The latest keynote speaker for the 2026 European Robotics Forum (ERF) has been confirmed. International energy giant Equinor vice president Stine Vemmestad Vatneberg will address the greatest annual gathering of the European robotics community when ERF comes to Stavanger this spring (23-27 March).
Stine Vatneberg is vice president Facilities & Operations Solutions within Norway-based Equinor’s technology, digital and innovation business area. With 15 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, she has held multiple professional and leadership positions. She previously led the Autonomy, Interoperability, and Robotics Project, a flagship programme accelerating the adoption of digital technologies across Equinor’s assets. Passionate about innovation, Stine focuses on how collaboration and technology can drive the transformation of the energy sector.
Formerly Statoil, Equinor is an international energy company with 20,000 employees developing oil, gas, wind and solar energy in more than 30 countries worldwide. Majority-owned by the Norwegian government, Equinor is the largest energy operator in Norway and is also among the world’s largest offshore operators, with growing activities in renewables. Equinor has its headquarters in Stavanger.
Stine joins a line-up of eminent speakers and leading voices from European robotics and AI. Other confirmed speakers at ERF include: Camilla Stoltenberg: CEO, NORCE Research (see also About NORCE below) Francesco Ferro, CEO and Co-Founder of PAL Robotics; Nabil Belbachir, Research Director, NORCE Research; Gabor Sziebig, Research Manager, SINTEF Industry (see also About SINTEF below); Alexandra Bech Gjørv, President and CEO, SINTEF; Hedi Karray, Programme Manager for AI, European Innovation Council, and Bernd Liepert, President, euRobotics (see also About euRobotics below).
The European Robotics Forum (ERF) is the leading event for the European robotics and AI community, bringing together over 1,000 participants from industry, academia, and the public sector. Held annually in a different European city, ERF is the go-to platform to explore cutting-edge technologies, foster collaboration, and address the latest challenges and trends shaping the future of robotics in Europe.
Given its primary status within European robotics, ERF brings together experts from research and industry from across the European continent to share ideas, create new connections and celebrate the best of robotics, one of the most important technologies that will shape the future of society for generations to come.
A vibrant hub in northern Europe, Stavanger offers a unique setting where tradition meets technology. As a dynamic region investing in smart industry, energy transformation, and digital innovation it provides the perfect backdrop for advancing robotics and AI dialogue across many sectors. Given Stavanger’s maritime tradition and position, it is fitting that the umbrella theme for ERF2026 will focus on the blue economy as well as on growth in space.
ERF in Stavanger will be organised and hosted by NORCE and SINTEF, Norway’s leading research institutes in partnership with euRobotics, the European robotics association.
About Norce: NORCE is one of Norway’s leading research institutes with wide-ranging scientific expertise and solid knowledge environments. Our activities are centred around research and innovation within energy, health, climate, the environment, society, and technology. Through our network of researchers, experts and partners, we seek to address the key challenges faced by society and contribute to value creation locally, nationally and globally. Through our vision ‘Passion for knowledge – working together for sustainability’, we commit ourselves to being future-oriented and dedicated to promoting sustainable development and the green shift. The largest owners of NORCE are the four universities in Bergen (UiB), Stavanger (UiS), Agder (UiA), Tromsø (UiT) and Stiftelsen Rogalandsforskning.
About SINTEF: SINTEF is one of Europe’s largest research institutes, with multidisciplinary expertise within technology, natural sciences and social sciences. SINTEF is an independent foundation which, since 1950, has created innovation through development and research assignments for business and the public sector at home and abroad. We offer world-leading laboratory and test facilities in a wide range of technological fields. Our advanced laboratories range from microelectronics and nanoscale technologies to the world’s largest laboratory for the multiphase transport of oil and gas, and the world’s largest marine laboratory.
The commercialisation of our research results is part of SINTEF’s role in society. We achieve this by means of licensing and creating new companies based on technologies developed as part of our research activities. More than 90 per cent of our income comes from contracts won in open competition.
About euRobotics: euRobotics (eu-robotics.net) is an international non-profit association for all stakeholders in European robotics, headquartered in Brussels. Established in September 2012 and serving its founding purpose: to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and to ensure industrial leadership of manufacturers, providers and end-users of robotics technology-based systems and services, euRobotics forms the largest network of roboticists and business in Europe with more than 200 institutional members, covering small and large companies, associations and institutions, universities, laboratories and RTOs. The objectives of euRobotics are to boost European robotics research, development and innovation, to foster a positive perception of robotics, to support the widest and most effective uptake of robotics technologies and services for professional and private use, and to ensure the excellence of the robotics science base in Europe is maintained.
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