She and a Norwegian ski guide skied almost 15 miles each day near the border with Sweden. They each pulled an 80-pound sled containing water, food and equipment, sleeping in a tent most nights. Reynolds said her guide told her she was in good shape for the adventure.
Read entire article HERE.
DNV GL has created a venture fund, DNV GL Ventures, which will build a portfolio of between 15-20 start-ups in the next four years, taking up an equity stake of up to 20% in the companies.
DNV GL chief digital transformation officer Klas Bendrik said the challenges of the coming decade mean “operating like it is business as usual is not an option.”
“We have entered a decade of transformation where the pace of the energy transition will be set and digital technologies underpinning industry 4.0 will mature from experimentation into large-scale application,” adding “The launch of DNV GL Ventures is an acknowledgment that even a company of experts like ours must look beyond its own four walls to stay relevant.
Read entire article HERE.
The Norwegian Ministry of Transport has commissioned Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority to develop a proposed program for the introduction of electrified aircraft. The report suggests that by 2030, the first regular domestic scheduled flights in Norway will be operated with electrified aircraft.
Furthermore, it recommends a package of incentives and measures, which will help achieve the proposed objective that by 2040, all domestic aviation in Norway will be operated with electrified aircraft.
“The world is facing a climate crisis and it is up to us in the transportation sector to make the biggest reductions in emissions. Helping to achieve this is my primary task as Minister of Transport and Communications. We must deliver on this, and electric aircraft may be part of the solution. I am now looking forward to reading the proposal for electric aircraft program prepared by Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority,” says Knut Arild Hareide, Minister of Transport and Communications.
The report was handed over to the Minister at an event hosted by the aircraft engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce in Trondheim on the 5th of March.
“The assignment given to Avinor and the Norwegian Civil Aviation Authority by the Norwegian government has now been completed and the conclusions are extremely clear. Our recommendation is that Norway should be one of the main arenas in the world for the electrification of air travel, says CEO of Avinor”, Dag Falk-Petersen.
“In order to ensure that high-quality transport services continue to be provided in Norway, it is in Norway’s own interest – from the perspective of both climate, district and transport policies – that zero and low-emission aircraft are developed which are capable of operating on the unique Norwegian short-haul network under the prevailing meteorological conditions in the country”, says Director General of Civil Aviation Authority of Norway,Lars Kobberstad.
Read entire release HERE.
“Any trivial problem can be solved with a pen and paper. Any interesting problem cannot.”
So began Professor Are Magnus Bruaset’s deeply enlightening presentation and roundtable discussion on Simula’s cutting-edge eX3 project. As the institution’s Research Director of Software Engineering and High-Performance Computing, Dr. Bruaset emphasized how improved and novel algorithms are at the epicenter of technological advancement – while demonstrating how limitations in traditional hardware are spawning new, innovative designs that require rethinking of methods and software.
Are Magnus Bruaset – Research Director for Software Engineering and High Performance Computing, Simula Research Laboratory
Abraham Foss – Former CEO, Telia Norway
Digitalization Forum host Dr. Kyrre Lekve, Simula’s Deputy Managing Director, further explained how the burgeoning, state-owned enterprise collaborates with organizations including UC San Diego, Equinor, Cisco, and The Norwegian Research Council on:
Simula’s commercialization efforts within these key areas are key, “with the goal being to build research projects into companies,” according to Dr. Lekve. Unloc, Imerso, Eyr, Facil , and LeadX are but some of the many companies currently or formerly engaged in Simula’s multiple innovation programs.
Deftly switching gears, Abraham Foss’ deep, real-world understanding of the pitfalls and opportunities in digital transformation processes was echoed by enthusiastic comments from senior forum participants. As the former CEO of Telia Norway, Foss explained that “digitalization is not only about apps, the hard part is producing excellent customer journeys.” The ability of a company to understand who their customers really are, build and transfer competence, determine which processes should be automated, and set acceptable risk tolerances will ultimately determine the success of their digital transformation activities.
“Going forward, regulatory issues will represent the biggest challenges to digitalization initiatives, not technological,” according to Foss. Participants agreed, sharing associated GDPR experiences and deliberating many of Foss’ “critical considerations,” including:
The AmCham Digitalization Forum was initiated in 2016 in response to wide interest from AmCham member company leaders in better understanding the challenges and opportunities of today’s digital business environment. From sharing best practices to exploring how different member companies have implemented digital transformations, the series aims to foster confidence, inspire collaboration, and promote cross-industry dialogue across the Norwegian-American business community.
Read more about our Digitalization forum HERE, and please contact us for interest in future forums.
My name is Kristian Noll, and I am currently a junior at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, majoring in Political Science and Norwegian. Over the course of the past several weeks, I have had the unique privilege of being able to intern at the American Chamber of Commerce in Norway (AmCham). As an American student with extensive experience living abroad – including three years in Oslo – the opportunity to return to a place I called home for three years has been extremely exciting. Additionally, working at AmCham has exposed me to an alternate manifestation of international relations: one of international business.
Working at AmCham has truly been a rewarding experience. Not only have I had the privilege of working with smart, friendly, and professional colleagues, but I have been exposed to the fascinating work AmCham does. They are, effectively, a facilitator of international dialogue between businesses, investors, and governments; work that mirrors international diplomacy. The beauty of such work is that it encompasses multiple disciplines, including political science, economics, healthcare, etc. Consequently, a month interning at AmCham has exposed me to developments within numerous industries, ultimately painting a clearer picture of what different careers might look like in practice. By gaining exposure to countless industries, companies, and aspects of international business, I have developed a keen understanding of just how complicated international business is.
My daily tasks varied, which has only served to make this experience more beneficial. I have had the privilege of completing many tasks, including collecting extensive data on business investments in Norway, attending and reporting on various gatherings, contacting member representatives for profiling information, working with wine industry representatives on AmCham’s latest press and industry initiative, and accompanying staff to meetings with members. Through these experiences, I have not only learned much about how businesses respond to global developments, but I have also been able to develop my writing abilities, improve my comfort with analyzing quantitative data, and practice my communication skills, including in Norwegian.
As my time in Norway has now come to an end, I have had time to reflect on the lessons learned from this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Over the past month, I have gotten to know the AmCham Norway employees well, learned much about the bilateral Norway-US business climate, had the privilege of attending numerous events spanning different themes, and ultimately explored and refined potential career options. The most important takeaway from this month is that I have a better understanding of myself: what I am interested in, where I want to work, how I can best utilize my skills to make an impact on this world.
Ultimately, there are three main lessons I will take from my AmCham experience. First, my passions lie in international relations and politics. Being on the frontlines of major domestic political developments, namely FrP’s exit from the government and subsequent cabinet reshuffle, was, in my opinion, the most fascinating development I encountered this month.
Second, I have a heightened awareness of sustainability issues. Frequent exposure to the Norwegian “el” approach to life – in which much emphasis is placed on sustainable living – and a political desire to implement greener practices has inspired me; I will return to the United States with a more acute sense of how widespread attention to environmental sustainability can be a reality, even for those concerned about economic progress. It is my hope that I will be able to bring a fresh perspective on environmental issues to my college campus.
Lastly, I have learned that Norway is a place I would love to return to. Although this month has flown by, I will leave Norway with a novel sense of fulfillment. Ultimately, I feel much more comfortable about what steps I should take when I get back to St. Olaf to plan for my future. Moreover, I know that I have a city I would be extremely excited about returning to in the near future. Oslo, takk for nå, og vi sees snart!
Telia has dropped Eurosport’s channels after the Nordic operator failed to reach a new carriage deal with broadcaster Discovery.
Viewers in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden saw the Eurosport channels disappear on the morning of March 3 at the expiration of the current carriage deal.
As reported by Sport Business, the operator said that it is hoping to bring the channels back.
Read entire article HERE.
Tine har ambisiøse planer for 2020. Selskapet lanserer nå et nytt reklamekonsept og en ny profil for Jarlsberg på det internasjonale markedet. Det er reklamebyrået SMFB som står bak konseptet, som skal inspirere både briter og amerikanere til å bytte ut cheddar med Jarlsberg.
– Vi ønsker at Jarlsberg skal bli en større del av folks hverdagsliv også i utlandet, sier Silje Lindborg, International Marketing Manager hos Tine.
Lindborg sier de som en liten aktør internasjonalt vil møte sterk konkurranse og at de derfor må fremstå relevant for målgruppen.
Read entire article HERE.
In late 2019, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that it would implement the registration process for the fiscal year 2021 H-1B cap. The H-1B visa is used by businesses that want to employ foreign nationals to work in a specialty occupation requiring theoretical or technical expertise. The initial registration period for the 2021 cap will open at 12 p.m. ET on March 1, 2020 and run through 12 p.m. ET on March 20, 2020. USCIS will use the myUSCIS online portal to conduct the electronic H-1B registration process. Prospective petitioners may begin to designate themselves as H-1B registrants on the myUSCIS accounts beginning February 24, 2020. The following information will be required for the registration process (Information and entire article can be found HERE)
Rising Leaders participants assembled at Airthings’ new Oslo headquarters for the program’s February meeting. With the company fresh off having its Wave Plus product named to TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2019 list, CEO Øyvind Birkenes and CPO Erlend Bolle began the meeting with presentations that took attendees through Airthings’ incredible journey from Norway-based startup to international scaleup, in addition to discussing the art of leading a high growth international company and the importance of empowering employees.
The presentations were followed by a highly engaging group discussion where program participants asked questions about the company’s founding, the Norwegian startup/scaleup scene, and global team building, followed by a reception with representatives from Airthings and AmCham member companies.
Øyvind Birkenes – CEO
Erlend Bolle – CPO
Bolle, one of the company’s founders, kicked things off with a candid, humorous retelling of how Airthings came to be.
“After working at CERN, I was thinking I really wanted to start my own business. One day, when I was off in the wilderness, I got the phone call I’d been waiting all my life for – a phone call that said, ‘Let’s do it, we should start something.’”
From there, Bolle and his colleagues identified radon detectors as an area in desperate need of innovation, noting that the testing kits most people were using at the time had changed little from the original detectors in the 1960s. With grant funding from Innovation Norway and the Norwegian Research Council, they bootstrapped the company for the first seven years.
At first, however, the response from retailers was tepid. “It was a bit like we were the new kid on the block, and people didn’t want our product.” On the other hand, internet sales quickly began to increase, at which point Bolle notes, “We really began to understand that this idea of ours was scalable.” Flash forward a few years later, and the company has established offices in Chicago and Quebec City, in addition to being on track to do well over NOK 200 million in sales in 2020.
Bolle was then followed by CEO Birkenes, who dove into the importance of being involved and engaged as a CEO – whether it is talking to consumers at trade shows or truly being a part of the Airthings team.
“To me, it is very important to have a flat, open, and international culture. We want to be a big global player, but we know we can’t do that with just a “Norwegian” mentality. We knew we needed a global footprint and global perspectives on our team, and that’s why we’re hiring the best talent from around the world and bringing them here to Oslo.”
Birkenes then discussed what he found important as a leader. Culture was a key focus, and Birkenes explained that he found it critical to “provide employees with goals that engage them and allow them to do something special, instead of simply telling them what needs to be done.” To close, Birkenes concluded that all of these aspects were integral components of the company’s global focus and reflective of their unyielding commitment to “thinking big.”
After the presentations, Rising Leaders participants had the opportunity to engage Birkenes, Bolle, and Consumer Marketing Manager Lauren Alkire in a frank discussion about their unique Airthings experiences and how the company gained market traction in an area that is not as visible as food delivery, music streaming, or transportation.
“I really like to think that we have played an important role in raising awareness about the dangers of radon, which causes about 21,000 lung cancer deaths each year alone in the United States. In this area, we are very proud of our partnerships with organizations such as the American Lung Association and Kreftforeningen – we’re not just selling a product, we’re making an impact,” Bolle noted.
The Airthings team further discussed a wide range of topics, including sustainability, GDPR, and the steps the founders took to get the company up and running.
“This event was incredibly interesting. It is one thing to read about how you ‘should’ start a company in a textbook – it is another thing entirely to hear from people who have actually done it,” concluded one program participant.
Rising Leaders is an initiative of the US Embassy and AmCham to provide access for young, up-and-coming leaders from diverse backgrounds to high-level representatives of the established business community. AmCham Managing Director Jason Turflinger and US Ambassador Kenneth Braithwaite officially inaugurated the program in April 2018.
The 24 program participants — consisting of 12 women and 12 men from nine countries between the ages of 22 and 35 — have demonstrated leadership, entrepreneurial, and/or business excellence in their educational pursuits and careers thus far. Participants engage business leaders, learn about AmCham member companies, and gain business and leadership skills.
For more information about the program or to learn how your organization can get involved, please contact tb@amcham.no.
OSLO, Feb 27 (Reuters) – Norway’s sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, made a 19.9% return on investment last year, earning a record 1.69 trillion Norwegian crowns ($180 billion) as stock markets rallied, it said on Thursday.
The $1.1 trillion fund’s return for the year was stronger than that of its benchmark index, it added.
“2019 has been a very good year for the fund … this is the greatest increase in value in a single year in the fund’s history,” said central bank Governor Oeystein Olsen, who chairs the fund’s board.
Read entire article HERE.
