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Q: Chipcon. Is this similar?
I feel that Energy Micro started where Chipcon ended. And that was a main motivation as well.
I wanted to use the things that I had learned in Chipcon,
and "do things right" the first time.
But there are differences,
where we at Chipcon maybe had more luck.
At that time we were one of a just a few companies in the world, and it was a small and growing market.
And we were able to take a leading position as this the market grew, as the competition was smaller.
When we started Energy Micro, people told us that this would´t work. We were now a
start-up surrounded by multi billion companies, and it was judged from the beginning that
it would fail.
But what I had learnt from Chipcon, was that things can be done. And, it was also an opening
in the market, that the big companies didn´t yet cover.
However I knew that it was only a question of time before the established companies would
start looking into this area. And to a certain extent, this has now happened.
Overall it was a move to use everything I´ve learnt; strategy, technology, the semiconductor
industry, leadership, creating a team of competent people and make something big. That´s probably
my main attributes as well.
Q: You have studied at Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)?
Yes, microelectronics. So I have an education for this field, but I didn´t work with this
for many years. It appeared that I was better at everything in conduction with this, than
the technology itself.
Q: After NTNU, what did you do?
I worked on microelectronics for SINTEF, a large independent research organisation in
Oslo, for 4 years. Then 2 of my colleagues and myself started Chipcon in 1996.
After the acquisition I was then part of Texas Instruments for 1.5 years, before I decided
that I wanted to do one more start-up.
Although Norway has a high GDP you could except that the work morale would be low, but actually
it´s high. And Norway, probably because of the oil companies, has become quite international.
Self-esteem and confidence is also high, so all these factors are important factors to
succeed here.
We also have flat company structures here, that ensures high productivity and creativity.
I think that Scandinavia and Silicon Valley are the most creative places in the world.
However a threat, is the increase in manufacturing cost in Norway, and also the increase in salaries
is a challenge. Today we´re on par with e.g. Texas, but if it increases it´s a threat.
One of the reasons it made sense to take this move with Silicon Labs, is that we also have
a recruitment challenge. It´s almost impossible to get the expected personnel growth, as Norway
is a small country and we lack the right people and competence for such growth.
Commercially it can also be a challenge to run things from Norway, but against all odds
Norway now has Texas Instruments, Atmel, Nordic Semiconductor and Energy Micro, and we have
established a world leading industry in microcontrollers and radio products.
But growing fast is as mentioned a challenge, so we need to think globally. And this is
also a part of the new constellation with Silicon Labs. With HQ still in Oslo, we will
have resources in Boston, Austin and Singapore. It´s exciting.
It´s not like magic, like others have unlimited access to leadership and engineers compared
to us, so we´re definitively on our way into a global world. Companies with the old way
of thinking, where centralising everything is key, won´t cut it.
It´s the companies that are able to handle global teams and structures that will succeed
in the future.
Q: Why is this so important?
Because we´re living in such a global and small world, and you need to succeed everywhere.
Energy Micro is an example of a company born globally, meaning that if we didn´t make it globally,
we would not make it at all.
We have 85 employees and 22-23 nationalities.
In Chipcon I wanted the employees to be close to Norway, but now I´m completely opposite.
Having a team worlwide, with different inputs and views, and using this knowledge,
makes us stronger and better, and gives us a global view.
Q: Do you have any role models?
In general I´m impressed by people that dare to execute, and know what they are doing.
Q: Will you spend the money on something?
Nothing. I got everything I need.
Q: What about taxes?
For sure it will be, but that´s not a concern.
I think there´s too much fuzz about that in general.
Q: Are you a pioneer, having sold two companies?
I wouldn't say pioneer, but I´m an entrepreneur by heart.
Q: What´s the difference?
A pioneer does something radically new and different, and I don´t think I have done that.
Maybe it´s unique to have done this twice, but I´m first and foremost an entrepreneur.
An entrepreneur is a person who aims high, gets the team to believe in the same goals, works
hard and targeted. Maybe he does not completely make it, but takes it so far that it becomes
fantastic story.
That is what drives me.
Q: Thanks!