Northern Norway could become a ‘Silicon Valley’, according to new report

Researchers from the High North Center at Nord University have outlined four scenarios for the future of northern Norway in a new report. They range from a region in disrepair to one that has become a major business hub. Here are the scenarios in more detail:

– Commuting society: Northern Norway is in a state of disrepair. Disputes over energy projects and competition from other regions have in led to – among other things – people moving out of the region, creating a shortage of labor.

– Petroleum and “rorbuer”:  Petroleum has seen an upswing, and large parts of the Norway’s oil and gas industry have moved north. (robuer are cabins that were originally used to house travelling fishermen, but are now widely used as accommodation for tourists).

– Commodity supplier 2.0: “Green colonisation” and exports of raw materials has boosted northern Norway’s economy and increased employment.

– Most is north: The region has become an engine of economic growth and one of Norway’s  most forward-looking business hub. In short, it has become a Silicon Valley in the Arctic and “a stronghold of blue-green growth.”