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All posts by Margrethe Harboe
US Companies in Norway: Investment & Activities
Key Figures in the National Budget 2025
The Ministry of Finance publishes selected key figures at 8 am, prior to the publication of the budget, which includes more detailed projections, at 10 am.
The backdrop for the budget is an economy with prospects for stronger growth and continued low unemployment. After a few years of high inflation economic policy appears to have successfully brought inflation down without causing a significant increase in unemployment or negative growth. With prospects for wage growth well above inflation this year, household purchasing power is expected to improve and contribute to higher growth in the Norwegian economy in 2025.
The government has significantly strengthened defence, security and preparedness as a result of international events in recent years. These areas are also prioritised in the budget for 2025.
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AmCham Sustainability Forum: Space as the Enabler for Sustainability Initiatives and the Ministry of Trade on Accelerating Transatlantic Green Transition.
Equinor, Standard Lithium JV selected by DOE to negotiate Arkansas project funding
SWA Lithium LLC, a US subsidiary of Equinor Energy (45%) and Standard Lithium Ltd. (55%), has been selected for up to $225 million award negotiation from the US Department of Energy (DOE) as part of the US government’s investment in supply chains of domestic lithium production.
This selection, overseen by the DOE’s Office of Manufacturing and Energy Supply Chains (MESC), is part of the second wave of funding under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The provisional grant is dependent on completing successful final negotiations with the DOE.
The South West Arkansas project in the Smackover formation in Arkansas targets a total output of 45,000 tpy of lithium carbonate, to be developed in two phases of 22,500 tonnes/year (tpy) each of battery-quality lithium carbonate utilizing direct lithium extraction (DLE) technology (OGJ Online, May 8, 2024). The DOE funding would support construction of the central processing facility (CPF) for Phase 1.
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Internasjonalt gjennombrudd for Defigo
Defigo, som leverer digitale porttelefoner og adgangsløsninger, er i full gang med den internasjonale satsingen. Nå har selskapet fått på plass et partnerskap med det verdenskjente elektronikkvarehuset B&H, som har en årlig omsetning på 5 milliarder kroner.
Annonse
Partnerskapet med B&H vil gjøre Defigos videoporttelefon lett tilgjengelig for amerikanske kunder.
– Det er en stor milepæl for oss å ha landet denne samarbeidsavtalen med B&H. Partnerskap med en anerkjent retail-leverandør markerer et vendepunkt for Defigo i USA, og understreker tilliten partnere og kunder har til vår visjon og våre fremtidsrettede produkter, sier Hildur Smaradottir, daglig leder i Defigo.
B&H opplever en økende etterspørsel etter digitale sikkerhetsløsninger i USA, og har på bakgrunn av dette utvidet produktsortimentet til å inkludere Defigo for å imøtekomme kundenes behov for toppmoderne teknologi.
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Cyber Influence and the Private Sector’s Role in National Security
DSV to create global logistics giant with $15.9 billion Schenker takeover
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Remembering Leif R. Evensen – A Legacy in Hospitality
Remembering Leif R. Evensen – A Legacy in Hospitality
It is with great respect and fond memories that we share an article honoring the life and legacy of Leif R. Evensen (1935 – 2024)
Leif R. Evensen, affectionately known as “Mr. Cornell in Europe,” and a deeply respected figure in the hotel industry, passed away on September 6, 2024, at the age of 89, after a long illness. He spent his final weeks at Ullern Health Centre.
Born in Grimstad, Norway, Leif lived a long and remarkable life filled with passion for hospitality and service. He began his career as a purser with SAS Airlines but soon developed an early passion for the international hotel industry, recognising that a solid educational foundation was essential for success. He pursued studies in hotel management at the Norwegian Hotel School in Stavanger, the EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne, and the Cornell School of Hotel Administration in the United States.
Leif’s connection with Cornell was lifelong. After graduating from Cornell in 1966, Leif became an active member of the Cornell Hotel Society, the alumni association for former students. In 2005, he was honoured with the role of Global President and held an instrumental role in the leadership of the Norway Chapter for many years and was strongly engaged in the establishment of several chapters across Europe.
Leif’s international career took him to leadership roles in hotels in New York, Washington DC, and Chicago. Upon his return to Norway, he worked with SAS Catering and SAS International Hotels. His final position was as Director of Hotel Europa in Oslo. However, his greatest legacy lies in his dedication to nurturing talent and advancing education within the hospitality and tourism sectors. In recognition of his contributions, a Cornell scholarship titled “Master of Management in Hospitality” was named in his honour. Driven by his passion for supporting young professionals, Leif initiated several scholarships to help promising talents advance their education.
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KONGSBERG to Establish Missile Factory in the US
Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace (‘KONGSBERG’) is building a state-of-the-art missile production facility in the United States to meet global demand, following expansion in Norway and the recently announced missile factory in Australia. Located near key US Navy facilities, the site in James City County, Virginia will provide additional production capacity, sustainment and in-country tech refresh capabilities for KONGSBERG’s Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) and Joint Strike Missiles (JSM).
“The new missile production facilities in the US, Australia and Norway address the strong and long-term demand for our unique technology and the critical need to strengthen collective defence capabilities. KONGSBERG has a proud history in the US and we are delighted to continue to invest in the country to support American interests while creating jobs locally,” said Geir Håøy, CEO of KONGSBERG.
This is the second new missile production facility KONGSBERG has announced in as many months, and the decision to locate this facility in the US was heavily influenced by the possibility that the Department of Defense could award a multiyear procurement contract to KONGSBERG.
“The US Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force are important customers for KONGSBERG’s Naval Strike Missile and Joint Strike Missile. Their demand signals gave us the predictability we needed to make this investment in the United States,” said Eirik Lie, president of Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace. “This will allow us to better serve our allies in the US and continue to expand that supply chain locally, building capacity and redundancy for these critical capabilities.”
KONGSBERG’s investments will increase overall US manufacturing capability and further increase capacity to build these advanced systems, but more importantly, it will bring this capability to the US.
“KONGSBERG is investing in a big way in the US market by making Virginia the US home of our new missile factory, which will entail hiring more than 180 people. We will also be investing more than $100 million into the Commonwealth of Virginia over the next few years, in terms of property, plant and equipment,” said Heather Armentrout, president and general manager, Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace, Inc., the US subsidiary of KONGSBERG. “This is in addition to expansion at our core US production facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania.”
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