Nordics Business Community - Invest Hong Kong

Nordics Business Community
Nordics Business in Hong Kong
Many of the Nordics’ leading companies are in Hong Kong, looking to
secure a foothold in the Asian marketplace, and as a springboard to
Mainland China. The business communities from Denmark, Finland,
Norway and Sweden have played an important role in Hong Kong’s
economic development, with some 2,000 residents and about 320
companies doing business in Hong Kong.
The Nordics companies in Hong Kong are a vibrant and diverse group.
They are active in: telecommunications, electronics, design and retail,
banking and finance, trading and other services, machinery and transport
equipment, food and beverage and logistics and shipping. SMEs (small
and medium sized enterprises) also flourish, particularly in the areas of
import/export, IT, design and other service sectors.
Trade and Investment
Trade between the Nordic countries and Hong Kong totalled some HK$30.6 billion (US$3.9 billion) in 2009, with exports
roughly double that of imports. Major items included telecommunications equipment, cars, measuring instruments, paper
and paperboard, hides and furs, machinery and transport equipment, fish and processed food and beverage.
For Nordic companies, Hong Kong is the preferred location in Asia for regional headquarters and offices. According to
the Hong Kong Statistics Department, there were 119 regional headquarters and regional offices in Hong Kong as of
June 2009.
Leading Danish companies in Hong Kong include:
• Carlsberg (Hong Kong) Ltd
• DSV
• Ecco Asia Ltd
• Eight Ships Ltd
• Hempel
• ISS Facility Services Ltd
• Jebsen & Co Ltd
• LEGO Company Ltd
• Maersk Shipping Hong Kong Ltd
• MF Jebsen International Ltd
Leading Finnish companies in Hong Kong include:
• Ensight Freight
• Finnair
• Finndex
• Finnish Fur
• Finpro
• Fintrade-Mercer Group
• Kone Elevator
• Nokia
• Saga Furs of Scandinavia
• Stora Enso China Sales
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Leading Norwegian companies in Hong Kong include:
• DnB Asset Management
• Det norske Veritas AS
• Gard (HK) Ltd
• Jotun Paints
• Nordic Semiconductor ASA
• Rodskog Shipbrokers
• Skuld Ltd
• Tandberg Telecom
• Wilhemsen Ships Service Ltd
• YARA China Ltd
Leading Swedish companies in Hong Kong include:
• Atlas Copco China/Hong Kong Ltd
• Cargotec Asia Ltd
• Ericsson Ltd
• Getinge International (Asia) Ltd
• H & M Hennes & Mauritz (Far East) Ltd
• IKEA (The Dairy Farm Company Ltd – IKEA Division)
• Metro Publishing Hong Kong Ltd
• Scania (HK) Ltd
• Securitas Security Services (HK) Ltd
• Volvo Cars HK

Business Support
Danish Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong
The Danish Chamber of Commerce connects the
Danish business community to business information and
opportunities in Hong Kong and the Pearl River Delta,
as well as to cultural and social networking events. The
Chamber is actively engaged in environmental issues in
Hong Kong. There are 48 corporate members.
Website: www.dcc.hk
Tel: (852) 2851 3007
Email: dcc@dcc.hk
Chairman: Jens-Erik Olsen
Royal Danish Consulate General Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 2827 8101
Email: hkggkl@umm.hk
Consul General: Torben Gettermann
Finnish Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong
Since its establishment in 1986, the Finnish Chamber’s
network has grown steadily. Its main goal is to facilitate
opportunities for its members to promote their business
interests in Hong Kong and through Hong Kong into
Mainland China. The Finnish Chamber strives to create
networking and knowledge sharing opportunities by hosting
business and social events with a view to increasing its
members’ interaction within the Finnish community and
with other international communities and governmental
institutions.
Website: www.finncham.com.hk
Tel: (852) 2121 1302
Email: info@finncham.com.hk
Chairman: Arto Makela
Consulate General of Finland
Website: www.finland.org.hk
Tel: (852) 2525 5385
Email: sanomat.hng@formin.fi
Consul General: Annikki Arponen
Finpro Hong Kong, Finland Trade Centre
Website: www.finpro.fi/china
Tel: (852) 2521 3316
Email: hongkong@finpro.fi
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Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong
The Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong was
established in 1984 and has 30 corporate members. Its
objective is to promote trade activities between Norway and
Hong Kong.
Website: www.ncchk.org.hk
Tel: (852) 2546 9881
Email: info@ncchk.org.hk
Chairman: Trond Gjelsten
Royal Norwegian Consulate
Tel: (852) 2546 9881
Email: norwayhk@ncchk.org.hk
Honorary Consul: C.C. Liu
Norwegian Seafood Export Council
The Council is the Norwegian seafood marketing
organisation with its regional office in Beijing. It covers the
markets in Hong Kong and southeast Asia.
Website: www.seafoodfromnorway.com
Tel: (86) 10 8531 9668
Email: ashild.nakken@seafood.no
Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong
Founded in 1986, the Chamber aims to promote and advance
the business relations, investments and interests of Swedish and
other organisations in Hong Kong. SwedCham hosts over 80
functions per year, from informal lunches to high-end business
gatherings and social events. SwedCham is the home of some
170 corporate members in a broad range of businesses.
Website: www.swedcham.com.hk
Tel: (86) 2525 0349
Email: info@swedcham.com.hk
Chairman: Stefan Ronnquist
Consulate General of Sweden in Hong Kong
Website: www.swedenabroad.com
Tel: (852) 2521 1212
Email: generalkonsulat.hongkong@foreign.ministry.se
Consul General: Lars Danielsson
Swedish Trade Council, Hong Kong
Website: www.swedishtrade.se
Tel: (852) 2521 1215
Email: hongkong@swedishtrade.se

Arts & Culture
There are increasing cultural links between the Nordic
countries and Hong Kong. Artists and musicians are
regular participants at the annual Hong Kong Arts Festival,
Hong Kong International Film Festival and Microwave
International Video Art Festival. Symphonies by Johan
Sibelius from Finland, plays by Norwegian Henrik Ibsen,
and the works of Denmark’s Hans Christian Anderson have
long been popular in Hong Kong.
Danish
The Royal Danish Opera Singers performed a programme
of French and Italian opera highlights, accompanied by the
Hong Kong City Choir in the summer of 2010.
Finnish
In 2009, the Consulate General of Finland created a
programme called Finnish Appetizers in Hong Kong
& Macao to promote culture to the local Hong Kong
community. Highlights included a series of new films at
HKIFF, a Finnish Late Night Concert at the Hong Kong
International Chamber Music Festival and concerts by
Dominante Choir. In 2010, performances include: Signmark,
the world’s first deaf rap artist, the New Helsinki Quartet at
the Hong Kong International Chamber Music Festival; and a
concert by the band Club For Five.
Social Networking
Danish Seamen’s Church
The Danish Seamen’s Church in Hong Kong provides a
gathering place for Danish seamen, exchange students,
trainees, families and tourists.
Tel: (852) 2368 8261 ext 447
Email: danseahk@netvigator.com
Chaplain: Hans-Aage Koller Nielsen
Hong Kong Finnish Association
The Hong Kong Finnish Society was founded in 1996 to
organise functions for Finnish people living here and to
familiarise its members with the local culture of Hong Kong.
Email: riitta.helin@gmail.com
Norwegian
After the Norwegian government introduced a new “China
Strategy” in 2007, cultural activities between Norway and
China (that also include Hong Kong) increased. To name a
few, groups which have toured Hong Kong in 2009 include:
the metal band “Goddamn” and jazz bands “Motif” and
“The Core.” Finally, the famous Norwegian clownductor,
Melvin Tix (Petter Vabog), gave two children’s concerts at
the City Hall Concert Hall to mark his 25th anniversary of
performing around the world.
Swedish
Swedish arts and culture is well-represented in Hong
Kong. In 2009, the Hong Kong Ballet enrolled as its Artistic
Director the Swedish Royal Court Dancer and former
Artistic Director of the Royal Swedish Ballet, Madeleine
Onne. The works of filmmaker Ingmar Bergman continue to
be appreciated in Hong Kong. A festival covering some of
his most important films was held in 2009.
Nordic Cuisine
Nordic food and drink is popular in Hong Kong. Fresh
Norwegian salmon, for example, has a 90 percent market
share here. The Nordic restaurant FINDS (Finland, Iceland,
Norway, Denmark and Sweden) continues to be a haven
for those longing for Scandinavian dishes.
Klubb Norge (Norwegian Club)
This is a social club for Norwegians in Hong Kong and
Macau. The Klubb organises 10-12 events annually, such
as boat outings, hiking, picnicking, National Day and
Christmas celebrations and other cultural activities. All
Norwegians are eligible to join.
Tel: (852) 9686 1950
Email: klubbnorgehk@gmail.com
Swedish Women’s Education Association
(SWEA)
The organisation arranges a variety of activities for the
Swedish community in Hong Kong, including walks, study
visits and excursions.
Website: www.swea.org/hongkong
Email: sweahongkong@yahoo.com
Contact: Karin Gibson

World Class Infrastructure
Travelling Between the Nordics and
Hong Kong
Hong Kong makes an extremely convenient hub for travel.
Scandinavian Airlines (via Beijing) and Finnair fly to the major
cities in the four countries, while many airlines offer daily
direct flights to key hubs for easy access to the Nordics.
Finnair
Tel: (852) 2117 1238
Email: finnair.hkg@finnair.com
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS)
Tel: (852) 2865 1394
Email: gunilla.sas@vikingtravel.com.hk
Visa Requirements for Visitors
Visitors from the Nordics enjoy visa-free access to
Hong Kong. They are granted a three-month visitor’s
visa upon arrival. Visitors are not allowed to study or
work in Hong Kong.
Sports & Recreation
There are a wide variety of sports and recreation activities
available in Hong Kong. Football (soccer) is very popular
in the schools and is played in professional and amateur
leagues. There are private and public facilities for tennis,
as well as golf. Sailing, swimming and other water sports
are widely available at beaches and public and private
facilities. Rugby is provided in most schools and through
programmes organised by the Hong Kong Rugby Football
Union. Ice skating is available at several indoor ice rinks,
and there are amateur ice hockey leagues for children and
adults. Horse riding, popular in the Nordics, is available
through many riding schools.
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Education for Nordics Children
Education for expatriates and non-Chinese speaking
children in Hong Kong is provided by over 50 international
schools. The key provider of an international curriculum in
Hong Kong is the English Schools Foundation (ESF), which
runs 21 schools. Admission is subject to available places
and academic selection criteria. It is advisable for parents
to apply to a school before arriving in Hong Kong.
The Norwegian International School is the only primary
school in Hong Kong representing the Nordic countries.
Classes are offered for children aged 4 to 12, with English
as the medium of instruction.
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Investment, supporting overseas, Mainland and Taiwanese businesses to set up and expand in Hong Kong. InvestHK
provides free advice and customised services to help your business succeed in our vibrant economy.
Head Office
25/F, Fairmont House, 8 Cotton Tree Drive,
Central, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 3107 1000 Fax: (852) 3107 9007
Email: enq@investhk.gov.hk
Website: www.investhk.gov.hk
Website: www.nis.edu.hk
Tel: (852) 2658 0341
Email: office@nis.edu.hk
Nordic Office
Kajsa Fung, Investment Promotion Executive
Tel: (46) 733 86 76 98
Email: kfung@investhk.com.hk
© Copyright Invest Hong Kong, September 2010. All rights reserved.