Monday 8. February
In the morning the Latvian students, teachers and headmaster arrived, and met the Norwegian students, teacher and headmaster for lunch at Foss school.
After lunch we had an entrepreneurship lesson with a presentation of all the seven mini companies that were present. From Latvia: Framed Lights and Bbag. From Norway: Minihagen, Matfatet, Usefood, eldre@nett and EnergYou. This lesson we also prepared the Oslo Trade Fair at Wednesday.
In the evening the Latvian group went to the Norwegian Opera to see the ballet “Giselle”. The Norwegians were very busy preparing the Trade Fair.
Thuesday 9. february
This day was also dedicated to Trade Fair preparations, and everybody met for lunch at Foss.
After lunch the Swdish group arrived and we had presentation at the entrepreneurship lesson. The Swedish mini companies were: Let’s be proud, Lact and Soda Speakers. The five more mini companies at Foss were: Libellus, Lucio, Dux, Tidsklemmen and Billisa.
In the evening we all had a Thai-dinner at school together.
Wednesday 10. February
This was the big Trade Fair day! Everybody arrived at Norges Varemesse at Lillestrøm at 8 o’clock ready to prepare the stand for two hours before the welcome ceremony.
The Latvian and Swedish mini companies participated in the following four competitions: Best pitch, Best stand, Best salesteam, Best seller. And the Latvian mini company Framed Lights won the 1st prize for the Best Salesteam!! One of the Swedish students were nominated among the best sellers and Bbag from Latvia was nominated among the best Pitches. Congratulations!!
8 of the 10 Norwegian mini companies won 11 prizes and had 11 nominations so our student group could not complain about the results:)
After the Trade Fair we had a dinner at one of Oslo’s best pizza restaurants, Villa Paradiso. We were tired, but happy!
Thursday 11. February
This day was our day for cooperation, inspiration and evaluation! We started in the morning with an Innovation Camp, arranged at Foss school by the company EVRY.
As one of the largest IT companies in the Nordics, EVRY provides very extensive deliveries to Nordic companies, financial institutions, national public sector entities, municipalities and health authorities. Thomas Hafstad (a former Foss entrepreneurship student) and Miriam Øyna from EVRY divided the students into international groups to work with this task: “Future banking for young Europeans”.
After three hours intense work, the students presented impressive solutions for future banking! The winners were Group 4 with “Budget Bracelet“, well done!
After lunch at school together we had a lecture by a Norwegian gründer, Arne Kollandsrud from Tide Tec. TideTec is a Norwegian tidal company focused on developing the most efficient and flexible turbine technology for tidal barrage/lagoon and flood protection systems. TideTec holds several patents for state of the art tidal turbines and construction of tidal power plants.
Arne focused on innovation and how to get an idea into a real product and how to start up a company.
In the end of this day, the students wrote their CV’s, using the Europass web site, that helps you to fill in five documents to make your skills and qualifications clearly and easily understood in Europe.
The farewell dinner was at the restaurant at PS hotels, close to school, which is a hotel that is a innovative place that “works as a tool for people who need advice, knowledge and experience on their way to full employment, in an inclusive workplace”.
Friday 12. February
Tha next day the Swedes left early for Strömstad in their cars, and the Latvians had planned some sightseeing. We started out with a small concert in Oslos’s oldest church, Gamle Aker kirke.
Then we had a (cold!) stroll in The Vigeland Park and headed for Holmenkollen. We went by lift all the way to the top of the skijump and also visited the Ski museum. After this visit it was time for some refreshments and later on dinner at Grünerløkka and in the evening the plane to Latvia:)
THANK YOU, EVERYBODY FOR AN INSPIRING WEEK TOGETHER!