Newsletter: Northern Norway at the Tipping Point

Norway's Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor) participated in the Agenda Northern Norway 2023 conference in Bodø this week. (Photo: Trine Jonassen)

Published at: Nov 12 2023 - 20:35 / Updated at: Nov 12 2023 - 20:35

Dear reader. This week, the business conference Agenda Northern Norway was organized in Bodø. However, instead of celebrating the Northern Norwegian business sector, the top-heavy conference was marked by the severity of the situation we find ourselves in.

Text and Photo Trine Jonassen

Translation: Birgitte Annie Molid Martinussen

There were politicians and business leaders wherever we turned at the annual business conference Agenda Northern Norway, which was organized in Bodø this year.

That is not unusual. What stood out this year was the theme. Instead of the usual celebration of the Northern Norwegian business sector, we were served cold truths about the situation we find ourselves in.

Northern Norway is facing an expected wave of population aging, an energy crisis, territorial disputes, and war. This is the status after a conference organized by the business community in the North, writes Editor-in-Chief Arne O. Holm in this week's commentary.

SpareBank 1 Nord-Norge's resigning CEO presented the economic barometer for Northern Norway, with five gloomy tipping points the country faces (Norwegian only).

"Northern Norway needs politicians that can make tough decisions," says Liv B. Ulriksen.

The Chief of the Norwegian Civil Defense took the floor for better geographical adaptation of preparedness (Norwegian only).

Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor), opened the conference and said that he does not consider the situation acute but emphasizes a systematic, more long-term approach to preparedness in the North.

During the time of the conference, battery company Freyr announced that it will stop the construction of the battery factory in Mo i Rana, Northern Norway, next year.

The company has already begun terminating employees.

But there is also good news from the North.

Journalist Hilde-Gunn Bye met the mayor of Lebesby municipality in Northern Norway, Sigurd Rafaelsen (37), where the Labor Party had great election results, in the series on Life on the Arctic Coast (Norwegian only).

Investments are also being made in defense and industry in the High North. (Both Norwegian)

Read about this and more at High North News. Feel free to join the debate on our social media platforms.

I wish all of our readers and contributors a good week on behalf of the editorial staff,