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 third 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
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 evening?
Vice-President of NITO, Safina de Klerk, participates in the debate.
See also: Can social media save the sciences?
