03.06.2025
The Norwegian smart-house association and a Nordic Edge smart city cluster member is setting up shop in Romania – specifically in Sinaia, as a result of the NORO-project.
– This is a real-life success story illustrating how we connect our members to new markets and business opportunities, says Bjarne Uldal, our Chief Innovation Officer, and he continues:
– It also demonstrates the importance of using the Nordic Edge network and events as a stepping stone for your company.
Nordic Edge acts as a non-profit intermediary across sectors, markets, and borders, helping our cluster member bring their businesses to new markets.
NORD-Solutions, or NORD HT AS, delivers a smart-house system designed to maximise savings by optimising the use of green energy. You can save up to 91% on electricity in homes without electric heating, making it a smart solution for homeowners and for the planet.
This particular story began in January, when NORD attended a Nordic Edge event at Innoasis, pitching to the delegation from Romania as part of the NORO project.
– These events are important for our cluster members. With our expertise and network, we understand which solutions may match different challenges. That’s why we organise these pitching events. Our members get to take centre stage and present themselves, Bjarne says.
– Nordic Edge encouraged us to pitch in January, having identified promising business opportunities for us in the Romanian market, says Ingvar Sveinsvoll, CEO at NORD.
Since pitching, NORD has attended weekly digital meetings with Nordic Edge and Romanian stakeholders, culminating in the final event of the M100 project: New Urban Habits in Suceava. In other words, NORD was prepped and ready to take on the Romanian smart city market.
– If I had a question during the weekly meetings, they would follow it up with introducing me to someone relevant at the next. Always taking one step forward and finding new opportunities, Ingvar explains, and continues:
– There was a representative from the mayor’s office there, inviting me into new meetings and arenas. My schedule got pretty packed during the visit!
Prior to the Romanian visit, NORD is present in several EU-countries: Norway, Poland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary and Austria.
– The Romania-project will begin as a pilot, possibly setting up 10-15 apartments in Sinaia. Working as a good showcase for our solutions.
The new project will possibly include a collaboration with another cluster member at Nordic Edge, a start-up company called Fibertech. Their solution is to use hemp in housebuilding.
– Members coming together with other members is the beauty of smart city-cluster memberships, and how new opportunities can emerge from it, says Bjarne.
NORO Green Cities is a project linked to EDIH Oceonapolis, where Nordic Edge is a key partner. NORO stands for Norwegian-Romanian collaboration. Through this project, we have facilitated direct meetings between our cluster members and various Romanian cities. This has already resulted in ten memoranda of understanding (MOUs). The market initiative for Nord-Solutions highlights the effect of cross-border collaboration.