Telenor CEO Sigve Brekke has opened IoT ProtoLab in Trondheim as part of the company’s IoT business strategy.

The IoT ProtoLab — created by Telenor Group and Wireless Trondheim — aims to increase innovation, new national competencies and promote competitiveness amongst Norwegian entrepreneurs.

“IoT ProtoLab will be an experimental centre for research and innovation within the Internet of Things. Our two labs in Trondheim will contribute to fostering digital innovation in Norway,” Sigve Brekke said.

The new IoT lab will use the citywide IoT-testbed activated by Wireless Trondheim and is connected to Telenor Group’s Start IoT program. Users will get access to IoT devices, a developer portal, and an experimental LPWA network (e.g. NB-IoT), which enables piloting and developing of prototypes without large costs.

Start-ups will work in the IoT lab on solutions for anything from healthcare and drones to smart cities. Smart Cylinders, Sevendof and Mode Sensors are three of the companies who will use the new offering.

Telenor opened Telenor-NTNU AI-Lab in Trondheim to conduct research and run innovation programs within artificial intelligence on 8 March 2017.

Telenor is planning to launch an IoT network, Start IoT, in several Norwegian cities assisting students and start-ups to test and develop IoT technologies, products and services with low cost access. The company’s IoT pilot network — based on LoRaWAN technology – is already available in Trondheim, Oslo, Tromso and Longyearbyen.