Students think anew: Nature park in the business park.
Competition, learning and value creation
The Oslo Entrepreneurship League has come to an end for this year, and the students have presented their proposed solutions to the public and jury. This resulted in prizes and applause, but most importantly, many good proposals.
Behind the competition is Young Entrepreneurship, and the goal is to give students experience in innovation and entrepreneurship by working on real, highly complex assignments. One of this year's assignments was related to the Prestmoen property near Hønefoss – an area owned by the Church Endowment Fund, which wishes to develop it.
– We have received many innovative ideas and valuable perspectives that we will bring into our project.
Knut Halvor Hansen from OVF, on this occasion also the client and a member of the jury.
An assignment from the real world
The assignment given to the students was as follows: "How can a business park at Prestmoen be developed for socially responsible, space-intensive businesses in the green transition, which, in addition to creating a basis for economic growth, also builds social, cultural and environmental value in Ringerike?"
Four educational institutions working across disciplines
Young Entrepreneurship collaborates with educational institutions and businesses to ensure that the challenges students receive are connected to real projects in working life and the business community.
Thirty students from Oslo MET, Kristiania University College, Oslo Vocational School and the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, divided into a total of six groups across their educational institutions and fields of study, developed proposals for how OVF-owned Prestmoen can become a showcase where business and nature go hand in hand.
Ambitions for the area
For a long time, OVF has been working on plans for the area to eventually become a park filled with attractive jobs in companies with a strong focus on green and social sustainability, as well as manufacturing companies requiring considerable space.
All six groups' proposals contained elements pointing in the same direction: The business parks of the future should be a combination of park and business that safeguards social, environmental and economic sustainability in a socially responsible and attractive way. OVF wishes to contribute to ensuring that, as a property developer, we take the lead in innovation efforts to facilitate responsible social development.
The students conducted their own research and received input from OVF and other experts in area development. Finally, the students presented their proposed solutions to a jury and the public at Sentralen in Oslo.
A common thread throughout all the submissions was creative and innovative input on how business development and the area's natural wealth can go hand in hand. Thomas and David used the Oslo Opera House as an example. "Many have been to the Opera House, but most have been on the roof" – We want to create an area where the fantastic nature at Prestmoen becomes part of the solution. Here, you should also be able to walk on the roofs, say Thomas and David. – A wonderful place to work, visit and enjoy!
The way forward
- OVF will take all the good proposals into account in its continued work on Prestmoen. The area is to become the most innovative area for business and outdoor recreation Norway has ever seen, says OVF project manager Knut Halvor Hansen.