7. Sketches, concepts and solutions

PRINCIPLE 1:

Spaces that unite and connect

• Physical and digital meeting places must actively stimulate innovation and interaction.

• Attractive meeting places must tie Oslo Science City more closely together with leading business and knowledge communities, nationally and internationally.

• Meeting places outside and inside will create new links between the players in the area, increase the well-being of locals and provide inspiring experiences for visitors.

• Formal and informal meeting places should strengthen public debate, provide the area with a distinct identity and bring the different neighbourhoods together.

MEETING PLACES AS A SOURCE OF MORE INNOVATION AND GROWTH

INVOLVE, ENGAGE AND SEE OPPORTUNITIES

The meeting places require physical and digital openness at street level, inside the buildings, in the digital meeting forums and in the conference centres. During the last decades, societry has gradually become more closed, partly in response to a rising fear of threats, violence, harassment and other violations. Barriers, locked buildings and floors, security guards and walls increasingly characterize our urban spaces. A dynamic innovation district for the future must show a different and new way.

INTERDISCIPLINARITY AND INTERACTION

A dynamic innovation district is based on closer interaction between actors that rarely meet but have a lot to learn from each other. Students, researchers, authorities, businesses, investors and entrepreneurs must be located close to each other in multifunctional buildings where the actors are co-located on a daily basis. Spatial proximity is important. It is important that small and large companies are offered easy access and proximity to students. This can be achieved through schools for researchers or student associations, through internship schemes and a closer collaboration on specific subjects, master’s theses and doctoral dissertations. By establishing open and dynamic public arenas that bring business, academia, entrepreneurs, government and the financial sector together, innovation and value-creating interaction are stimulated.

SERENDIPITY AND INNOVATION

Innovation is often driven forward by spontaneous and unplanned meetings with professional relevance. This is often referred to as ”serendipity” and such meetings occur more often where meeting places are physical and open. Serendipity is defined as an unintentional discovery in the search for something else. In an article in the journal Nature Communications, Fink et al. (2017) show that when innovation in one field has its origin in another, this happens primarily through serendipity. When meetings between different disciplines, different business actors and entrepreneurs are facilitated, this can provide fertile ground for innovations to migrate between different disciplines and actors. Within innovation research, serendipity is receiving increasing attention. A dynamic innovation district must develop a sufficiently large number of different meeting places so that serendipity can play a role in the knowledge communities, ideally across disciplines.

MEETING ARENAS FOR PLANNED TESTING AND EXPERIMENTATION

Meeting spaces are also places for well-planned collaboration on innovation, testing and piloting. This often happens in spaces and arenas for experimentation and testing of new solutions and technologies. Those who own laboratories and equipment – both private owners, foundations and actors from the public sector – must open their testing facilities to others. An innovation district must develop suitable payment solutions and provide access to sites and equipment for testing and piloting, also to small businesses in the early stages of development. This increases innovation power and creates an inclusive innovation environment.

SOCIAL MEETING PLACES

A vibrant innovation district has attractive meeting places that are available to those located in the innovation district and the population of the city, both during the day, in the afternoon and evening. Such meetings often take place in connection with meals, professional and social events, cultural happenings and other activities on offer. A varied and rich selection of restaurants, cafes, coffee shops and other hospitality venues contribute to an innovative, open and inclusive culture.

CONFERENCES, EVENTS AND FESTIVALS

Innovation – and not least societal innovation – requires open and inviting spaces for discussion where the expert communities meet representatives from the business sector and civil society, and where the population can participate actively. Such spaces are created in the form of open arenas for debate and free stages for expression, both inside buildings and in the outdoor spaces where one can establish atria, amphitheaters and larger groups of seating. To ensure good interaction with interest groups, the business community, organizations and the population in general, open space for public discussion will play a key role in an inclusive innovation district. Internationally leading innovation districts also often establish identity-creating signature events, which can take place in both a physical and digital form. The events provide the participants with a concrete experience of how the innovation district works in practice, by bringing together different disciplines from several institutions that meet businesses and civil society with innovation as a recurring theme. The formula for success lies in being able to exploit the advantages of both in-person events and effective digital participation so as to be as inclusive as possible.

DIGITAL PROXIMITY

Digital meeting places will increasingly contribute to the establishment of innovative networks regionally, nationally and internationally. Over the next decades, VR, digital twins, simulators and digital conferences will affect how we experience digital encounters. To build effective professional networks and secure good interaction with relevant actors – regardless of where they are located – is important. Dynamic innovation districts will be at the forefront in developing seamless concepts for digital and hybrid meeting places.

References for this chapter:

Kamprath and Henike (2019) Serendipity and innovation – Beyond planning and experimental-driven exploration, in The Routledge Companion to Innovation Management (pp.343-360): Routledge. 

Fink, Reeves, Palma and Farr (2017): Serendipity and strategy in rapid innovation, Nature Communications volume 8

Connecting the meeting places

Presently, the areas are built up around two existing independent axes, Gaustadalléen and the University of Oslo/Blindern axis. By connecting the axes through the metro stations at Blindern and Oslo Science Park, the two axes will be linked and form a continuous hub and meeting space.

THE LOOP

Oopen In this area, a loop will be introduced, connecting the four power centres, meeting places and neighbourhoods in Oslo Science City. The loop ties potential development sites together, via a plan programming that allows for a large variety of meeting points and experiences. The loop will ensure interaction between the four centres and support the forces of knowledge gravitation. It will function as a means of transport and social infrastructure between the power centres. It will facilitate both urban connections and knowledge sharing. The loop resolves physical barriers, connects green structures, and is chosen for mobility between centres, neighbourhoods and in and out of Oslo Science City.

FOUR THEMATIC POWER CENTRES

To highlight and reinforce the significance of the strong academic communities in Oslo Science City, we recommend that the thematic gravitational fields are given a physical manifestation and a clear location in the urban space. These four thematic power centres will function as key meeting places that tie academia, the business community and the public administration together in a far more active interaction than we see today. Entrepreneurs and innovators must be given a central role at these centres, with social innovators being especially important. The ability of the power centres to attract expertise and connect different communities is strongly affected by the architectural quality and attractiveness of the district as a holistic urban area. A key premise for succeeding as an innovation district is the ability to achieve a critical mass of enterprises in combination with an attractive and active urban life in multifunctional buildings and urban environments.

Urban planning measures and a powerful start

The central area

Programming of strong neighbourhoods that are linked together

The neighbourhoods of the innovation district will have a distinct local identity. They should also contain urban spaces and a multifunctional urban range of services that facilitates well-functioning and characteristic local communities where functions, activities and other services offered are available within a 15-minute radius. The concept is based on ideas about the city being open, public and accessible to all. By analyzing, discussing, co-creating and defining, it is possible to identify the strengths of each neighbourhood. Through targeted and site-specific solutions and quality architecture, identity is built, with squares and buildings acting as generators so each neighbourhood can grow on its own terms and as an integrated part of the urban fabric. This can best be described as architectural acupuncture.

In addition to attractive urban spaces and neighbourhoods that are seamlessly interconnected by green mobility solutions, our recommendations support the Oslo campus strategy’s objective of further developing Oslo into a leading and attractive knowledge city and economic region in Europe. Hence, the city plan is not solely an ambitious strategy that helps achieve the desired concentration/ critical mass of business activities and other important functions. It also coincides to a large extent with the municipality’s strategy for strengthening green mobility and densification around public transport hubs. In addition, the city plan provides a holistic development approach across sectors and enterprises in an overall framework for physical development, where the different parts of the innovation district can function as innovative urban areas and testing arenas for new solutions to society as well as for businesses.

The emphasis on strong neighbourhoods is an important component in the development of an interconnected innovation district. This feasibility study functions both as a detailed and comprehensive knowledge base for strategic urban development, including municipal, regional and state planning processes.

DEFINING FUNCTIONS

Through analysis, discussion and studies, a program with the right mix of functions (housing, business, knowledge, urban life, culture, nature, etc.) is defined for each neighbourhood

The neighbourhoods

The neighbourhoods of Oslo Science City have both historic roots and are geographically defined. By trying to see past existing limits, we find neighbourhoods that are in natural walking distance from each other, have similar topography, an identity of their own and distinctive architectural characteristics. A dynamic Oslo Science City needs strong and attractive neighbourhoods where you can build a basis of own functions, activities and programs.

RADIUMHOSPITALET AND OSLO CANCER CLUSTER

Her finner man i dag en sterk innovasjonspark som videreutvikles tett inntil Radiumhospitalet og fremmer et sømløst samarbeid. Med tiden vil det eksisterende konseptet gi sterkere tilstedeværelse av Big Pharma, mer forskningsaktivitet, plass til selskaper som vokser ut av inkubatoren, mer undervisning , forsker/gründer hotell etc. Dagens Campus Radiumhospitalet mangler i dag et «byliv» og flere møteplasser. Utfordringen er også at man ligger noen kilometer fra selve aksen i Oslo Science City. I vårt konsept løses dette gjennom effektive mobilitetsløsninger.

NEDRE GAUSTAD

At Nedre Gaustad, there is a unique and attractive community with dense features, located in the green belt that connects the district and the centre with Øvre Gaustad and marka, the forested nature areas around the city. Important innovation and research facilities are already located in the neighbourhood, and we suggest strengthening its identity through innovation hubs, incubators, urban commercial streets and green elements pulled into buildings and onto roofs.

ØVRE GAUSTAD

The new National Hospital at Gaustad will dominate this neighbourhood. Combined with the proximity to Nordmarka and the park-like surroundings, this district will further develop its particular qualities of well-being, biological diversity and rich, lush nature. We suggest constructing a square, a meeting point between different hospital units at the end of Gaustadalléen. The connection leading down to Blindern metro station will be elevated across the ring road. The development of active building facades will strengthen the area and provide an environment that is both urban and green.

BLINDERN

We suggest to significantly strengthen the innovation ecosystem through multifunctional solutions, by facilitating the establishment of enterprises, offering scaling opportunities for start-up companies, more housing and vibrant squares that are activated by open facades facing the street and roof spaces. This is described in more detail in our descriptions of the central area, the four power centres and the Loop

MARIENLYST

Marienlyst will be a collaboration partner of Oslo Science City, but the area will be developed on its own terms with its own vision and goals. Here, there will be meeting places for students, children, youth, sports, culture and the innovation ecosystems. It will also provide premises and communication arenas for start-up enterprises and organizations in the area. Marienlyst is planned as an area for recreation and social gatherings for students, research communities, academia and businesses. Varied high-quality housing and commercial premises will be developed here.

CAMPUS ULLEVÅL

Campus Ullevål will be a centre for research, innovation and start-up enterprises within climate, energy and the environment. With large hotel and conference facilities at Ullevål Stadium as its closest neighbour, it will be possible to facilitate and organize conferences, trade fairs and festivals, and create a valuable meeting place both locally, nationally and internationally. The research institutes NGI, IFE, NIVA and NILU are planning to be physically present at the new Campus Ullevål from 2024 and cooperate to establish this as a campus and a power centre for research and innovation within climate, energy and the environment.

MAJORSTUEN

Majorstuen is a transport hub. The planned train line to Fornebu and the development of Majorstuen station provide space for the commercial activities of the future and will help transform this important hub into a natural gateway to Oslo Science City. This improves the connection to Frognerparken, and the green belt will lead through Oslo Science City and strengthen the location of Chateau Neuf with its public square. We also suggest a new connection road for public transport, autonomous buses and pedestrians, cyclists etc. that will be linked to the Loop.