#GREETSNORDICS (5): KRISTIANSAND

The (Province) provincie Groningen and (Municipality) Gemeente Groningen took the initiative to jointly organize two innovation missions in 2022 to Scandinavia in close collaboration with the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Denmark and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Norway .

Last week we came back from our visit to Denmark and Norway. This is part 5 and final part of our brief travel report.

PART 5: KRISTIANSAND

Thursday 28th October we traveled by bus from Stavanger to Kristiansand, our last visit in the program with the Groningen Innovation Mission to Denmark and Norway. Morten Lauknes and Alice Leland H?ye from N?ringsavdelingen i Kristiansand had driven towards us to meet and surprise us along our route in Lyngdal while we were making a short sanitary stop. They brought a nice welcome drink and sweet pastry on a hand made wooden plate, specialty products from the region, with Morten joining us in the bus for information and entertainment during the last hour on our way to Kristiansand. What a nice surprise and warm welcome!

Upon our arrival at the City Hall in Kristiansand we were warmly welcomed by the Mayor of Kristiansand Jan Oddvar Skisland , County Mayor of Arne Thomassen and CEO of Business Region Kristiansand Geir Haugum on behalf of Kristiansand kommune and Agder fylkeskommune . And Honorary Consul for The Netherlands in Southeast Norway Tore Hansen joined our delegation with Dutch Ambassador to Norway John Groffen .

Trond M. Backer DEO of the Chamber of Commerce in Kristiansand and Vice Rector for External Relations G?ril Hann?s from University of Agder (UiA) also welcomed our delegation and would be joining us for the program in Kristiansand.

The visit of our Groningen delegation to Kristiansand was used to sign a Letter of Intent about cooperation on the development of the world's first commercial, emissions free ferry between Kristiansand and the Eemshaven in Groningen, operated by Holland Norway Lines . The LoI was proudly signed by the Norwegian partners, CEO Bart Cunnen from Holland Norway Lines and by Regional Minister for Groningen Melissa Kashiku van Hoorn , Wisse Hummel from Groningen Seaports and Deputy Mayor Eltjo Dijkhuis from municipality Het Hogeland in Groningen on behalf of the Groningen delegation. A great start of our visit to Kristiansand!

After the welcome at the City Hall and signing of the LoI it was time to start with the 3 separate side-programs around the topics #energy #humancapital and #economicdevelopment & #tourism.

SIDE-PROGRAM ENERGY

The #energy group was picked up by bus to visit Returkraft for a guided tour to see the waste to energy plant and presentations by Agder Energi , GREENSTAT ASA , Everfuel , Biozin Holding AS , Port of Kristiansand IKS , GCE NODE , Origo and Bulk Data Centers . From the Groningen delegation Regional Minister Melissa Kashiku van Hoorn presented Groningen as energy region in The Netherlands and Wisse Hummel presented energy related projects and ambitions at Groningen Seaports .

SIDE-PROGRAM HUMAN CAPITAL

The #humancapital group was picked up by bus to visit University of Agder (UiA) Vice rector G?ril Hann?s accompanied the group for a guided tour to see the Mechatronics Innovation Lab and Offshore Mechatronics Innovation Center and the new site for battery education. Goal of this side-program was to discuss and exchange information about education systems, cooperation opportunities in research & development, student exchange programs etc. Deputy Mayor for Groningen Carine Bloemhoff and Dean Internationalization Paul Ganzeboom at Hanze University of Applied Sciences presented the 3 Groningen educational partners in our delegation Rijksuniversiteit Groningen , Hanze and Noorderpoort .

SIDE-PROGRAM TOURISM & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

The last group remained in the city center of Kristiansand for a guided tour to the beautiful and impressive theater and concert house with Ingrid Forthun , Artistic Director at Kilden teater og konserthus . Next on the program was a visit to the construction site where the new Kunstsilo is being build, an award winning grain silo in Kristiansand that is now being transformed into one of northern Europe's most innovative art institutions and exhibition centers. Director of the Kunstsilo Eldbj?rg Dahl showed us around this beautiful, impressive and very interesting new project that will certainly boost economic development and tourism!

And on our way back to the city center we visited the beautiful fish market where we could see, taste and experience the finest fish delicacies. Very, very tasteful! Back in our hotel we continued the discussion with Bart Cunnen CEO from Holland Norway Lines , about the impact this new ferry line has on the economic and tourist development between Kristiansand and Groningen, and wider than that between Norway and The Netherlands. All are very excited and looking forward to the continuous success of this great new ferry line connecting our countries!

DINNER AT KRISTIANSAND ZOO

After finishing the side-programs it was time to go back to our hotel to refresh and prepare for dinner. At 18.00 we departed by bus towards the Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park Dyreparken for the evening program. After a welcome and small snack we went for a guided tour through the park before going to dinner in the beautiful setting of a 1920ies theater with dinner seatings at different levels, all watching at the central stage where entertainment was started. Managing Director Per Arnstein Aamot of the Kristiansand Zoo and Amusement Park presented with proud his great park, Geir Haugum connected the dots and Mayor from Groningen Koen Schuiling, Deputy Mayor of Groningen Philip Broeksma and Dutch Ambassador to Norway John Groffen from the Embassy of the Netherlands in Norway all thanked the Norwegian partners and hosts Kristiansand kommune and Agder fylkeskommune for a great welcome and program in Krisiansand.

The next morning Morten Lauknes had challenged our delegation for an early morning dive in the ice cold North Sea together with the local Norwegian ice swimmers club right in from of our hotel at the city beach ... Some of us took the challenge, including myself. And it was really cold! But what a great experience to do this together with our Norwegian friends!

After this refreshing sea swim the rest of the morning was reserved for free time, business meetings and/or join the excursion to 'Under' near Lindesness, Europe's first and the world's largest underwater restaurant. An amazing and beautiful design by the famous Norwegian architects at Sn?hetta . Open only for exclusive dinner. Here we welcomed for a guided tour to learn more about this amazing project, a must see when you are visiting southern Norway together with the beautiful lighthouse nearby at the southernmost tip of Norway!

For our way back to Kristiansand the local fish restaurant had prepared nice lunch boxes with fresh seafood. In Kristiansand we pick-up the others to go boarding at the Holland Norway Lines ferry to bring us back from Kristiansand to Groningen. CEO Bart Cunnen welcomed our delegation on board and joined us for this nice sea crossing. Noorderpoort had organized a guided tour to the bridge of the ship to meet the captain of the ship and to see the engine rooms below deck. Very interesting and thank you Bart and Holland Norway Lines!

And with this our travel report from to Denmark and Norway comes to a close. A big thank you to all Norwegian and Danish partners that have made this second Groningen Innovation Mission a success!

A special word of thank you to Geir Haugum , Morten Lauknes , Alice Leland H?ye and Sanne Jordan from N?ringsavdelingen i Kristiansand to organize this magnificent program. Without your help we could not have realized this great visit to Kristiansand!

Pictures by Martijn Heemstra