R&D community
Health Tech Companies
Health Tech Employees
Total Revenue (MNOK)
Trøndelag: A Leading Hub for Health Tech Research & Innovation
Trøndelag is home to world-class research institutions and healthcare leaders driving advancements in health technology. With SINTEF’s cutting-edge research and St. Olav’s Hospital’s clinical expertise, the region fosters groundbreaking healthcare solutions through strong collaboration. Supported by key national bodies like Helsedirektoratet and FHI, this dynamic ecosystem ensures Trøndelag remains at the forefront of innovation.
Aligned with Trondheimsløftet (2020–2032), the city is committed to serving as a test arena for next-generation health solutions—bridging the gap between knowledge institutions, the private sector, and municipal initiatives.
Major healthcare purchasers, including St. Olav’s Hospital, Trondheim Municipality, and Trøndelag County Council, play a pivotal role in driving demand for innovative health technologies. Their strategic investments create opportunities for local and national businesses to develop solutions that enhance patient care and operational efficiency.
Leading academic institutions like NTNU and Nord University further strengthen the ecosystem, shaping the future of health technology through research, education, and interdisciplinary collaboration. With state-of-the-art facilities and a commitment to innovation, Trøndelag continues to push the boundaries of modern healthcare.
Academia
Trøndelag is home to world-class institutions like NTNU and Nord University, driving innovation in health technology through education, research, and interdisciplinary collaboration. These universities are at the forefront of advancing health tech by fostering an environment that encourages knowledge-sharing and partnerships. With great facilities and a commitment to innovation, NTNU and Nord University play an important role in shaping the future of health technology in the region.
NTNU: A Hub for Strategic Health Research
NTNU has a total of 55 research departments with a vast majority of research groups, many related to health tech. Also, health is one of NTNU’s strategic research areas in the period 2014– 2023 (NTNU Health). The aim is to create innovative solutions to complex health challenges. NTNU has several different research centers associated with different affiliations. The largest and most relevant centers for health tech hosted at NTNU are:
- Center of Excellence Centre for Molecular Inflammation Research (SFF)
- Centre for Neural Computation (SFF)
- Centre for Innovative Ultrasound Solutions (SFI2)
- Centre for AI innovations (SFI)
- Centre for Global Health Inequalities Research
- HUNT research center
- K.G. Jebsen Center
- Center for Health Promotion Research
- National Competence Center for Mental Health Work (NAPHA)
Nord University: Advancing Health and Welfare
Health, welfare, and education are some of Nord University’s four core strategic priority areas, and Nursing and Health Sciences is one of five faculties. NORD University has organized its R&D work at three levels at the faculty of Nursing and health sciences:
- Research groups: In total 14 groups related to topics such as mental health, drug use and handling, clinical nursing, patient safety, and public health. This is an arena for researchers to discuss specific R&D topics and stimulate new R&D projects and applications.
- Topic groups: Facilitate research activities within faculty. Three topic groups; nursing, mental health work, and pharmacy.
- Specific R&D projects: Three large, ongoing projects related to health and technology; CoreDIST (personalized physotherapy treatment for MS patients), Innovatedignity (training leaders to deliver innovations in dignified care systems for older people), Rescuedoppler (ultrasound patch to monitor vital signs).
R&D actors
| Name | Category | Location | Description | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Klinisk forskningsenhet MidtNorge (KLINFORSK) | R&D support | Trondheim | Offers research support for all phases of clinical studies for researchers at NTNU and the hospitals in Mid Norway. The main services are R&D support, data collection, monitoring, statistics, NORCRIN and ECRIN. | NTNU and St. Olavs |
HUNT Forskningssenter | R&D centers | Levanger and Trondheim | Research project that includes health information and biological material from the inhabitants of the northern part of Trøndelag. HUNT is also a research center that manages and conducts research on the HUNT material, with a biobank and data bank that offers services for researchers in the storage, processing and delivery of research material. | NTNU |
Norwegian 7tmr Centre, NTNU | R&D centers | Trondheim | National infrastructure for neuroscience research. The purpose is to provide researchers with tools for mapping the structure-function relationship in the brain. | NTNU |
The Norwegian Brain Initiative, NTNU | R&D centers | Trondheim | Enables research that can map neural mechanisms for behavior and provide insight into the neural codes in the brain. | NTNU |
Norwegian Centre for Headache Research (NorHEAD) | R&D centers | Trondheim | Centre that will carry out world-leading research on headache disorders. NorHEAD is a Centre for Clinical Treatment Research, funded by the Research Council of Norway. NorHEAD is hosted by the Department of Neuromedicine and Movement Science at NTNU. | NTNU |
Bioinformatics (BioCore) | Core facilities | Trondheim | Offers support for bioinformatics analyses (collecting or generating large amounts of complex biological data, and then analyzing them with advanced methods). | NTNU, Helse Midt-Norge |
Cellular and molecular imaging (CMIC) | Core facilities | Trondheim | Offers instruments and expertise to capture images of biological processes at the tissue level (histology) down to the cellular and ultrastructural level (single proteins). | NTNU, Helse Midt-Norge |
Comparative Medicine (CoMed) | Core facilities | Trondheim | Experimental animal department, consisting of 5 sub-departments: breeding department, SPF department, quarantine department, I3 department and large animal department. | NTNU, Helse Midt-Norge |
Genomics (GCF) | Core facilities | Trondheim | Offers competence and technology for use in genome analyses. “Next generation sequencing" (NGS) is the most relevant technology. | NTNU, Helse Midt-Norge |
MR CF | Core facilities | Trondheim | Offers expertise and access to various instrumentation (mainly MRI) for structural, functional and molecular imaging in humans and animals as well as metabolomics analyzes of tissue samples, cell cultures and biological fluids. | NTNU, Helse Midt-Norge |
NeXt Move CF | Core facilities | Trondheim | Offers equipment and expertise for carrying out research analysis tools within neurophysiology, exercise physiology, movement and elite sports research. | NTNU, Helse Midt-Norge |
Proteomics and Modomics Experimental CF | Core facilities | Trondheim | Offers services within protein analysis (proteomics) and analysis of nucleic acid modifications (DNA/RNA modomics). | NTNU, Helse Midt-Norge |
Viral Vector CF | Core facilities | Trondheim | Offers expertise in producing tailor-made viruses for research purposes. The viruses are primarily used in brain research but are also relevant for other biological and medical fields. | NTNU, Helse Midt-Norge |
Enhet for helsefaglig simulering, NTNU | Health-related simulation and learning | Trondheim | Facilitates learning in higher education through student and participant active forms of learning. The learning forms consist of full-scale simulation exercises, skills and procedure training, RQI (Resuscitation Quality Improvement) and VR (Virtual reality). | NTNU |
IHAs Senter for simulering og velferdsteknologi, NTNU, Ålesund | Health-related simulation and learning | Ålesund | The Department of Health Sciences in Ålesund has two practice departments with four simulator rooms for full-scale simulations, and a number of advanced patient simulators for the entire life course. There are also facilities for the systematic collection of sound and image data. | NTNU |
BSL3 Laboratorium (NTNU) | Special lab environments | Trondheim | Two BSL3 laboratories (second highest safety class for biological material) at NTNU. | NTNU |
Hotlab for radioaktive stoffer (NTNU) | Special lab environments | Trondheim | Hotlab for radioactive substances at NTNU. | NTNU |
Ultralydlaboratorium (NTNU) | Special lab environments | Trondheim | Laboratory with high-end clinically approved ultrasound machines at ISB, NTNU. | NTNU |
Nano and Biomechanics division (NTNU) | Special lab environments | Trondheim | NTNU laboratory for simulation and development of technologies for non-invasive diagnosis and surgical procedures, and for mechanical characterization and modeling of biological materials and tissues at all scales. | NTNU |
NTNU Technology Transfer Office | Innovation infrastructure | Trondheim | NTNU Technology Transfer Office (NTNU TTO) is NTNU and HMN's tool for commercializing research-based ideas. They work with NTNU and HMN staff to create products and services. Through patent protection, business development, prototyping, market analysis, company formation, and licensing negotiations, NTNU TTO supports knowledge dissemination, job creation, and business opportunities. | NTNU |
Institutt for helsevitenskap NTNU | Health related simulation and learning | Ålesund | The Department of Health Sciences in Ålesund has two practice units with four simulation rooms for full-scale simulations and several advanced patient simulators covering the entire life cycle. The facilities also include systems for systematic audio and video data collection. | NTNU |
Supporting infrastructure
| Name | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
DRIV NTNU helseinnovasjonsarena | Lab | The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has established a student-run health innovation arena. The goal is to bring students, researchers, employees and users of the health service, in addition to health tech developers closer together. |