By Ingrid Berg Sivertsen. Photos: Håvard Engen.
On stage, the audience met a number of engaged students and entrepreneurs under the age of 30, joined by young politicians and business leaders in an energetic and honest conversation about responsibility, solutions, and hope for the future.
A clear start
The evening was kicked off by Anne Lise Aakervik, Head of Communications for the NTNU Energy strategic area. She set the tone with a powerful message:
“Welcome to an evening of insight from NTNU. Tonight we will meet students who engage in the climate and energy transition in various ways – and we will discuss the generational perspective. Looming over us are the climate crisis, energy challenges, biodiversity loss, and wars that affect societies and the climate. World leaders behave as if this is a game. The grown-ups are leaving the table. And when even politicians fail to step up, perhaps it’s no wonder that we point to the young?”
An evening led by NTNU entrepreneurs
Associate Professor Ingrid Berg Sivertsen and student entrepreneur Kristian Romen guided the audience through the program and two panel debates, ensuring smooth transitions between the contributions.
Student initiatives at the forefront
Several student-driven initiatives presented their work throughout the evening:
- UNGredaksjonen and Grøntkontoret shared insights from their engagement and what they learn through hands-on climate work at NTNU.
- GridVille and Nordlys presented their technical projects within energy and green innovation.
- Rasmus Nummelin from Nordlys presented the work on the organization’s first car and their progress since their founding in 2023.
- Erik Shini from GridVille described the long process behind their energy project, which is now nearing a finished prototype. They plan testing in Norway before working toward their ultimate goal: installation in Nepal.
Startups and commercial perspectives
The audience also gained insight into how the energy transition is driven forward through entrepreneurship and new business models.
Befara, presented by former School of Entrepreneurship student Julie Vikki, and enmo, represented by Product Manager and current entrepreneurship student Francin Vincent, demonstrated how technology and sustainability can be combined in practical and scalable solutions.
Research providing a broader outlook
The evening also included a research perspective.
Postdoctoral fellow Fanny Hermundsdottir (Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management) delivered a brief and clear talk showing that Norwegian companies are in fact equipped for sustainable transformation – and that research confirms: green transformation can provide long-term competitive advantages. An inspiring contribution that added academic depth between the two panel debates.
Engaged panels and clear generational dialogue
The panel participants were:
- Ståle Gjersvold (TrønderEnergi)
- Trygve G. Larsen (Thamsklyngen)
- Hedda Reinskou (Høyre)
- Hans Kristian Solbu (Besteforeldrenes klimaaksjon)
- Aleksander Torsteinbø (Grønne Studenter, MDG)
- Martin Joachim Jensen (NTNU Grønt kontor)
The discussions were characterized by a clear generational dialogue and an engaged audience. Many young people were present, and both the willingness to take responsibility – and the expectation of action – were palpable.
Shared responsibility and pragmatic optimism
Toward the end of the evening, there was clear agreement that solving the climate and energy challenges requires effort from all generations. At the same time, a number of concrete initiatives were showcased – from students, researchers, businesses, and startups.
The evening painted a clear picture that a sustainable transition is not only necessary – but also possible, profitable, and already well underway.