OIW: Do Municipalities Matter? Attracting Investment and Business Growth
Startdato: 21.10.2026
Tid: 12:00–14:00
Sted: Oslo City Hall, in the Auditorium
Investors, companies, and regions all want thriving innovation ecosystems. But what role do municipalities actually play in attracting investment and supporting business growth?
Bringing together perspectives from Norway and Sweden, this session explores what companies and investors look for when choosing locations, what municipalities can realistically do to become more attractive, and how public-private collaboration can create new opportunities for innovation in life sciences.
Through company stories, investor insights, and a panel discussion, we will examine how municipalities can move from being regulators to becoming active partners in innovation, growth, and investment attraction.
Program:
12.00-12.30 – Registration and free lunch
Get your badge, grab some food and meet some new contacts – public and private sector
12.30-13.45 – Main program
Welcome
By Målfrid Baik, Oslo Region Alliance & Delphine Costa, the Life Science Cluster
What makes a region attractive and supportive for Life Science?
Pontus Holm, Head of the Programme Office for Life Sciences and Smart Specialisation, Region Stockholm
The company perspective
Tanja Aarvak, ARTBIO
Tove Ofstad, Roche Diagnostics
Panel: Building attractive places for growth
Tanja Aarvak, ARTBIO
Jakob Retvedt Bakkerud , Invest in Ringerike
Erling Nordbø, Aleap Ventures
Pontus Holm, Region Stockholm
Delphine Costa, The Life Science Cluster
Panel moderated by Rasmus Malmborg, Invest In Norway
13:45-14:15 – Opportunity for networking
We will still have coffee and opportunity
Practical information
Date: October 21, 2026
Time: 12:00-14:15 (lunch served from 12:00-12:30)
Location: Oslo City Hall, Auditorium (please enter from the seaside entrance)
Who should attend?
This session is relevant for municipalities, investors, companies, business associations, clusters, and ecosystem actors seeking to better understand how places can attract investment, support innovation, and create conditions for business growth.
Participants will gain insights into:
- What investors and companies value when choosing locations
- How municipalities can support investment, innovation and business growth
- The role of ecosystems in attracting companies and investment
- Regional collaboration and lessons from Norway and Sweden
- New contacts across the public, private and innovation sector
An event during Oslo Innovation Week, hosted by The Oslo Region Alliance in collaboration with The Life Science Cluster.
Registere here or below:
