LEAN FORUM NORDVEST

What LEAN FORUM NORDVEST does

Lean Forum Nordvest is a regional non-profit network organization operating under the umbrella of Lean Forum Norge, serving businesses and public-sector organizations in the Nordvestlandet (Northwestern Norway) region. It was established as part of the parent forum, which was founded on December 10, 2009 at the Research Council of Norway (Forskningsr\u00e5det) as an open forum promoting value creation through innovation, the Norwegian model, and Lean philosophy. Its core function is to facilitate knowledge sharing, training, networking, and peer learning on continuous improvement and Lean methodology among Norwegian enterprises across industries including healthcare, manufacturing, maritime, and food processing. Named member engagements include Helse Bergen HF (training 140 technical staff via Lean Forum Academy), Framo Services (23 employees at Lean Day, downtime reduction and 5S projects), Jets Vacuum AS (host of regional network gathering), and Norsk Kylling (combining CI culture with data and AI).

The organization's product and service portfolio spans both physical and digital channels: the Lean Forum Academy national digital learning platform; the UPKIP digital continuous improvement platform integrated from a member company; a webinar series (psychological safety in CI, Last Planner System, digital improvement work, academic perspectives from BI); the Lean Spill simulation game; regional network gatherings with company visits and factory tours; the annual national conference \u00c5rskonferansen (planned for November 10–11, 2026 at Quality Hotel Expo Fornebu) with awards and a "Knowledge Source" track; and a podcast hosted by program leader Henning Raae with board leader Gaute Knutstad. Governance is provided by a board chaired by Kristina Kjersem (doctorate in Lean Project Planning from NTNU), with board representation from SIVA, NHO, LO, Norsk Industri, NTNU and SINTEF. Lean Forum Nordvest's headquarters mailing address is Postboks 58, 2831 Raufoss, Norway.

The business model is membership-based and not publicly traded, with revenue figures undisclosed. Income is presumed to derive from member dues, event/conference fees, training programs (Lean Forum Academy), and collaborative sessions with member companies, distributed through a direct regional engagement model across Northwestern Norway. Marketing reaches members via LinkedIn, Facebook, email newsletters, webinars, the annual conference, regional Lean Days, company visits, and a podcast.

Name

LEAN FORUM NORDVEST

Legal name

Lean Forum Norge

Website

https://leanforumnorge.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Lean Forum Nordvest is a regional non-profit network in Northwestern Norway, operating under Lean Forum Norge. It facilitates knowledge sharing, training, and peer learning on Lean and continuous improvement for Norwegian enterprises across healthcare, manufacturing, maritime, and food processing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Training and Networking Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Feedback, Discussion Forums & Social Learning Communities (EDAFAGAH)

Keywords

• Continuous improvement networks
• Lean methodology training
• Operational excellence consulting
• Professional networking events
• Lean enterprise education

Headquarters

HQ city

MOLDE, Molde

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Lean Forum Nordvest is the Northwestern Norway regional network of Lean Forum Norge, providing member organizations with continuous improvement and Lean methodology programming. It facilitates peer learning through regional network gatherings, webinars, company visits, and access to the national Lean Forum Academy e-learning platform, Lean Spill simulation game, annual conference, and podcast series.

Product overview

Lean Forum Nordvest is a regional network within Lean Forum Norge for continuous improvement, efficient value creation, and sustainable work processes in the Northwest region of Norway. The organization's product portfolio consists of interconnected services: Lean Forum Academy as the national digital learning platform offering online courses; UPKIP as a digital continuous improvement platform used by member companies; webinars as online learning events; the Lean Spill (game) as a hands-on training simulation; network gatherings for peer learning and site visits; the annual conference as the flagship national event with multiple tracks; and a podcast series for ongoing knowledge sharing. These offerings work together to support Norwegian businesses in creating more value with less waste through the Lean philosophy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Lean Forum Academy A national digital e-learning platform that delivers practical and recognized Lean training to create real improvement results for member organizations of Lean Forum Norge.
• Nettverkssamling (Regional Network Gatherings) In-person regional gatherings in Northwestern Norway where members learn from each other, see improvement work in practice during company visits and factory tours, and build cross-industry professional networks.
• Årskonferansen (Annual Conference) The annual national conference of Lean Forum Norge held over two days, featuring keynotes, parallel sessions, the Knowledge Source track, and the Lean Prize awards ceremony for member organizations.
• Webinar Series Recurring online webinar sessions covering topics such as psychological safety in continuous improvement, the Last Planner System, and digital improvement work, delivered via Microsoft Teams and other digital platforms to member organizations.
• Lean Spill (Lean Game) A hands-on simulation game used as a training event to demonstrate Lean principles such as Layout, 5S, work tasks, changeover times, equipment effects, quality control, material flow, and control principles through iterative improvement rounds.
• Podcast Series An ongoing podcast series where program leader Henning Raae, together with board leader Gaute Knutstad, explores what Lean means through interviews with leaders, experts, and practitioners sharing their improvement experiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved improvement culture with more engaged employees and increased improvement proposals at member companies like Helse Bergen
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Lean Forum NorgecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLean Forum Nordvest is a regional branch of Lean Forum Norge, operating under its umbrella with shared resources, training programs (Lean Forum Academy), and coordinated event calendars. The regional networks collaborate on national conferences and share methodology and best practices.
• Jets Vacuum AScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost company for network gatherings, demonstrating innovation, product development, production and continuous improvement practices in a global technology enterprise serving maritime, building and construction sectors.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Shingo Institute: Operational-excellence and continuous-improvement organization affiliated with Utah State University; runs Shingo Prize, conferences, and workshops on enterprise transformation. Comparable because it operates in the same Lean/operational-excellence education and recognition space.
• Lean Enterprise Institute: Global non-profit dedicated to advancing Lean thinking; offers conferences, training, and educational resources across multiple industries. Comparable to Lean Forum Nordvest as a Lean knowledge-sharing network but at global scale and with paid consulting/training offerings.
• ASQ - American Society for Quality: Large US-based professional association for quality and continuous improvement practitioners; offers conferences, certifications, and local-section events. Comparable as a peer-driven learning community around continuous improvement but at much larger scale.
• Kaizen Institute: Global consulting and training firm specializing in Lean and Kaizen methodology. Comparable to Lean Forum Nordvest for its training, conferences, and network-like content, but as a paid consultancy rather than a membership forum.
• AME - Association for Manufacturing Excellence: Membership-based organization offering Lean, continuous improvement, and operational-excellence education, conferences, and resources primarily to manufacturers. Similar network/community-driven education model as Lean Forum Nordvest.

Direct peers

• Lean Forum Norge: National parent organization of which Lean Forum Nordvest is the Northwestern regional branch. Operates the same Lean Forum Academy, annual conference, and member-based engagement model, but serves all of Norway rather than a single region.
• Norsk Forening for Kvalitet: Norwegian professional association focused on quality and continuous improvement; offers member-based training, events, and certification. Highly comparable to Lean Forum Nordvest in mission, geography (Norway), and member-driven education model.

Regional players

• Produktivitetssprånget: Swedish national program supporting productivity and Lean work in industrial companies, including site visits and training. Closely mirrors Lean Forum Nordvest in mission and Scandinavian industrial focus, but operates in Sweden rather than Norway.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/leanforumnorge
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lean-forum-nordvest

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LEAN FORUM NORDVEST