From Stavanger to Texas to become smarter – NRK

– Austin is very good at technology, so we thought it was time to travel here. It fits very well with our strategy to become smart city, says Stavanger mayor Christine Sagen Helgø.

In his capacity as Chairman of Greater Stavanger, she brought along a delegation politicians, business people and media professionals to South by Southwest in Austin, Texas.

Getting good ideas

it is one of the biggest festivals of innovation, film and music, and the prestige it has emphasized that the year was president Barack Obama who gave the opening speech.

– We are here to learn from the best when it comes to making the lives of people easier by technology. So now we get many good, new ideas to take home to Stavanger, says Sagen Helgø.

– We also think it is important to show some of the things we do in Stavanger and Norway, she says.

Entrepreneur Erik Stokkelandsvannet and chairman of Greater Stavanger, Christine Sagen Helgø on technology trade show in Austin, Texas.

Photo: Ragnar Christensen / NRK

Therefore, Erik Stokkelandsvannet one of them she has brought along for the ride. He is founder and CEO of the company Future Homes in Stavanger.

– We are here primarily to promote the company. Here there are lots of investors, customers and potential new employees, he said.

His company focusing on smart technology and working to get many different technological “gadgets” to work together.

– We see that more and more smart products coming into the home. We have a smart TV, smart music management and smart water and burglary alarms. So we’ve created a kind of connection for your things, bringing them together so that all this can work in teams, telling Stokkelandsvannet.

Multiple leg to stand on

Although Stavanger delegation this time has chosen technology in Austin over oil in Huston, does not mean that oil is completely out, assures Christine Sagen Helgø.

– We should live of oil and gas in Stavanger at least 50 years to but we shall live on something as well. The fact that we manage to facilitate more business legs to stand on, is so important, and that is why we are here, she says.