recently, the “catapult centre” co-founded by china national bluestar group’s norwegian company elkem, and norwegian resitec, arendals fossekompani and the university of agder, was officially launched in southern norway.
the concept of the “catapult centre” originates from the uk and refers specifically to the center for technology innovation. being a country that has successfully transformed its economy, the uk has been at the forefront of innovation in the world for many years. in order to maintain the ability to innovate, the british government has established an effective innovation and cultivation system. among them, many “catapult centres”, under the supervision of the national innovation agency, have their distinctive features and promote the effective docking of new technologies and markets. this time, elkem joined the founding of the norwegian “catapult centre”, and it aims to enhance the technological innovation capability and further meet the market demand for innovative special materials.
at present, the demand for high-tech innovative materials in many production fields is growing, but the level of scientific research and weak independent innovation has become a bottleneck restricting the growth and stability of small and medium-sized enterprises. the "catapult centre" will conduct r&d and innovation for the field of special materials technology. it will provide enterprises with a base for testing of new technologies, help them reduce innovation risks, accelerate the transformation of scientific and technological achievements. it will also help the innovative development of norwegian smes, further enhance norway's sustainability and its global competitiveness, and consolidate norway's leading position in materials technology.
havard moe, senior vice president of elkem technology, said that the fast-growing mobile phone and electric vehicle industries are eager to develop new products through the cutting-edge specialty materials, which will bring huge business opportunities to the materials industry. solar energy, electronic equipment, oil and gas energy, wind energy, construction and traditional automotive industries also hope to apply innovative materials to enhance performance in their products. the establishment of “catapult centre” can help norwegian companies to increase the speed of scientific and technological achievements, thus taking the lead in the fierce competition.