All posts by Margrethe Harboe

Kongsberg, Raytheon in 128 mln euro deal to deliver naval missile system to Romania

Business News, Defense / Security

BUCHAREST (Romania), December 13 (SeeNews) – Norwegian defence related systems and products supplier Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace said on Tuesday it has been awarded a 1.35 billion NOK ($135 million/ 128 million euro) contract by U.S.-based Raytheon Missiles & Defense for the delivery of a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) Coastal Defence System to Romania.

The NSM can be launched from both land-and sea-based platforms and is already in use by, or chosen by 11 countries, Kongsberg said in a statement filed with the Oslo Stock Exchange.

“The NSM-based system will provide Romania with the most modern and effective coastal defence available today. The contract also continues the successful cooperation we have with Raytheon Missiles & Defense,” Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace president Eirik Lie said.

Read full article.

 

WTO says Trump’s steel tariffs violated global trade rules

Business News, Manufacturing, Trade

The World Trade Organization ruled on Friday that former President Donald Trump violated global trade rules in 2018 when he invoked national security concerns to justify his tariffs on steel and aluminum products from around the world.

The Biden administration strongly condemned the decision, which it said was further proof that the WTO dispute settlement system is in need of fundamental reform. It also said it would not remove the duties that Trump imposed.

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Europeisk kvalitetsstempel til USN Handelshøyskolen

Business News, Education / Research

Bachelor i økonomi og ledelse ved USN Handelshøyskolen er akkreditert av EFMD, det europeiske akkrediteringsorganet for handelshøyskoler. – Viktig for hele USN, sier rektor.

– Dette er en stor dag, sier dekan Hans Anton Stubberud og visedekan for utdanning Birger Opstad ved USN Handelshøyskolen.

Det er bare Universitetet i Stavanger som tidligere har fått akkreditert et studieprogram av EFMD (MSc in Business Administration i 2021). I tillegg har NHH og Handelshøyskolen BI akkreditering på institusjonsnivå (EQUIS).

Stubberud og Opstad beskriver akkrediteringen som en anerkjennelse av bachelor i økonomi og ledelse og kvaliteten på studieprogrammet.

– Vi har jobbet målrettet for å få dette på plass og valgte egentlig den vanskeligste veien, nemlig et program som tilbys på alle USN Handelshøyskolens campuser og som undervises på norsk, men med engelske mobilitetsvinduer på alle campusene.

Les hele artikkelen her.

Equinor wins commercial-scale lease in California – deepens leading floating offshore wind position

Business News, Energy

San Francisco, California – As provisional winner of a lease area on the Outer Continental Shelf off California, Equinor continues to lead the way in growing the US’ offshore wind industry.

Five leases were offered by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) in thefirst-ever offshore wind lease sale on the US west coast and the first-ever US sale to support commercial-scale floating offshore wind energy development opportunities. With a bid of USD 130 million for 80.062 acres in the Pacific Ocean, Equinor secured a ~2-gigawatt (GW) lease in the Morro Bay area that has the potential to generate enough energy to power ~750 000 US homes.

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Third U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council Ministerial Meeting

Business News, Government

On Monday, December 5, the United States will host the European Union for the third Trade and Technology Council (TTC) Ministerial Meeting at the University of Maryland, College Park.

The U.S. delegation will be led by United States Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, and U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai. The EU delegation will be led by European Commission Executive Vice President Valdis Dombrovskis and European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager.

More information HERE.

Icelandair: New service to Detroit

Airline / Travel, Business News

As part of its 2023 network, Icelandair has announced its newest North American gateway: Detroit, Michigan. Seasonal flights from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) to Reykjavík, Iceland (KEF) will begin May 18, 2023 with four weekly non-stop flights through October 30, 2023. Flight 872 will depart to Iceland at 8:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays utilizing a 160-seat Boeing 737MAX. Return flight 873 will depart Iceland bound for Detroit at 5:00pm on the same days and arrive at 6:25pm.

The flight time from The Motor City to Iceland is approximately six hours, with connections available at Icelandair’s Keflavík International Airport hub to more than 25 destinations in Iceland, Greenland, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia and Continental Europe. Icelandair passengers can also take a Stopover in Iceland for up to 7 nights at no additional airfare, en route to their final destination.

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AmCham Thanksgiving Charity Dinner 2022

AmCham News, ,

AmCham Thanksgiving Charity Dinner 2022

TG22 - website graphic

This year’s AmCham Thanksgiving Charity Dinner brought more member and partner leaders together than ever before at Hotel Bristol for an evening of gratitude and fellowship – the most important Thanksgiving feast ingredients!

With 3M, KPMG and Merck ‘s steadfast Thanksgiving Charity Dinner support, Bristol Hall served as a splendid venue for AmCham business leaders and government representatives to gather and celebrate, what is for some, the favorite holiday of the year. The evening was made complete with a raffle and auction, where generous prize donations from member companies raised 120 000 NOK for this year’s charitable partner, The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC).

Traditional Thanksgiving platters with turkey and trimmings were composed by Hotel Bristol’s Executive Chef and his team, sure to evoke a sense of home for the Americans in the room. The dinner was accompanied by California wines 1000 Stories Chardonnay and Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel, followed by pecan, pumpkin and apple pies.

Valued Partnerships

Representing charity partner NRC, Laila Matar provided striking images and anecdotes from her own travels, including from Ukraine. She explained how the organization works to protect the rights of millions of people who are forced to flee.

To follow, State Secretary Erling Rimestad, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, affirmed the impact and importance of continued transatlantic collaboration, before honorably carving the first slice of turkey.

Sharon Hudson-Dean, US Embassy Oslo, addressed AmCham members, thanking them for the continued close working relationship. “You and your companies play a critical role in our relationship with Norway – something that we do not take for granted.”

On the green transition, and from a recent meeting with the US Assistant Secretary of Energy for Carbon Capture and Storage, Hudson-Dean noted that ”Norway has so much to teach us about these cutting-edge technologies, and we are now finally putting millions of US government dollars into the rapid adoption of every possible way to cap global temperature warming. Together, we can do this faster, more efficiently, and at scale. It’s a winning business partnership.”

"Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday of the year, as it is for many Americans. Although this is a very commercial crowd, we all come together tonight for non-commercial reasons. Thanksgiving is about appreciation, gratitude, family, loved ones, and the joy of preparing and sharing a wonderful meal."

Sharon Hudson-Dean

A Lively Display of Auction Paddles

After dinner, a blend of luck and competitive bidding combined for the charity raffle drawing and auction. Auctioneer Bill Harris encouragingly announced bids as winners won a broad selection of coveted prizes – ranging from plane tickets from Icelandair and Norse Atlantic Airways to a stay and spa package from Støtvig Hotel.

With the raffle and auction complete, AmCham Managing Director Jason Turflinger announced that this year’s auction and raffle had raised a record-breaking 120 000 NOK for NRC and their work protecting displaced people and supporting them as they build a new future. 

We are truly grateful for the collaborative spirit of our burgeoning bilateral community and thank everyone who joined us for the evening.

Letter NRC_Egeland

Please click on the left to read the letter from NRC Secretary General Jan Egeland.

Raffle & Auction Prize Sponsors

Photo Gallery

Photos: Traci Milimo

DNV and Reodor Studios aim to solve historic challenge by creating a digital service for sustainable wind farm decommissioning

Business News, Energy

DNV is moving ahead in collaboration with Reodor Studios to create a digital service that will make it easy to plan for sustainable decommissioning and recycling when a wind farm has reached the end of its life cycle.

In the 1970s, the wind power industry boomed, and thousands of wind farms were built around the world. Now, 50 years later, the world faces a historic challenge: what do you do with a 300-tonne wind turbine when it has reached the end of its life? ReWind, a brand-new digital service, aims to address this key issue for the wind industry. 

Today, most decommissioned wind turbines are buried underground, for lack of a better solution. In 2020 Bloomberg highlighted the situation in Casper, Wyoming in USA, where 870 wind turbine blades are buried under a landfill. WindEurope estimates that 25 thousand tonnes of wind turbine blades will have to be recycled by 2025, and 52 thousand tonnes by 2030.

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New air surveillance radars to the Norwegian Armed Forces

Business News, Defense / Security

The Norwegian Defence Material Agency (NDMA) signed a contract with Lockheed Martin on 17 of November 2022 for delivery of eight military air surveillance radars with an option for three additional radars.

The contract marks an important milestone for the Norwegian defence sector. Three of the new radars will be installed in existing locations, replacing current systems, while five will be installed in new locations. The new radars will enable the Norwegian Armed Forces to maintain its continuous surveillance of both Norwegian and surrounding air space, acting as NATO’s eyes in the north.

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GE Healthcare satser stort i Norge

Business News, Health

Norges største farmasøytiske bedrift, GE Healthcare, gjør investeringer til en verdi av 800 millioner kroner i fabrikken i Lindesnes. Det er for å utvide produksjonskapasitet for legemiddelsubststansen iohexol som brukes i jodholdige kontrastmidler. Den 450 mål store tomten hvor Lindesnes-fabrikken er lokalisert, har vært i drift siden 1974 og har i dag over 450 arbeidsplasser. Satsingen vil skape 100 flere arbeidsplasser.

– GE Healthcare er Norges største farmasøytiske bedrift og viser med denne store investeringen at vi satser videre på fabrikken i Lindesnes og våre dyktige kollegaer der, sier Cathrine Thomassen, som er administrerende direktør i GE Healthcare Norge, i en pressemelding.

Les hele artikkelen her.