Centre director Petter Røkke opened the proceedings with an overview of the Centre's main objectives as stated when the project started in 2016. He then welcomed on stage Toril Nagelhus Hernes and Inge Røinaas Gran, representing NTNU and SINTEF respectively. Both praised the efforts of the Centre's industry and research partners, and emphasised the important role of research in ensuring the potential of energy efficiency measures gets leveraged.

Petter Neksa (SINTEF) and Truls Gundersen (NTNU) then went a bit more in depth about the Centre's achievements. During the course of its eight years of activity, HighEFF has resulted in a total of 249 peer-reviewed scientific articles and 173 conference presentations. A total of 16 HighEFF-financed PhD candidates have successfully defended their theses, and 73 Master's of science were completed with theses relevant to HighEFF.

The Research Council of Norway's Rune Volla deemed the Centre a success, and praised its achievements, particularly its results in research and innovation, efforts to increase awareness about energy efficiency, focus on international collaboration and work in educating the next generation of experts through multiple PhD projects.

Arne Ulrik Bindingsbø, chair of the HighEFF Board, looked back at the Centre's ambitions when it was launched, and expressed a wish for the legacy of HighEFF to live on through future projects.

SINTEF Energy Research communications director Anne Steenstrup-Duch gave an overview of the outreach activities undertaken by the Centre. Fun fact: the word "energieffektivisering" (energy efficiency) is now mentioned four times more frequently in the Norwegian media than it used to be when the Centre launched in 2016.

Elkem ASA's Vegar Andersen, who completed his PhD as part of HighEFF, gave his company's comments about participation in the Centre. He also received the very first Elkem Inspiration Award for science, given to him by his colleague Aasgeir Valderhaug. Ellen Myrvold (Alcoa), revealed how HighEFF had enabled Alcoa Mosjøen to make a list of realistic energy efficiency measures that can be implemented.

Later during the evening, participants were treated to a concert which was given by Nidarosdomens Guttekor and The Georgia Boy Choir, visiting from the US. Dinner was served next door, in the Archbishop's Palace, where diners were delighted by a surprise performance of student choir Candiss.

The conference concluded the next day with more scientific updates and presentations from the industry. Among many others, Kazuhiro Hattori, from Mayekawa, expressed the wish to continue the research collaboration despite the Centre's activities coming to an end.

Participants to the conference could get their own copy of the HighEFF innovations brochure, containing a one-page description of each of the Centre's 41 innovations, ranging from a propane-butane high-temperature heat pump to cold thermal energy storage, via flue gas recirculation for silicon production.