WASHINGTON, D.C. – Marjorie Chorlins, U.S. Chamber Senior Vice President for European Affairs, issued the following statement urging the U.S. government to lift restrictions on European travelers to the United States. While Europe has moved forward with plans to ease restrictions following the recent U.S.-EU Leaders’ Summit, the United States has yet to offer reciprocal access.
All posts by Margrethe Harboe
Google Launches a New Medical App—Outside the US
BILLIONS OF TIMES each year, people turn to Google’s web search box for help figuring out what’s wrong with their skin. Now, Google is preparing to launch an app that uses image recognition algorithms to provide more expert and personalized help. A brief demo at the company’s developer conference last month showed the service suggesting several possible skin conditions based on uploaded photos.
Machines have matched or outperformed expert dermatologists in studies in which algorithms and doctors scrutinize images from past patients. But there’s little evidence from clinical trials deploying such technology, and no AI image analysis tools are approved for dermatologists to use in the US, says Roxana Daneshjou, a Stanford dermatologist and researcher in machine learning and health. “Many don’t pan out in the real world setting,” she says.
Eksportmeldingen 2021
I Eksportmeldingen 2021 har Menon utarbeidet et kunnskapsgrunnlag om norsk eksport. Diskusjonen om norsk eksport bærer ofte preg av misforståelser. Dette handler om hvor mye Norge eksporterer, hvem vi eksporter til og, ikke minst, hvorfor eksporten er så viktig for Norge. Eksportmeldingen har som mål å danne et saklig, objektivt og analytisk grunnlag for å bidra til en faktabasert norsk eksportdebatt. Dette gjør vi ved å gjennomgå hvordan utviklingen har vært i norsk eksport siden år 2000, hva vi eksporterer, hvem vi eksporterer til og hvilke norske regioner som eksporterer mest.
Why Norway Leads In EVs—And The Role Played By Cheap Renewable Electricity.
In the Superbowl ad with Will Ferrell, the comedian punches his fist through Norway’s location in a globe of the world. The ad took potshots at Norway because its number of electric vehicles (EVs) per capita exceeded those in the US. But GM, who sponsored the ad, warned that the US is coming: GM plans on 30 EV models in the US by 2025.
The fact is that Norway leads the world: 60% of new cars sold are EVs, compared with 2% in the US (Figure 1). How did they do it, and what can the rest of the world learn from Norway?
U.S.-EU Summit Statement
Towards a Renewed Transatlantic Partnership
- The United States and the European Union represent 780 million people who share democratic values and the largest economic relationship in the world. We have a chance and a responsibility to help people make a living and keep them safe and secure, fight climate change, and stand up for democracy and human rights. We laid the foundations of the world economy and the rules-based international order after World War II based on openness, fair competition, transparency, and accountability. Some of the rules need an update: to protect our health, our climate and planet, to ensure democracy delivers and technology improves our lives.
Equinor to Spend More on renewables as Oil Output Rises
OSLO, June 15 (Reuters) – Equinor (EQNR.OL) will speed up investments in renewable energy and low carbon solutions as new oil and gas comes onstream ahead of peak production in 2026, the company said on Tuesday as the pressure mounts to prove it can adapt to a greener future.
Norges Bank Sees Rate Hike in September Amid Hawkish Shift
Norway’s central bank is preparing for a series of quarterly interest-rate increases after the summer, in a move that puts it ahead of most of the rich world in unwinding the crisis policies triggered by the pandemic. Norges Bank will “most likely” raise rates in September, Governor Oystein Olsen said in a statement on Thursday. At a press conference later in the morning, he suggested the bank will deliver 25 basis-point hikes each quarter over the coming year. Previous guidance from the bank, which kept its main rate at zero as expected, pointed to tightening in the second half of 2021.
AmCham Virtual Tasting – Marimar’s Love for Wine
AmCham Virtual Tasting – Marimar’s Love for Wine
For the second in our virtual wine tasting series, AmCham Norway and member company guests welcomed Marimar Torres and Lucas Gailhac from Marimar Estate Vineyards and Winery.
Sipping our way through her 2018 Albarino, 2017 La Masia Chardonnay, and 2017 La Masia Piniot Noir, participants heard from Marimar about coming from a family of winemakers, her move to the US, and her passion for every element of winemaking.
Marimar and Lucas’ walked AmCham members through Marimar’s search for, and settlement of, the perfect spot for her vineyard in a 1980’s Russian River Valley filled with apple orchards and very few grapes. Digging a little deeper, guests learned why her vineyards provide an ideal growing climate, the effects of the 2020 fires on her wines (resulting in total loss of the vintage), and the difference she sees between being sustainable and being organic.
Marimar’s love for wine, and her excitement over new varietals and experimentations, was evident and contagious, with each element of winemaking being of vital importance, from endemic fog to lack of pesticides, the resident honey bees, to barrel selection, which, Marimar noted, “should be a frame to a beautiful painting, adding layers of complexity.”
Only the Most Patient and Nurturing of Growers Can Do It
Thinking back to when she first moved from Spain to California in 1975, Marimar shared her first impressions. “When I went to America – they listened!” To her as a woman, to her as a winemaker, and to her as a foreigner. She said Americans are like sponges, always wanting to soak up new information – and the Americans and Norwegians alike were no exception at this exciting tasting.
When I went to America – they listened!
Tasters learned about aging wines, with brand manager Lucas advising everyone to buy a case of wine and taste one each year to learn the nuances. “Acidity is the wine’s weapon against oxidation,” he explained, detailing how winemakers decide when the grape is perfect ripeness, while sommeliers determine when the wine is at peak age.
Ending the tasting with what Lucas described as “an iron fist in a velvet glove,” the La Masia Pinot Noir was, in Marimar’s perfect summation, “yummy!”
Previous Gatherings
Bottle Shock, AVAs, Petite Sirahs, and Biodynamics!
January 31, 2020
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Featuring a diverse selection of wines from 12 US producers from California, Oregon, and Washington, AmCham hosted a masterclass tasting for the Norwegian press and industry experts at US Ambassador Kenneth Braithwaite’s residence, Villa Otium.
American Wine Club: Bonterra Tasting
September 13, 2019
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Visiting organic wine pioneer Bob Blue led the American Wine Club and AmCham members through an exclusive tasting of Bonterra Vineyards diverse range of organic and biodynamic wines. Founded in 1987, Bonterra is a rising star in the American wine industry and was named Wine Enthusiast magazine’s American Winery of the Year in 2016.
American Wine Club Summer Tasting
July 2, 2019
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To welcome the start of summer, AmCham Norway hosted a casual summer wine tasting for members of the recently formed American Wine Club.
Including wines from California producers Joel Gott, Mandolin, and Ferrari-Carano, guests were able to sample a broad range of wines while also sampling an assortment of pastries provided by Hotel Bristol’s new in-house bakery. Along the way, attendees deepened their understanding of California wines and had the opportunity to experience vintages from a geographically diverse array of producers from the Golden State.
AmCham Norway Releases 2021-22 Membership Guide
Membership Guide 2021-22
Your guide to the transatlantic business community
AmCham proudly presents our 2021-22 Membership Guide! This annual publication serves to promote the exchange of information within AmCham’s extensive network of member and partner organizations throughout Norway, the United States, and beyond. AmCham continues to work diligently to further develop US-Norway business relations through a growing portfolio of member services, policy initiatives, and events.
The central theme of this year’s guide is agility and resilience. Throughout the publication, you will find articles highlighting how AmCham’s international members serve as vehicles for growth, masterfully adapting to rapidly changing marketplaces. Also ardently illustrated are members’ commitment to sustainable practices and how they resolutely respond to the pandemic. Additionally, you will find information about our cross-industry forums, numerous advocacy initiatives, leadership development programs, and wide range of gatherings.
AmCham sincerely thanks all member advertisers for making this publication possible:
Norway Builds World’s First Electric Zero-Emission Fast Ferry
Construction commenced in Norway for a fully electric passenger fast ferry, which is being called the first of its kind in the world. The vessel, which is due to enter service in the spring of 2022, is the first of three as part of a project to develop new modular methods for the design and production of zero-emission fast ferries. The first three ferries will be operated as demonstration models to validate the project’s goal to reduce investment costs and delivery time for sustainable inshore passenger transportation.
Equipped to carry approximately 150 passengers, the catamaran vessel will be approximately 100 feet long with a beam of 30 feet. Named Medstraum (Norwegian for “with electricity”) the ferry will be equipped with two electric motors and a 1.5 MWh capacity battery with charging power of more than 2 MW. The vessel is designed for a service speed of 23 knots.
Known as the TrAM project, it was initiated by industry cluster organization, NCE Maritime CleanTech, and is being coordinated by Kolumbus, the independent mobility services arm of Rogaland County Council in Norway.