Norway

Oslo Science City is an initiative of national importance. Norway’s first innovation district will contribute to increased value creation and new jobs in the whole country, through a network-based collaboration with researchers, the business community and the public sector throughout all of Norway. It is possible to realize great benefits through better knowledge sharing and cooperation on innovation. Oslo Science City will contribute to precisely that.

UNITING AND PUTTING A SPOTLIGHT ON NORWEGIAN EXPERT COMMUNITIES

The University of Oslo, with its world-leading research environments within a wide range of disciplines, has a large potential for more innovation-based interaction with the businesses and the public sector. Increased collaboration with Oslo University Hospital, SINTEF, NGI and other strong research institutes in the area will propel such a development. A strengthened national commitment to promoting innovation can take the shape of a three-way collaboration between enterprises located throughout the country, regional knowledge institutions and Oslo Science City. This type of collaboration may help to consolidate and highlight the knowledge we have in Norway in important areas that receive significant international attention. Norwegian knowledge institutions and companies will become more visible to research communities abroad, international partners, customers and investors. This will also allow Norway to strengthen its position in the ever tougher competition for research programs and innovation-oriented funding instruments offered by the EU.

This three-way cooperation can be developed through strategic alliances and exchange schemes for specialists and researchers. The establishment of satellites may boost knowledge sharing and generation of ideas through interaction between regional actors and enterprises throughout the whole of Norway’s long coastline and inland. This can be realized through common innovation workshops, joint use of laboratories and testing infrastructure and allowing access to coworking spaces. Use of digital communication such as VR, 3D rooms and holography will tie knowledge-Norway more closely together.

A holistic and ambitious concept

This Feasibility Study depicts a large opportunity space for Oslo Science City. It is based on a holistic and well-thought-out development of this key urban area in Oslo. The study outlines an innovation district that will develop a clear profile and a strong international position.

There are four reasons why a holistic and ambitious concept for the development of Oslo Science City is recommended:

01.
As a knowledge capital, it is important that Oslo provides space for both established and new knowledge-intensive businesses, located as close as possible to the strong knowledge communities. This way, you reach a higher activity level in the area. You need to reach critical mass in terms of the size of research communities, the strength of industry clusters, the size of entrepreneurial ecosystems, and features such as cultural activities, restaurants and different types of housing. The municipality should therefore facilitate a greater concentration of knowledge-intensive businesses within the innovation district, partly through a high degree of space utilization. The municipal plan for land use (a part of the municipal master plan) and detailed zoning plans are key measures in achieving critical mass. It is required that the whole is seen from a holistic perspective.

02.
The concept is based on creating more urban life in a district that is presently characterized by single purpose buildings without sufficient activity after working hours. To create urban life, we must urbanize and transform the area. Streets, squares and courtyards are to be established. The area has to be densified. Street levels need to be opened up and devoted to retail, meeting places and social and cultural activities. A holistic approach allows for just that. The development of multifunctional areas and buildings requires clear strategies and holistic measures.

03.
In the area, a considerable number of new major projects are already being implemented or are in the planning stages. They add significant resources to the district, in terms of knowledge, areas for housing and commercial activities, and research infrastructure. Through a holistic approach, the feasibility study considers these projects in a larger context. This way, the individual elements reinforce each other and contribute to reaching the ambition for the innovation district.

04.
The concept is based on the City of Oslo’s campus strategy. It states that to realize the ambitions for Oslo Science City, comprehensive urban planning measures are required. These include solutions for mobility, multifunctionality, land use, urban life and sustainability. To ensure that the innovation district meets future requirements for such solutions, a new and holistic way of thinking is needed. A good example is the green corridor from Frognerparken to Marka, the large nature areas surrounding the city. The corridor is a pivotal move for an attractive development of the area. It requires planning where all neighbourhoods from Majorstuen in the south to Gaustadbekkdalen in the north are considered in context.