Benedicte Sognefest began her role as Senior Innovation Advisor in August 2025. She holds a master’s degree in European studies from NTNU in Trondheim and has professional experience from organizations such as Innovation Norway, the European Free Trade Association, Yara International, the Research Council of Norway and The Norwegian Digitalization Agency. The common thread throughout her career is the intersection of innovation, financing and public policy.
Facts
| Name: | Benedicte Sognefest |
| Position: | Senior Innovation Advisor |
| Age: | 39 |
| Education: | Master’s degree in European Studies |
| Private: | Lives in Ski with her Dutch/Czech husband – whom she met in Brussels - and their daughter aged 3,5 |
| Leisure: | Skiing in winter and walking in the nature. She tries to hold on to the city-life style and enjoys going to festivals |
| Life-ambition: | To learn Dutch and Czech |
With her strong experience in helping companies secure EU funding and in building partnerships and alliances across borders and sectors, Benedicte knows how international collaboration works in practice. She believes this knowledge can help strengthen Nordic Innovation’s efforts:
“The Nordics are an attractive partner internationally, and we already offer many good solutions. Having worked with European programs for many years, I’ve seen how valuable cross-border collaboration can be. The Nordics have a unique ability to build trust and strong partnerships and that’s what makes us such a strong innovation region. It’s crucial that we build on this and help Nordic projects reach their full potential, also in international arenas,” Benedicte says.
Accelerating the introduction of new solutions
In spring 2025, Nordic Innovation launched three new innovation programs. Benedicte will be part of a team of advisors primarily developing initiatives within the program ‘Innovative Solutions for 2030’.
“This program is about accelerating the introduction of new solutions to the market. We will focus on solutions that are close to ‘market-ready’ and on building strong value chains and structures for good collaboration,” Benedicte explains.
Read more about Innovative Solutions for 2030
The innovation program comprises three more specific innovation areas, and Benedicte will work closely with the activities related to the area ‘Accelerate sustainable circular economy, bioeconomy and resource management, with a specific responsibility for circular economy and critical raw materials.
“Circular economy and critical raw materials are crucial for the green transition and for Nordic competitiveness. Our team will focus on connecting Nordic strengths and ensure that the initiatives are well positioned internationally,” Benedicte says.
One of Benedicte’s first tasks as an advisor at Nordic Innovation has been to develop the call for project proposals, which was published on October 1.
“My role has been to coordinate the process and the development of the call. It has been very hands-on, involving text development and dialogue with both our communications and publications team. I will also be involved in the upcoming webinar, a matchmaking event and the handling of applications,” Benedicte explains.
Read more about the Call for Project Proposals
Focused efforts necessary for the green transition
When asked about the biggest challenge for the Nordics, Benedicte points to the pace of the green transition and the need for more coordination and focus. She underscores that the Nordics are not lacking innovation or ambition, but that we need focused efforts:
“There are many strong national initiatives, but we need to connect them and work more strategically across borders and sectors. By joining forces, the Nordics can achieve greater impact and position us more strongly in the European and global green transition. I think this is crucial.”
Benedicte is very clear about Nordic Innovation’s role in accelerating the green transition:
“Nordic Innovation can bring together different actors across value chains and borders. We can ensure that there is a coordinated Nordic effort and a more strategic and unified approach.”
