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<strong>WHY</strong> <strong>OSLO</strong>?<br />
“Compared to other shipping centers around<br />
the world, the cluster environment in the <strong>Oslo</strong><br />
region is the most complete.”<br />
Morits Skaugen,<br />
CEO IM Skaugen AS and Chairman of the <strong>Oslo</strong> <strong>Maritime</strong> Network<br />
<strong>Oslo</strong> has a unique maritime community Few cities in<br />
the world can offer a maritime environment with a concentration<br />
of companies and competence like <strong>Oslo</strong>’s. Norway<br />
has the fifth largest merchant fleet in the world, and <strong>Oslo</strong> is<br />
a leading international shipping metropolis, numbering over<br />
1200 maritime companies with nearly19 000 employees. With<br />
<strong>Oslo</strong>’s attention focused on international markets and business<br />
opportunities, shipping and services in the regional cluster<br />
are continuously improving in order to meet or beat global<br />
competition.<br />
Close collaboration offers opportunities Norway<br />
has a history of producing technological breakthroughs in the<br />
maritime industry. Ship and equipment innovations, innovative<br />
financial services, and one-stop maritime service providers<br />
are all examples of important innovations fostered in Norway,<br />
many of them driven by collaboration between shipowners<br />
and advanced suppliers in the <strong>Oslo</strong> region. The combination<br />
of open communication and local rivalry makes <strong>Oslo</strong> a vibrant<br />
learning community for maritime companies.<br />
Access to a highly competent workforce The <strong>Oslo</strong><br />
region has the most highly educated population in Europe,<br />
available at competitive salary levels. The maritime industry<br />
in <strong>Oslo</strong> is highly profitable and is seen as an attractive employer,<br />
ensuring access to the brightest minds in managerial, financial,<br />
technical and legal fields.<br />
Advanced maritime R&D Some of the world’s leading<br />
maritime research institutions are based in Norway, several of<br />
which are present in <strong>Oslo</strong>. Complementing this presence is the<br />
history that Norwegian maritime firms have of maintaining<br />
close relationships with research institutions throughout the<br />
country and internationally, helping them to accelerate innovation<br />
and commercialisation of new maritime technologies.<br />
World market leaders <strong>Oslo</strong>-based companies are among<br />
the world leaders in several shipping segments and maritime<br />
services, like Höegh Autoliners in car transport, IM Skaugen and<br />
Norgas in petroleum and chemical tankers, Wilhelmsen <strong>Maritime</strong><br />
Services in equipment supply and management support,<br />
DNV in classification and risk management, Skuld in maritime<br />
insurance, RS Platou in ship broking and DnB NOR and Nordea<br />
in ship financing. These firms and other world leaders serve as<br />
benchmarks and bellwethers for the rest of the cluster.<br />
“The reason why we invested in Norway was<br />
because there is more here than just steel ...<br />
it is a centre of tremendous competence for<br />
shipping”<br />
Andreas Sohmen-Pao,<br />
CEO of World-Wide Shipping, after the acquisition of Bergesen,<br />
now BW Gas and BW Offshore in <strong>Oslo</strong>.<br />
New, favourable tax regime Topping off this list of reasons<br />
to do business from <strong>Oslo</strong> and Norway is the new shipping<br />
tax regime effective from January 2008. The new laws<br />
harmonise Norway with the EU, granting tax exemption on<br />
shipping and related activities. With this official vote of confidence,<br />
the maritime industry in Norway is set for further<br />
growth into the future.