We proudly present the Region Stavanger ambassadors for 2014

Sjur Eivind Usken - Aarbakke Innovation, Honeynet Security Workshop 2016

Rogaland has a long tradition of founders, and the first Ambassador thus represents the "modern" entrepreneur. He has a large network, which he is actively working to expand. In fact, he is a facilitator of new meeting places and has been central to the establishment of Startup Weekend in Stavanger, Network Stavanger and TEDx in Stavanger. He has an education from UiS and a master's from NTNU in Industrial Economy and Technology Management. As a student, he typically also found time to get involved in student organisations and student politics. He has worked at the intersection between technology and innovation towards the market and customers, at Lyse and Altibox, and is now Head of Business Development at Aarbakke Innovation in Bryne! Typical of our Ambassadors, he also has an international network, and leads the Norwegian "department" in one of these, "The Honeynet Project". The Honeynet Project is an industry organisation that works with IT security in the fight against hackers, the so-called "good forces" on the internet. This is something that is becoming increasingly important in a digitised world, among other things, the fight against terrorism, secure energy access and privacy. He got the prestigious The Honeynet Project Workshop to Norway, and Stavanger in 2015!

Bård Mæland – Misjonshøgskolen, The Int.Conference on Disability, Illness and Religion 2014

A man who represents an exciting institution in Stavanger! He was a very skilled board surfer "in his youth", apparently taking part in national competitions, and as a mover to Rogaland, we hope he gets to use our beautiful Jæren beaches for this often. His varied background ranges from, among other things, the Norwegian Armed Forces, where he served in Lebanon. As a researcher, he has particularly worked with military-ethical issues. He has been the editor of the International Journal Journal of Military Ethics and published several articles and books in his field. Among other things, he has led an international research project on the reintegration of child soldiers back into society in East Africa. As dean at the Norwegian Mission College, he works in an international environment, but with roots in Stavanger going all the way back to 1843! It is an institution that actively participates in international research and documentation projects, and is internationally known, among other things, for its unique text collections and archives. The Norwegian Mission College together with Stavanger University Hospital established this year the conference The International Conference on Disability, Illness and Religion. The conference received very good feedback on a strong scientific programme, within a relevant and important field. The conference will be a recurring subject conference, which will bring scientific key persons, researchers and those who work in this field to Stavanger.

Jayantha Prasanna Liyanage – Center for Industrial Asset Management (CIAM)/UiS – 2014 Vision +

Jayantha is a Professor at UiS in the Faculty of Science and Technology, where he heads the Center for Industrial Technology and Operations Management, CIAM – a very exciting centre founded by UiS with over 20 actors from the regional business world – everything from the Kverneland Group to. CIAM is forward-looking and knows the importance of participating in networks, both international and local, including with the Business Association in the Stavanger region. He holds visiting lectures both at the University of Cincinnati in the USA, and the University of Technology Petronas, in Malaysia. He has his Doctorate in Offshore Technology from NTNU and has a number of board positions and roles in professional committees, ranging from the board of the Society of Petroleum Engineers to the European Network for Strategic Engineering Asset Management. He was one of the founders of the International Society of Engineering Asset Management and an honorary member of the International Foundation for Research in Maintenance! He has over 100 publications in his field and is also an editor in a number of scientific magazines. He has won several international awards, too many to mention here. Together with CIAM, he has founded an annual conference, Vision+, Sustainable Asset Management for the Next Decade. The conference was a great professional success, including the launch of the new ISO standard, which has great relevance for Norwegian businesses. Vision + will grow as an important meeting place for visiting delegates from all over the world, and will therefore be held annually here in Stavanger.