Vestlandsforsking mobilizes and carries out research projects, evaluates and analyzes projects and
development processes dealing with regional development and digitization. We participate in
regional networks sharing expertise and knowledge with the private and public sectors and other
R&D institutions. We have worked closely together with regional ICT initiatives, and one of our core
research fields is developed from these regional, national, and international collaborative projects.
Since 1985, Vestlandsforsking has researched topics, services and industries that are important for
regional development and digitization. While our location has resulted in close collaboration with
organizations in Vestland, we also work closely with national and international partners.
Regional development takes place in an interaction between politics, business, research, and
education. Service and product development is central and often based on innovation linked to the
environment and natural resources of the county. The people in the region are central, with their
expertise, i.e. labour, their culture and identity. Our research projects illustrate that business
development, service development, innovation, urban development, and demography are often
closely intertwined.
Through the Research Council's regional program, we have worked with regional development and
digitalisation since the early 2000s, mobilizing businesses to engage in research and doing research in
and for business. The public sector challenges and needs have been central in, for example, projects
linked to e-health and digitalization in the municipalities. We often work closely with the local or
regional government, developing a holistic approach to regional development and digitalization in
the public sector.