Yesterday 27 March, a seminar on the Norwegian market was held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on sharing experiences and advice for expanding to the Norwegian market.
The seminar on exports opened with a discussion with Estonian Ambassador to Norway Piia Mathisen and Norwegian Ambassador to Estonia Marius Dirdal who agreed that cooperation between the countries was excellent and there were many similar topics in public debates.
“Russia is our neighbour as well and supporting Ukraine is very important for our society. It is also important to develop comprehensive relations with Europe, including Estonia, whether on policy, economic cooperation or something else,” Dirdal said.
Speaking about economic topics, he highlighted competition, innovation, and green transition. “The green transition is definitely not dead; it remains crucial in Norway and most of our innovation and development is geared towards it. One way Estonian companies can cooperate with Norwegian ones is through our Norway Grants system,” Dirdal said, highlighting an option for finding partners.
Estonian Ambassador to Norway Piia Mathisen affirmed that the embassy was focused on supporting business diplomacy and companies, and called on companies to share their challenges and successes.
Pål Arne Davidsen, a partner at Rud Pedersen and expert on the Norwegian market, gave an overview of the economic landscape of Norway and advised companies on participating in the procurement procedures of the public sector. “Estonia is known in Norway for all kinds of digital solutions. Based on my own personal experience, I can say that you are ahead of Norway and we need your solutions,” Davidsen said in encouragement. He also highlighted business opportunities in the defence, energy, maritime, and transport sectors and specifically mentioned the sauna sector.
The panel of companies included representatives of Helmes, Bikeep and Bolt, and it was moderated by Tiina Tuisk, regional director of nearby export markets at the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency.
Co-Founder and CEO of Bikeep Kristjan Lind said that their most important goal was to find a local partner. “Things have to run smoothly in Norway. You must have patience, you cannot achieve anything in a hurry there; however, if they promise something, it will usually become a reality,” Lind said.
He said it was important to strike a balance between talking and listening. “You have to talk about how your business works but you also have to listen and trust your partner about how things are done in Norway,” Lind said.
Deniss Ojastu, partner and business area manager at Helmes, agreed that patience was needed in Norway. “Competition is extremely fierce in our sector and no one was exactly welcoming us to the market there. Now we have contracts there and we are planning to expand our business; however, this is the result of years of persistent work,” Ojastu said.
He added that according to the experience of Helmes, it was easier to offer services to the public sector in cooperation with partners, while in the private sector it was possible to establish direct contacts. “You definitely need to show robust physical presence and an understanding of the local culture, and speaking Norwegian is a great boon,” Ojastu said, referring to his personal experiences.
Bolt’s Director of Public Policy David Mothander said that the Norwegians had an open and easy-going attitude. “In our experience, it is important to show your success stories and vision to the partners, officials or politicians in Norway,” Mothander said and recommended using the support of the embassy in establishing contacts.
The day was concluded by Ryte Venckuviene, export advisor at Enterprise Estonia, and investor consultant Merike Kaesveld, who spoke about how the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency was supporting companies and helping to bring in investors. Kaesveld said the best opportunities for attracting Norwegian capital were in renewable energy and cleantech.
The seminar was organised by the Estonian Business and Innovation Agency, the Estonian Embassy in Oslo and the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Photos (Aron Urb): https://www.flickr.com/photos/estonian-foreign-ministry/albums/72177720324712434
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