Karl Klingsheim

Adjunct Professor Karl Klingsheim is focusing on circular economy for plastic waste and marine plastics pollution at the intesection between NTNU Sustainability and NTNU Oceans.

Dr. Klingsheim has served in industry, public institutions and governmental organizations, and he has extensive experience from applied and industrial research. He is a seasoned educator with tenure as professor in Norway and in Poland. He has served as executive officer and board member for multinational companies as well as for university spin-offs. He has been instrumental in the concept development, formation, fundraising, business development, staffing, marketing, sales, operations, and benefit extraction for a large number of initiatives, programs, and start-up companies worldwide.

Work Experience

4/2016-8/2019: Science & Technology Counsellor with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Pretoria South Africa, facilitating and supporting bilateral relationships in higher education, research, innovation, and business development in and between Norway and South Africa.

10/2003-3/2016: Chief Executive Officer, NTNU Technology Transfer AS (“TTO”) from its inception to a successful operation with 30 technology transfer professionals. TTO is the commercialization arm of NTNU and the Central Norway Regional Health Authority, organized as a for-profit business to bring new products and services to global markets, with the overall mission to create benefits to society by effective dissemination of knowledge and research results.

Since 1992: Member, Norwegian Academy of Technological Sciences, NTVA, serving as the Norwegian delegate to Euro-CASE and other international organizations. Board member 3/2014-3/2016.

6/2013-3/2016: Adjunct Professor with NTNU’s Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, Department of Electronic Systems, responsible for facilitating and coordinating learning activities related to digital innovation.

5/2014-3/2016: Board Member & President-Elect, ASTP-Proton, the premier, pan-European association for professionals involved in knowledge transfer between universities and industry, aiming to enhance the impact of public research on society and the economy by promoting and professionalizing knowledge transfer practices.

11/2013-3/2016: Co-founder & Chairman of the Board, NTNU Accel AS, a community dedicated to accelerating ventures with global potential – by connecting entrepreneurs, service providers, investors, mentors and local communities in a supportive and inspiring environment.

12/2013-3/2016: Chairman of the Board, MazeMap AS, offering unique, effective and inexpensive tools for indoor navigation on phones, tablets and PCs.

4/2015-3/2016: Co-founder & Chairman of the Board, Moonwalk Tomorrow AS, the world’s first crowd-funded, crowd-sourced and shared ownership innovation program.

4/2006-5/2014: Chairman of the Board, NTNU Samfunnsforskning AS, one of the largest contract research institutes in Norway in the social sciences.