The popular event is a co-creation between national and local political parties, NGO's, universities, research institutions, private companies, and the Municipality of Arendal and takes place every year in mid-August. For 5 days, the city of Arendal is filled with an interesting and educational variety of exhibitions and events.
This year, our portfolio companies ENRX Group, Veyt, Utel, Volue and Factlines held presentations and debates on our rooftop terrace. Along with our portfolio companies and partners, we invited politicians and experts in their fields to take part in various debates focused on our areas of investment.
"We have been a proud sponsor of Arendalsuka for several years. It is always a pleasure to see Arendal shine as the hosting city and welcome guests to our events throughout the week," says Benjamin Golding, CEO of Arendals Fossekompani.
Arendalsuka 2024 was a great success! Below you’ll find a day by day recap of the events we hosted over the week.
Day one recap of Arendalsuka
Today, Arendals Fossekompani ASA kicked off this week-long national event by hosting an event for Norske Fagskolestudenter and their discussion around what future systems for higher education could look like.
Straight after lunch, Arendal came into full swing and the city starting buzzing just as two representatives from Alytic’s portfolio company, Utel, presented their fascinating analysis on AI-driven phone scams. Presenter Frode Gorseth strongly emphasized how AI is continuously improving and soon will be so advanced that we can no longer rely on recognizing poor language or speech. At the same time, development is rapid on the front of combating these scams, though several iterations are needed to figure out how to balance privacy protection against scam protection.
Meanwhile just across the marina, Volue's COO, Ingeborg Gjærum, took the center stage with Global Outlook as a keynote speaker to present a realistic look at developments in the world of business, politics and the environment - assessing root causes and likely future trajectories. Ingeborg delivered a refreshing take and reminded us that most companies are just niches; small players contributing the puzzle pieces needed to the totality of what will make a better world.
Recap on day two of Arendalsuka
The good weather held out for another day as we started with an early morning presentation from Veyt discussing rising quota prices and demands for alternative fuels within the shipping industry. A cap destined for zero by 2040 will require massive emission reductions across all sectors, including the maritime. The order book for new ships is filling up with non-conventional engine types, and the hunt for low-and zero-emission fuels has begun.
A warm thank you to the panellists Marte Ziolkowski, Mathias Karvel Kyllingstad and Sveinung Oftedal for your excellent insights!
Just before lunch, Utel held a panel discussion which declared telephone fraud as a growing societal problem and emphasized the need for more cooperation between the banks, authorities and government regulators.
To cap off a jam-packed day of rooftop events, ENRX Group organized a spirited debate around electrification and the energy crisis. Not all members saw eye to eye on the debated solutions. However, “All participants agreed that it is urgent to adopt the Environmental Directive from the EU,” says Bjorn Eldar Petersen.
Recap on day three of Arendalsuka
Last night’s thunderstorms halted just in time for Factlines and Arendals Fossekompani ASA to host a discussion on whether EU's Sustainability Regulations have an effect. The panel agreed that the regulations were a necessary and stressed the importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement. They also reminded us that often, the critics of a company can be the most important source information.
During lunch, our portfolio company Volue organized a panel discussing the resistance around Norway’s transition to green energy. A key origin of the defiance can be traced back to the energy price crisis which shined a spotlight on the renewable energy debate that has become much larger and more provoking in recent years. And while a large percent of the public is positive to an increased production of renewable energy, transparency and facts need to stay at the centre of decision-making processes.
To cap off the day, Factlines hosted a fascinating panel about sustainable supply chains in energy production questioning if we are victims of cognitive dissonance, or are we willing players? And how proactive ESG measures need to transition working more with a shared framework, and less in separate silos.
Final Recap on Arendalsuka
For the past five days, we have had the pleasure of watching Arendal transform into a democratic meeting place for everyone who is engaged in the society we are living in.
Arendals Fossekompani is grateful to everyone who helped organize this important national event. We would also like to share an extended thank you to our portfolio companies: ENRX Group, Volue, Factlines, Veyt, and Utel for helping organize and take part in the engaging discussions on our rooftop terrace throughout the week.
Until next year!
