Membership Guide 17-18 Developing Norwegian-American Business Relations 2
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1 Membership Guide 17-18 DEVELOPING NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN BUSINESS RELATIONS 2 Bringing science and imagination together 3 Contents American Chamber of Commerce in Norway Letter from Jonas Gahr Støre 5 Letter from Jim DeHart 6 Transition is at the forefront of AmCham member agendas – not only in terms of the evolving US administration and the coming Letter from the Chairman 8 Norwegian election – but also in international business practices. Board of Directors 9 Focusing particularly on outlooks for the Norwegian Continental Developing Norwegian-American Business Relations 10 Shelf; mergers and acquisitions; companies at the forefront of AmCham Network 14 green technologies; and education, this AmCham Membership Membership 15 Guide aims to provide insight and knowledge into current industry Transition in the Energy Sector: 16 challenges, opportunities and advancements – both domestically Change on the Norwegian Continental Shelf and abroad. Mentorship Program 17 Digital Transition Challenges: The Future of the Labor Market 18 AmCham has made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication – and accordingly apologizes Committees 20 for any errors or omissions. We warmly thank both article and Key US & Norway Employment Figures 24 advertisement contributors for making this publication possible. How Foreign Multinationals Boost Norwegian Competence 26 and Businesses Spearheading the Green Transition 28 AmCham Members 31 Communication Initiatives 34 Golf Tournament 35 Sponsorship and Profiling Opportunities 36 Year in Review 38 Patron Members 41 Digitalization Forum 49 AmChams in Europe US Conference 50 Managing Editor: Didrik Ottesen Layout: Melkeveien Designkontor AS. Printing: Rolf Ottesen AS. Lille Grensen 5, 0159 OSLO, Norway Tel: +47 22 41 50 10, [email protected] - www.amcham.no Photo: Nancy Bundt 4 ANCHORAGE HELSINKI STOCKHOLM VANCOUVER TRONDHEIM EDMONTON SEATTLE OSLO GOTHENBURG PORTLAND BERGEN COPENHAGEN STAVANGER BILLUND HAMBURG FRANKFURT MUNICH ABERDEEN AMSTERDAM ICELAND GLASGOW ZURICH MANCHESTER BRUSSELS BELFAST BIRMINGHAM MILAN LONDON GENEVA HEATHROW PARIS ORLY & CDG & GATWICK DENVER MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL BARCELONA MADRID CHICAGO TORONTO MONTREAL HALIFAX WASHINGTON D.C. BOSTON PHILADELPHIA NEW YORK JFK & NEWARK TAMPA ORLANDO FLY ICELANDAIR THE SHORTEST WAY TO USA & CANADA n Friendly and professional service n Comfortable leather seats in all cabins n Seatback interactive entertainment system n Easy and short transit at Keflavik airport n Wi-Fi from gate to gate 5 Norway and US: A Partnership with Great History and Opportunities Between 1820 and 1920, close to 800 000 Norwegians immigrated technology in many areas, to the US, more than 40% of our population at the time. This is such as the Health Sector where the story starts, with people. We share core values and (eHealth). We will adapt and aspirations. The large number of connections between our renew the Norwegian model, governments, companies, cultural and research institutions, to meet the opportunities and individuals; is a wide web that form a strong bond between that technological change our two countries. presents. In a cooperative It may be construed as an unequal partnership. Norway is a effort between government, small country on account of the size of our population. However, business and labor, I intend in some areas we are big. to spearhead an educational From the time of Leiv Erikson until today, our coastline and and competence reform that our ocean has been a defining element in the history of Norway. provides new models of ed- Most of our value creation stems from marine and maritime ucation for lifelong learning. industries, and hydropower. They form industry clusters that, Norway has an open Photo: Arbeiderpartiet Pål Laukli together with world class knowledge centers, are a backbone of economy and we strongly our economy. We are a maritime, energy and technology nation believe in free trade based on a level playing field and rules that with a large potential for increased value creation in the future. apply to all. Trade and investments between Norway and the US The ocean within Norway`s economic zone is seven times have served us both well, creating value, and contributing to larger than our land mass. More of the world`s food production employment and prosperity. has to come from the sea in the future and there are great While US investments in Norway amount to close to 40 billion opportunities related to production of clean energy, such as dollars, Norway invests in the US to the tune of over 30 billion offshore windpower. Our core competencies combined with new dollars. Norwegian companies are present in a wide range of technology opens for harvesting new resources and developing sectors, such as shipping, consulting, energy and defense, new products related to the ocean. I have as a goal that we will medical and creative industries, and design and architecture. develop and implement an ambitious Ocean Strategy, that will These companies contribute to growth, innovation, employment boost value creation and create new industries in Norway. and taxes in communities all over the US. Prudence is a defining feature of governance in Norway. A recent report from the Norwegian Embassy in Washington The Norwegian Sovereign Wealth Fund now has a total value of shows that Norwegian companies and investments support 470 000 approximately 900 billion dollars. Norway`s Government Pension jobs in the United States. If we include indirect employment, such Fund Global has placed more than 1/3 of its investments in the as subcontracting and economic development, the number is US, and invest extensively in American companies. The fund owns close to one million. almost 1% of all stocks publically traded in the US. The US is our strongest ally, where the anchor in NATO is of I believe Norway is an attractive partner. We enjoy a high paramount importance. Norway will do its share to contribute to standard of living and are ranked at the top in measures of our common security. The Norwegian Parliament has decided employment, gender equality, productivity and adaptability. Our that over the next eight years, Norway will procure up to 52 small, open and social market economy has performed well, F-35 fighter aircrafts from US factories; the largest Norwegian with stable growth through changing business cycles. We have a procurement ever. highly competent and skilled workforce, where relations between The opportunities are great. I am pleased that the American employees and employers are characterized by cooperation and Chamber of Commerce is here bringing our partnership further, a high level of trust. to the benefit of both the US and Norway. I wish you all the best At the threshold of what has been termed the fourth industrial in this important endeavor. Jonas Gahr Støre revolution, these traits will be an asset. Norway is well placed to LEADER OF THE NORWEGIAN LABOR PARTY become a leading nation in the development and application of new 6 Dear Members of AmCham At your Transatlantic Assembly in April, I was privileged to speak deals like NAFTA, as the together with Foreign Minister Børge Brende and a panel of administration seeks to prominent AmCham members. At that event, I expressed my institute a system of free confidence that the U.S.-Norway partnership will thrive during and fair trade that safe- the new U.S. administration. Ours is a relationship based on guards American workers deep historical ties, shared values, and a common approach to and American companies. solving problems around the world. Norway’s global contributions The United States will through diplomacy, defense, and development are impressive, continue to work with and they are well recognized at the highest levels of the U.S. Europe to increase trans- Government. The foundation of our bilateral relationship is as atlantic commerce while strong as it has ever been. ensuring compliance with We have experienced significant changes this year at the United trade laws, strengthening States Embassy in Oslo. On May 15, we opened for business in the competitiveness of U.S. a beautiful new Embassy building in Huseby. Although it was industry and maintaining the highest labor, environmental, and not easy to leave our old downtown location, our modern new consumer protection standards. Here in Oslo, we have engaged Embassy is much better equipped for our daily operations and in policy discussions on a wide range of topics connected to the for providing consular services to Norwegians and Americans new digital economy: big data analytics, eCommerce, privacy, alike. The only thing missing from our new building is a new intellectual property rights, copyright, the sharing economy and Ambassador, who we hope will arrive soon. In this time of more. The Embassy has also worked actively with AmCham and transition, the work of AmCham is as important as ever. I thank its members to resolve lingering non-tariff trade barriers, for AmCham’s great leadership and members for facilitating an open example, in government pharmaceutical procurement. Through and productive relationship with our Embassy, and I propose cross-border collaboration, the Embassy coordinates a Commerce that we re-dedicate ourselves to this important collaboration. Health IT working group in Europe with a range of new initiatives. The U.S. Embassy is committed to advancing opportunities This is an area of growing importance for both Norway and the for American business in Norway and for Norwegian investors United