Where businesses are ready to sprint

‘Just like Karsten Warholm, we have learned to clear the hurdles. That is why so many businesses are at the top of the podium in their field,’ Gjerde continues.

'Here in Møre og Romsdal, we live on a strip of coastline between rugged mountains and an equally wild sea. Since Viking times, we have learnt both to live with these forces and to make a living from them. This has made us Norway’s most industry- and export-intensive county. We can keep it that way, as long as we stay on our toes!'

Gjerde describes a business community full of optimism and drive, working hand in hand with our regional office.

‘The maritime industry remains one of our most important sectors. Shipping companies, shipyards, equipment and service suppliers and others, together with academia and public sector organisations, form a unique ecosystem that leads the world in its field.’

He says they show an impressive ability to adapt time and again to changing markets and economic conditions. The larger shipyards stand out in particular. In the past decade alone, they have shifted from mainly building offshore vessels, through passenger ships and naval vessels, to now establishing strong positions in service vessels for the offshore wind industry.

The fish and seafood industry is one of the key industries in Møre og Romsdal. Businesses in this sector in the region accounted for 17.5 per cent of all Norwegian fish and seafood exports in 2022, worth NOK 26.5 billion. Alongside whitefish, pelagic fish, salmon and trout, other species are increasingly finding their way onto dinner tables abroad. One example is halibut from Nordic Halibut on Averøy.

Møre og Romsdal also has a world-leading equipment supply chain for the fishing and seafood industry. These companies supply systems and equipment for fishing and aquaculture, both at sea and on land. Examples include Artec Aqua, MMC First Process and C-flow.

‘We at Innovation Norway are involved in much of this. Our offices in Ålesund, Molde and Kristiansund have skilled staff with extensive business knowledge and, importantly, expertise in the financial and non-financial products and services offered by us and other business support organisations.’

Among our many assignments related to the green transition and exports, one is receiving particular attention at the moment: our work for Møre og Romsdal County Council to help establish new circular value chains and industrial symbioses as part of the green transition. ‘Green Industrial Initiative Møre og Romsdal’ is a long-term project that aims to establish several new circular value chains across existing industry structures.

Norinsect in Stordal is a good example of a company that is already part of a circular value chain. They use trimmings from aquaculture and leftovers from food production to feed protein-rich larvae, which can then be used in animal feed. Another example is Seagems on Ellingsøya, which develops and produces flavourings for a range of foods using fish trimmings and prawn shells as raw materials.

Gjerde explains that close ties between businesses, public sector organisations and educational institutions are typical of the region. At its heart are major local employers such as the shipbuilding groups Vard in Ålesund and Ulstein in Ulsteinvik, Hydro’s aluminium plant in Sunndal, furniture manufacturer Ekornes in Sykkylven and the gas terminal at Tjeldbergodden, as well as several major seafood companies and shipping companies. Smaller, creative businesses are emerging around them, driving further development.

'Storvik AS in Sunndalsøra is a good example. What began as a small engineering workshop and tool manufacturer is now a medium-sized engineering and technical services company specialising in the process industry in Norway and abroad. Exports now account for most of its turnover. This shows what you can achieve even in a village at the head of Tingvollfjorden.'

Tourism is also a growing priority for Møre og Romsdal.

'Mass tourism, with cruise ships visiting Geiranger, Ålesund and other places in our region, is one thing, but experience-based tourism is becoming increasingly important. Strong growth in this type of tourism will bring more dollars, euros and yen into our county in the future. It also involves the agricultural sector, with locally sourced food for gourmets willing to pay for it,' says Gjerde.

They are also seeing increased interest after film stunts in both Rauma and Hellesylt brought several locations in the region into the international spotlight. In other words, significant growth in tourism is not 'Mission Impossible'.

Are there no hurdles that people from Møre og Romsdal can’t clear?

‘Well, we have a tradition of not letting obstacles stop us, but some “hurdles” are certainly harder to clear than others. One is the shortage of electricity. We already have a significant power deficit in the county, which makes us entirely dependent on imports from elsewhere. We also know that demand will rise sharply in the years ahead, while additional supply is very limited. To succeed in both the green transition and our ambitions for growth and exports, we need to expand both power generation and grid capacity,’ explains Gjerde.

Another ‘hurdle’ is access to essential skills. Transformation and growth require more people with new skills, which we must both recruit externally and develop ourselves. Today, we benefit from close collaboration between businesses and educational institutions in Ålesund, Volda and Molde, but we will need more highly qualified people if we are to maintain our pace over the hurdles.

But Gjerde is determined to overcome these hurdles too. His message to ambitious businesses looking beyond the county borders is: 'Put on your running spikes! Get into the starting blocks, and make 2024 the year you reach the top of the podium.'