Success stories on industrial corporate and startup/growth companies collaboration

Before the summer the Industry Software Alliance hosted the second executive roundtable this year in Stavanger, Norway. A selected group of industry executives were invited representing some of the largest industry corporates in Norway. The executives discussed the sense of urgency for industrial corporates to seek innovative solutions from startup and growth companies and success stories of the impact when the right connections are made.  

The roundtable was held at Nysnø's premises in Stavanger and kicked off with a warm welcome from Siri Kalvig of Nysnø.  

Here are some key takeaways:

The missing link in the value chain of autonomous operations  

Karl Johnny Hersvik, CEO of Aker BP presented Wsense as a case study. His presentation of Wsense underscored the sense of urgency for corporates to engage with startups. He emphasized how Aker BP's collaboration with Wsense has driven significant advancements in remote operations, digital twin technology, and data-driven decision-making. Hersvik even went as far as saying that Wsense is representing one of the missing links in the value chain of autonomous operations for AkerBP. 

This case is highlighting the importance of leveraging innovative solutions from startups to stay ahead in the competitive industrial landscape. This is exacly the kind of collaborations we are working on. Collaborations that not only creates learning but that unlocks innovation and impact for both the corporate and the startup. 

The value of spin outs in scaling new technology

Geir Høiland, Senior Vice President Business Development at IKM Group presented a  spin-out case from IKM. Høiland highlighted the speed of scaling of the company outside IKM vs inside IKM and the value of giving the case independence and the idea holder incentives in shares.  

Presentation of RunwayFBU-Accenture annual report

Presentation of the annual report by RunwayFBU and Accenture, based on in-depth interviews with 20 top industry leaders. To read and download the report: report.runwayfbu.com  

Five key insights from Norwegian Industrial Companies

Plugged into startups—but missing the payoff:  80% have ties to technology incubators, showing strong connections to early-stage innovation—but tangible results are lacking

Innovation playbooks are in place—but leadership must step up: 70% have formal strategies and structures to scout and scale new technologies—but without executive drive and risk appetite, progress stalls

Tuning the engine—but not reinventing it: 70% focus on operational or incremental improvements— signalling a preference for safe bets over bold innovation

Not worried about disruption—but maybe they should be: 30% express concern about disruptive innovation—pointing to a blind spot that could cost them in the long run

Confident in startups—but struggling to make it stick: 80% believe in successful startup collaboration—yet few translate that confidence into lasting, high-impact partnerships

The discussions were engaging, with participants sharing their experiences, insights, and perspectives on strengthening competitiveness through collaboration with new technology companies.  

The timing is now to explore incremental and disruptive collaboration with industrial software and deep tech companies

In conclusion, the discussion not only highlighted the business case for corporate-startup/growth collaborations but also created a sense of urgency for why the timing is now more than ever to explore incremental and disruptive collaborations with industrial software and deep tech companies.