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KIC Days 2026
KIC Days is a new national meeting place at Kristineberg Innovation Center, bringing together companies, researchers, public authorities, investors and innovation support organisations to explore the opportunities within the blue economy.
Over two days – from lunch to lunch – participants will experience Kristineberg's unique innovation environment through live demonstrations, guided site visits, research insights, industry case studies and networking. The event focuses on fostering new collaborations, showcasing testing and development capabilities, and connecting industry needs with research and innovation to accelerate the future of ocean-based industries.
With the Gullmarn Fjord as a living testbed, KIC Days brings together experts from seafood, marine technology, advanced materials, energy, defence and other parts of the blue economy to address shared challenges and develop the solutions of tomorrow.
Please note that the registration is in Swedish.
Programme
Programme
Day 1 · 22 October, 12:00–17:00
12:00 Lunch
12:45 Welcome to Kristineberg Innovation Center
Vision and purpose, and KIC's three focus areas: advanced materials, marine robotics and autonomous systems, and seafood.
With Emiliano Pinori, RISE, and Linus Hammar Perry, Swedish Polar Research Secretariat.
13:15 Break
13:25 Guided tour of Kristineberg
All participants will visit three stations showcasing current projects.
Station 1: Advanced materials
See the Keel Crab hull-cleaning robot in action and learn about applications of advanced materials in marine environments.
Station 2: Marine robotics and autonomous systems
Underwater gliders and surface drones, fixed underwater observatories with live streaming, as well as big data and AI for monitoring the marine environment.
Station 3: Seafood
Kristineberg as a hub for the future of seafood, the Blue Food Centre, and the opportunities available for testing, demonstration and innovation.
15:00 Vision presentations
What do public actors and industry want to achieve in the blue economy over the next five years? Moderator: Sonja Andrén, Innovatum Science Park.
- Anders Brödje and Cecilia Norman, Region Västra Götaland: the regional development strategy in relation to test and demonstration
- Mattias Rust, Ministry of Rural Affairs and Infrastructure: the new national maritime strategy
- David Appelberg, Marine Technology Center of Sweden (MTC)
- Anna Ledin, Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (by video)
16:00 Mingle with the vision presenters
Tastings from the sea will be served during the mingle.
18:30 Three-course dinner at Gullmarsstrand
Day 2 · 23 October, 08:00–12:00
07:30 Breakfast mingle (optional)
08:00 Recap of day one and interactive discussion
How can the innovation centre and its infrastructure be used?
08:45 Coffee break
09:00 Demonstration: underwater robot
09:45 Demonstration: AI analysis of underwater images
10:30 Coffee break
10:45 Panel discussion: the needs of marine test facilities
Moderator: Jessica Hjerpe Olausson, RISE.
- Rebecca Vidin, Swedish Polar Research Secretariat
- Hanna Karlsson, Lysekil Municipality
- Per Hjelmstedt, County Administrative Board
- Mattias Dahl, Blekinge Institute of Technology
- Mårten Silvanius, Swedish Armed Forces
- Ivan Stenius, KTH Royal Institute of Technology
- Martin Jakobsson, Stockholm University
- Hans Wicklander, Saab
11:45 Summary
12:00 Closing lunch and mingle
