Abstract
As part of a series of workshops organised in various regions of Norway within the PowerPlay project, University of Stavanger and SINTEF, in collaboration with FME Battery and RENERGY, held a workshop in Trondheim on the 13th of May 2026 exploring the opportunities and challenges for the battery and green industry development in the Trøndelag region.
Battery industry development in Norway faces opportunities, uncertainty as well as rapidly changing conditions. The fast-growing demand for batteries for example in transport and electricity sectors creates market opportunities for producers along the value chain. Trøndelag has a dynamic ecosystem around the energy sector and concentrates a number of companies, start-ups and entities focusing on batteries, systems and application, among other related services. The region hosts some of Norway’s leading R&D capabilities within NTNU and SINTEF as well as within innovation-driven firms such as Siemens Energy, Elinor Batteries, and the municipally owned energy company TrønderEnergi and county owned transport company AtB. Due to recent geopolitical events, the development of European and Norwegian battery value chains has gained importance, but multiple barriers remain. Meanwhile, sustainability concerns such as the effect of industrial development on nature have received increased public attention. Effective coordination between companies, policymakers and researchers is needed to navigate uncertainties, complexities and the rapidly changing conditions for further battery value chain development in the region.
Companies, public entities, research organisations and others were invited to discuss the challenges and opportunities that the battery industry phase in the context of global competition, and the possibilities for regional development that emerge for Trøndelag region.
Project information:
KSP PowerPlay (2025-2028) is a research project led by University of Stavanger and financed by the Norwegian Research Council. Building on the challenges of establishing battery and other ‘green’ industries in Norway, the project aims at exploring how regions can navigate through economic and geopolitical uncertainty while pushing forward their industrial ambitions.