Norway - Alberta Relations

This map is a generalized illustration only and is not intended to be used for reference purposes. The representation of political boundaries does not necessarily reflect the position of the Government of Alberta on international issues of recognition, sovereignty or jurisdiction.

PROFILE DID YOU KNOW? European Free Trade Association (EFTA): Switzerland, Norway, Iceland and Capital: Oslo . Norway is one of very few western European Liechtenstein, which came into force in July countries not to be a member of the Population: 5.23 million (2016) 2009. European Union (EU). Norway has held a Language: Norwegian referendum on the issue of EU membership . Statoil Canada Ltd., a subsidiary of the twice, first in 1972 and then again in 1994. Norwegian energy company Statoil, donated Government: Constitutional Monarchy On both occasions, the Norwegian CAD $500,000 to the Red Cross to assist population rejected membership. flood affected communities in Alberta in Head of State: King Harald (acceded in 1991) 2013. Head of Government: Prime Minister Erna . Norway has the highest concentration of Solberg (since October 2013). fjords in the world. Sognefjorden is the . Alberta and Norway both celebrated their largest fjord in Norway and third largest in Centennials in 2005. Currency: Norwegian Krone, CAD $1.00 = 6.25 the world. It stretches 127 miles (205 km) NKR, 1.00 NKR = CAD $0.16 (October 2017) inland from the ocean. TRADE AND INVESTMENT GDP: USD $370.7 billion (2016) . The Nobel Peace Prize laureate is chosen by . From 2012-16, Alberta exports to Norway averaged CAD $42.4 million per year, GDP (PPP): 310.3 billion current international the Norwegian Nobel Committee. The award dollars (2016) ceremony takes place every year on consisting mostly of machinery (CAD $26.8 December 10th in Oslo City Hall, the date on million), medical, photographic and other GDP Per Capita (PPP): 59,302 current which Alfred Nobel died in 1896. measuring instruments (CAD $4.7 million), international dollars (2016) electrical machinery (CAD $3.8 million) and . Outstanding freshwater and deep-sea fishing special classification provisions (CAD $3.4 GDP Growth Rate: 1.08 per cent (2016) makes Norway a special destination. million). This does not include trade in Inflation: 3.55 per cent (2016) services (e.g. tourism, architecture and RELATIONSHIP OVERVIEW engineering, or information technology Unemployment: 4.68 per cent (2016) services). . Alberta and Norway have a strong trade and Key Industry Sectors: petroleum and gas, food investment relationship built on similar . Alberta’s direct imports from Norway processing, shipbuilding, pulp and paper resource endowments, climates, level of products, metals, chemicals, timber, mining, averaged CAD $33.9 million per year from textiles, fishing. development, shared interests and values. 2012-16. This mostly comprised of fuel and oil (CAD $13.5 million), iron and steel . In January 2008, Canada signed a free trade products (CAD $4.0 million), electrical Sources: World Bank, Bank of Canada agreement with the four countries of the machinery (CAD $3.3 million) and medical,

November 2017 | Input provided by Alberta Ministries of: Advanced Education, Agriculture and Forestry, Culture and Tourism, Economic Development and Trade, Education, Energy and Labour.

photographic and other measuring extensive public ownership, has undergone EMERGING OPPORTUNITIES: instruments (CAD $3.3 million). This figure restructuring. The government still retains 67 does not include goods sold in Alberta that per cent of Statoil, which controls 80 per cent . Information and Communications have arrived via distribution hubs in other of Norway’s crude oil and gas production. Technology (ICT): Norway is one of the provinces. world’s top per-capita users of ICT. . Natural gas production has increased nearly . Foreign direct investment stocks in Canada every year since 1993, except for a small . Most ICT expertise has been built around from Norway were CAD $3.9 billion in 2016. decline in year-over-year production in 2011 Norway’s traditional industries such as Canadian direct investment stocks in Norway and 2013. sustainable fisheries and the oil and gas reached CAD $1.6 billion in the same year. industry as well as communication . Total oil and gas production was about 231 technology. There is also strong local . There are 73 Norwegian companies million Sm³ o.e in 2016. expertise in niche areas of food tracing, operating in Canada, including 18 firms mobility, financial technology, micro-payment within the oil and gas sector. . In 2011, following a 40-year dispute, Norway and location-based services. and Russia fully ratified an agreement ENERGY dividing the Barents Sea into two equal . Norway was ranked second worldwide in the parts. The agreement requires the two 2016 Data Center Risk Index. The country . Norway’s electricity generation is 97 per cent countries to jointly develop oil and natural has 23 data centers as of 2017, most of renewable and is comprised of 2,000 gas deposits that cross over their boundary. which are located in the southern region. companies and 50,000 employees. . Calgary-based Talisman Energy operates in . Clean Energy: Norway is a leader in Carbon . North Sea oil and gas were first discovered oilfields in the Southern North Sea Area, off Capture and Storage (CCS) initiatives and in the late 1960s. Its political stability and the Norwegian coast. In 2014, production CCS forms a key part the Norwegian proximity to major European markets have averaged 17 mboe per day across nine government’s policy on energy and the allowed the North Sea to play a major role in fields, accounting for approximately five per environment. world oil and gas markets. cent of the company’s production worldwide. . The Technology Center Mongstad is the . Norway had 5.497 billion barrels of proven . Statoil Canada operates on the Kai Kos world’s largest test center for carbon capture, crude oil reserves as of January 1, 2015. Dehseh Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage and companies from around the world are This is the largest oil reserves in Western (SAGD) project in the Athabasca region to welcome to test their technologies here. Europe. develop Alberta’s oil sands. . Norway has a solid base of expertise in . In 2016, Norway was the eighth largest o Statoil Canada’s Heavy Oil Technology renewable energy and environmental exporter for crude oil. The export value of Centre, located in Calgary, is Statoil’s first technologies. There are 11 Centres for crude oil, natural gas and condensate that technology center outside Norway Environmentally-Friendly Energy Research year was around NOK 350 billion (CAD $53 focusing on research and technology across the country in addition to strong billion). This amounts to approximately 47 development for heavy oil and the regional clusters. per cent of the total value of Norway’s export development of new technologies to of goods. With the addition of pipeline reduce greenhouse gas emissions. . Electric Mobility: Norway is the biggest transportation, the total export value was European market for electric vehicles, NOK 385 billion (CAD $58 billion). . Statoil aims to use as little energy and water making up almost 20 per cent of new cars in as possible to recover in-situ bitumen with a 2015. The density of electric vehicles per . The United Kingdom is the top destination for target rate of 10 - 15 per cent. The company inhabitant is ten times higher than most other oil deliveries, making up 26.8 per cent of total is expected to test 14 technologies over the countries. 2016 exports, followed by the Netherlands next five to ten years to achieve this goal. (21.2 per cent) and Germany (7.4 per cent). The company’s individual environmental . Norway offers consumers many incentives to At 2.5 per cent of total exports, Canada was performance targets include a reduction in adopt electric vehicles, including low the largest non-European destination. CO2 intensity by 25 per cent by 2020, 40 per taxation, no/reduced road toll, free parking, cent by 2025, and a 45 per cent reduction in free charging at public stations, and an . The Norwegian oil sector, characterized by water intensity by 2020. allowance to drive in the bus lane.

. Life Sciences: Norway has leading Norwegian School of Sport Science, and RECENT VISITS expertise in oncology and neuroscience Telemark University College. . June 2016: Ambassador Anne Kari Hansen research. Over 40 companies have emerged Ovind made her official visit to Alberta. from research stemming from the Norwegian . The U of A is a leader with its Canadian Institute for Nordic Studies. The U of A’s Radium Hospital. . November 2015: Ambassador Mona Augustana Campus is the only institution in Elisabeth Brøther was in Alberta as part of a . Norway excels in medical imaging Canada teaching the Norwegian language. Nordic Baltic Joint Heads of Mission visit. technology, including in vivo imaging, . Concordia University of Edmonton has ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging . March 2013: Her Excellency Mona Brøther, signed a MOU and international agreement (MRI). Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, for research and program cooperation in made an official visit to Alberta. AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY Information Systems Security Management with Gjøvik University College. . March 2012: A delegation of 13 . In 2016, Alberta agri-food exports to Norway parliamentarians and officials, which included totaled CAD $3.8 million. The top export was . Concordia University’s partner, Gjøvik Her Excellency Else Berit Eikeland, the prepared animal feeds (CAD $3.6 million). University College, has merged with other post-secondary institutions in 2016 and has Ambassador of Norway, visited Alberta. . The free trade agreement between Canada since become the Norwegian University of During this trip they met with the Alberta and the EFTA reduced tariffs on a wide Science and Technology (NTNU). Ministers of Environment and Sustainable range of processed foods exported to . Mount Royal University has partnerships with Resource Development, Finance and Norway. Oslo and Akershus University College and Justice. Hedmark University College. . Approximately one-quarter of Norway’s area . November 2011: Norwegian Minister of is covered by forests, contributing nearly one . Advanced Education supports the Campus Petroleum and Energy, Ola Borten Moe, per cent to GDP and almost three per cent Alberta Grant for International Learning visited Alberta and toured the oil sands facilities of Statoil. employment to the economy. (CAGFIL) program enabling post-secondary institutions to develop study and research DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATION EDUCATION AND CULTURE collaboration involving Norway. . From 2012-16, 93 foreign students from . Norwegian Ambassador to Canada is Her Norway were issued a permit to study in IMMIGRATION AND COMMUNITY Excellency Anne Kari Hansen Ovind. Alberta. . From 2012-16, 58 citizens of Norway . Canada’s Ambassador to Norway is Mr. Artur became Permanent Residents of Canada, . For the academic year of 2015/2016, 36 Wilczynski. with Alberta as their intended destination. citizens of Norway had international study Approximately 36 per cent were economic . Mr. Bjorn Morisbak is the Honorary Consul in permits for Alberta. immigrants, including principal applicants, Edmonton, with jurisdiction for Alberta, . The University of Calgary (U of C) has a spouses, and dependents. excluding Calgary. university wide linkage agreement with the . In the same time frame, 25 citizens of . Mr. Egil Bjørnsen is the Honorary Consul in University of Oslo. The U of C also has Norway had Temporary Foreign Worker Calgary. agreements with the University of Stavanger, Program (TFWP) work permits come into including the Faculty of Nursing Practicum effect for Alberta. Exchange and a research and student exchange with the School of Engineering, . There are over 144,580 Albertans of and a cooperation agreement with the Norwegian descent, making them the eighth Norwegian School of Economics. largest ethnic group in Alberta.

. Universities of Calgary, Alberta and . Norwegian settlers first arrived in Alberta in Saskatchewan, Oslo and Tromsø are part of 1880. Between 1894 and 1914, a large influx a consortium (CaNoRock), with the aim to of Norwegians settled in Central Alberta provide student access to Andøya Rocket following the completion of the Calgary- Range for space instrumentation and rocket Edmonton railroad in 1891. Camrose mission training. became a major center for Norwegian settlement. . The Arctic Institute of North America (AINA) is a non-profit membership organization and . New Norway is a small rural village located in a multi-disciplinary research institute of the U the central prairies of Alberta. It was named of C, which advances the study of the North in 1895 due to the large influx of Norwegian American and circumpolar Arctic. AINA families who settled in the area. provides opportunities for Alberta/Canada and Norway collaborative research.

. The University of Alberta (U of A) also has various agreements with universities in Norway including the University of Oslo, the

For more information, contact: Alberta Economic Development and Trade Phone: 780-427-6543 Fax: 780-427-0699 albertacanada.com international.alberta.ca