Focus was on regional integration and innovation across national borders, with main emphasis on connecting the city regions Oslo-Gothenburg-Copenhagen through a project called COINCO North. This infrastructure project will reduce travel time from Oslo to Copenhagen by train to 2 hours and 20 minutes. Its aim is to create a corridor to the continent, linking eight million people and opening up for enhanced cooperation between knowledge intensive and creative businesses in the three regions.

MIPIM had 18 000 visitors from all over the world this year: cities and city regions, property developers and investors, architects and others with interest in property- and urban development. The Oslo-Gothenburg cooperation attracted special attention amongst participants and press, since it connects actors across borders, just like the neighbouring region of Øreseund. In a speech at the Oslo-Gothenburg stand, Knut Halvorsen, CEO of Oslo Teknopol, talked about future collaboration between the two regions a natural next step in the process of functional integration across national territorial borders. 

Halvorsen also addressed the economic situation in the Oslo region, which is a lot better than in most other city regions around the world. One explanation Halvorsen gave on the success of the Oslo region was the huge urban development projects Oslo is experiencing at the moment. This theme was also up for debate under the title “The Fiord City Right Now” between property developers, politicians and public planning authorities in the Oslo region. The topic was how to carry through political and administrative processes in big projects such as The Fiord City.