Studied at the chemistry department of Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Master of Science from the Technical University of Trondheim, 1985; 1986 - 1987 he worked as researcher in the chemical-engineering institute with the polytechnic university; 1987 he works as researcher in the chemical-engineering department of the chemical-engineering institute SINTEF; 1988 - 1989 he worked in England and Germany; in 1990 he was one of five Norwegian candidates for the European astronaut group; but could not pass the first stage of the selection of the European Commission.