Welcome to Stavanger – the innovative business region

Situated in the South West of Norway, Stavanger is the centre of the 3rd largest urban area in Norway, and the city is the 4th largest in the country.

Stavanger is the administrative, economic, and cultural centre of Rogaland county. Stavanger could be described as a pocket-size metropolis: Inhabitants from more than 180 countries, several headquarters of international companies, a vivid and cosy city centre with restaurants from all over the world, as well as good flight connections to the Nordics and to continental Europe.    

Short distances make us an easily accessible living and working region. In close connection to agriculture and farming landscapes, Stavanger has vast hiking areas and leisure space. 

Stavanger won the prize “Norway's best host municipality for the business community” in 2019. 

Stavanger – the innovative business region

Stavanger is the energy capital of Norway. Over the past fifty years, the city has been the centre of the development of Norway as an energy nation. Building on the competence and traditions from oil and gas; public, private and academical institutions now work closely to use this knowledge and competence to develop sustainable energy solutions, e.g. offshore wind and hydro power. The City of Stavanger supports initiatives that can create sustainable and highly productive jobs. Companies in the region are profitable, and the business community is growing. 

The city’s pioneering work on smart city development has been exemplified through the H2020 Triangulum project, by co-creating a Smart City Roadmap, and by being the host city for the largest smart city event in the Nordics, Nordic Edge Expo.

Stavanger is also ambitious in combating climate change: the city aims to cut 80 % of greenhouse gases by 2030 and to be a fossil-free municipality by 2040. 

The culinary region

Restaurants and food ingredients in these parts of Norway have received excellent reviews from national food critics, as well as from the Michelin guide. Stavanger became in 2016 the first Norwegian city, except for the capital, to have this highly sought-after Michelin star. As of February 2020, Stavanger is the only city in Norway with a restaurant holding two Michelin stars.

How to establish business in Stavanger

Stavanger is connected to a wider region where companies work together to create new opportunities. Here are some tips as to how to get started. Do n’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions. 

• Altinn has gathered what you need to know to establish yourself as a business owner and run a business in Norway. The portal several guides that give you guidance on various aspects of starting and running your own business.  
• Innovation Norway contributes to innovation in business, development in the districts and the development of competitive Norwegian companies.  
• Validé is an innovation and incubator company that helps turning good ideas into growth companies.  
• The Norwegian Food Safety Authority is the state's inspection for plants, fish, animals and food. Everyone who works with the production, distribution and serving of food is responsible for complying with Norway's laws and regulations. Here you get guidance on what rules apply if you run a company that offers some of these products. 

• The Stavanger Chamber of Commerce is Norway’s largest Chamber and Business organization, working for its member companies to ensure that the region has the attributes needed to make it a preferred region to live and work in. 

An international meeting place

The city has developed a strong position for hosting international congresses and meetings. Two of the main events are:

• Offshore Northern Sea (ONS). 
• Nordic Edge Expo

The city has a developed infrastructure and expertise in large international events. Read more on event planning. 

Strong Clusters – collaboration for innovation

Stavanger region has since the 1970s hosted a super cluster for energy production, technology development and research. The region is known for a close collaboration between enterprises, as well as the public sector, the private sector and academia, in order to create innovation and competitive advantage.

In the region there are three several business clusters:  

• Energy: Energy Transition Norway

• Offshore Wind: Norwegian Offshore Wind Cluster
• Aquaculture: Stiim Aqua Cluster
• Smart Cities: Nordic Edge Smart City Innovation Cluster 
• Health & Welfare: Norwegian Smart Care Cluster

Come and visit us! Information for guests and delegations 

Are you interested in Stavanger, how we work, and the possibilities the city and the region have to offer? Don’t hesitate to contact us – we’d love to hear from you!