NITO at Arendalsuka 2026 – this is happening
Pensions, working life issues, health technology, climate preparedness – and a good atmosphere. NITO participates in Norway's most important political meeting place, and you are very welcome to join.
Arendalsuka – also called the Democracy Festival – is Norway's most important political week: Five days in August where politicians, organizations and businesses meet for open debates and conversations that rarely take place in ordinary meeting rooms.
"NITO represents the engineers and technologists who solve tomorrow's challenges. Arendal Week is our opportunity to put these voices into the political debate where decisions are actually shaped," says NITO President Kjetil Lein.
He encourages both NITO members and others to come to NITO's events.
We address issues that concern everyone
"The issues we raise in Arendal, about pensions, health technology and municipal climate adaptation and preparedness, are not union issues. These are questions that concern everyone who works and lives in Norway.
"Arendal Week is special because people are in a completely different mood than usual. No one sits in a meeting room and reads from a script. There is room for real conversations, and that is exactly what we need more of," the NITO president points out.
NITO's events during Arendal Week
Meet NITO at Arendalsuka 2026. Throughout the week, we invite you to debates and events on, among other things, pensions, working life, climate and emergency preparedness and health technology. Here you will find an overview of where and when you can meet us during this year's Arendalsuka.
10 August: Is pension actually salary?
Organized by Howden Norway and NITO
Employers' and employees' organisations may not entirely agree on this. In this debate, you will hear representatives from both sides and other professionals shed light on the different views and thoughts about.
See also: Is pension really salary?
11 August: The Tuesday Council – dilemmas in working life
Organized by NITO
For the fourth time, NITO is arranging the traditional "Tuesday Council", where we discuss dilemmas in working life. It was all led by NITO's own employment law lawyer, Marianne Kjellsen.
August 11: Are you smarter than a first-grader?
Organized by NITO
Do you remember the difference between mitosis and meiosis? Can you explain why the sky is blue? What is the pH of neutral water?
NITO invites you to a science quiz a little out of the ordinary. A panel consisting of 1st graders in upper secondary school are ready to answer questions from the curriculum. The audience gets the same question. Who can do the most?
At the same time, the backdrop is more serious: We have a science crisis in Norway. If we are to succeed in the great promises we face in the future, we are dependent on far more people with science skills.
Come and test your own knowledge – and join the conversation afterwards.
See also: Are you smarter than a first grader?
12 August: Equipped for landslides - Why some municipalities succeed with climate preparedness and others do not
Organized by NITO and Asplan Viak
Why are some municipalities well equipped for climate change and extreme weather – while others are lagging behind? In this debate, we get straight to the core: What determines whether municipalities achieve climate adaptation in practice.
13 August: Everyone wants a faster pace, but Health Norway is moving at a snail's pace
Organized by NITO and NHO Geneo
There is broad agreement that more investment must be made in medical equipment and technology. Nevertheless, Norway is still lagging behind in the use of health technology, and it takes too long for new solutions to become a natural part of everyday life in the health and care services. What does it take to turn speeches into concrete measures? If we are to solve the major societal challenges in the health and care services, the digitalisation of Health Norway must accelerate.
See also: Everyone wants a faster pace, but Health Norway is moving at a snail's pace
Other events NITO participates in
10 August: Women in their 30s - why are they so sick?
Arranged by Storebrand
They have higher sickness absence than anyone else – and pregnancy is far from the whole explanation. Mental disorders cause an increasing number of sick leaves in this population group. Why do they end up like this, these ladies who are in their prime?
Vice President of NITO, Safina de Klerk, will participate in the debate.
See also: Women in their 30s - why are they so sick?
10 August: AI in recruitment: A more equal working life?
Organised by UiA - Centre for Gender Equality, Centre for Gender Equality KUN, Centre for Gender Equality in Western Norway, Reform - Resource Centre for Men and Kilden Gender Research
Artificial intelligence (AI) is used in recruitment processes and thus affects who is hired. How does it affect gender equality, inclusion and diversity in working life?
Vice President of NITO, Safina de Klerk, will participate in the conversation.
See also: AI in recruitment: A more equal working life?
10 August: The sewage system of the future - from costs to opportunities?
Organised by NIVA and SINTEF
If new goals are set politically - are not followed up by the health trusts. An efficient sewage system is important for public health and the environment. The government is now introducing the EU's new wastewater directive, and Norway must think differently to prepare for the future. NIVA and Sintef lead FREMAS - Centre for the Wastewater Systems of the Future, and welcome the new directive. Strong Norwegian knowledge and technology communities are ready to develop new solutions for treating wastewater.
NITO President Kjetil Lein participates in the panel.
See also: The sewage system of the future - from costs to opportunities?
11 August: Democracy and freedom of expression in Norwegian workplaces
Organized by the Norwegian Labour Market Forum (NALF) and the Work Research Institute AFI at OsloMet
What is the state of democratic practice in Norwegian workplaces today? How is the topic dealt with in the multipartite cooperation? And how are core values such as freedom of expression and dialogue affected?
Vice President of NITO, Safina de Klerk, will participate in the debate.
See also: Democracy and freedom of expression in Norwegian workplaces
11 August: Inclusive working life in the green and digital shift
Arranged by Vestlandsforskning
"Everyone should be included" has become a slogan for the green transition in the EU. The same should be the case in Norway, but how can we get everyone involved in a working life characterised by green and digital transition, and how should the division of tasks and responsibilities between public and private actors be organised in order to succeed?
NITO President Kjetil Lein participates in the debate.
See also: Inclusive working life in the green and digital shift
12 August: Who works at Norwegian data centres and what do they do?
Arranged by Fafo
NorwayAt this event, researchers from Fafo will present brand new research on what characterises the work and tasks in and around Norwegian data centres.
Vice President of NITO, Safina de Klerk, will participate in the debate.
See also: Who works at Norwegian data centers and what do they do?
12 August: Learn before - or learn on the job?
Organized by Flexible Education Norway and Noroff Vocational School
What will students learn in education – and what will they learn on the job? How does this affect the recruitment of graduates? Where do we create relevance to working life – at work or during education? In this debate, we explore a new and unclear division of responsibilities between education and working life, and what this means for students, employers and skills policy.
The leader of NITO Students, Jarand Byrkjeland, participates in the debate.
See also: Learning before - or learning on the job?
12 August: Can social media save the sciences?
Hosted by TikTok Norway
The Government has launched a strategy for science and technology. It states that competence is Norway's most important competitive advantage. But what really happens to the science subjects when everyone in the whole world scrolls from morning to night?
Vice President of NITO, Safina de Klerk, will participate in the debate.
See also: Can social media save the sciences?
12 August: What will young people become when AI can do it all?
Hosted by SoftwareOne
How do we give young people advice about a working life no one quite understands yet? What happens to entry-level jobs and junior roles when AI automates more tasks? And which human qualities will be more important in the working life of the future?
The leader of NITO Students, Jarand Byrkjeland, participates in the debate.
See also: What will young people become when AI can do it all?
12 August: Cockpit talk with the climate optimists: What is the story of Norway in 2050?
Organized by Skift - Business Climate Leaders
How did Norway achieve the climate transition? We start from 2050 and look back on the way there. What made the difference? What choices did we make, what did we build, and what did we stop doing?
In a time of climate fatigue and uncertainty, we highlight a concrete and realistic narrative about the transition. Jens Ulltveit-Moe leads a conversation with top executives about what actually works, and what is needed to succeed – also financially.
Secretary General of NITO, Egil Thompson, will participate in the conversation.
13 August: Norway lacks engineers - can AI close the gap
Organized by the Centre for System Innovation - SFI CELECT, the University of Agder, the University of South-Eastern Norway and NTNU
Norway lacks engineers – at the same time as the systems we depend on are becoming increasingly complex. We must do more with less, faster and better. Could artificial intelligence be the answer?
President of NITO, Kjetil Lein, participates in the debate.
