What happens when competitors share the same coffee machine?
That question gets very real at Construction City, a building where 120 companies, several of them competitors, work side by side.
Terje Gulbrandsen, Head of Property at OBOS Eiendom and responsible for Construction City, has a simple answer to how it works.
Gulbrandsen believes collaboration actually sharpens the competitive edge. You tap into specialist expertise, discover new partnerships or secure funding that takes your product further.
Contractors like AF Gruppen and Betongmast, tech company Siemens and developer OBOS share the building with knowledge institutions such as Fagskolen Oslo, OsloMet and Sintef, along with a mix of startups and scale-ups.
"A lot happens between the companies here that we don't always set in motion. It's great when it happens on its own, when the companies or the people simply find each other," he says.
The day everyone gets the spotlight
On 21 October, Oslo Proptech Summit returns to the construction industry’s own hub at Ulven in Oslo. Construction City opened on 5 September 2025, just seven weeks before it hosted the summit for the first time. Not everything was open yet, but the summit was a huge success anyway, with record attendance. This year, the whole building is ready to bring the industry together.
"It's not just our arena. It's for everyone who contributes: exhibitors, speakers and companies presenting their solutions. It's an extended marketplace that runs all year, but the summit is where we turn on the spotlight and get everyone on stage together," says Gulbrandsen.
He hopes attendees will leave inspired, but also with something concrete to act on.
“That people walk away feeling they've kicked something off, or moved a process forward that takes their companies further. That they gain a competitive edge from being part of it, both at the summit and in the community around Construction City."