HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway and California Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis are among the participants during this week’s virtual business delegation from Norway to California. Co-organizers of the business delegation, the California Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz) and the Norwegian government’s business enterprise agency, Innovation Norway, solidified their close collaboration by singing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
The MoU signifies the mutual commitment to sharing best practices on energy, sustainability, circularity, and electrification, for the mutual benefit of both economies, and to create a more just transition to a carbon-free future.
California and Norway share big ambitions for tomorrow’s green solutions, particularly zero-emission vehicles and renewable energy. The MoU will intensify the cooperation between Californian and Norwegian companies. For example, we’ve already seen close collaboration between Aker Offshore Wind, Equinor, Cognite, along with their Californian counterparts in the sector of offshore wind.
Håkon Haugli, CEO of Innovation Norway, said: “California has paved the way for developing and deploying green technology. The state has shown that it wants to take a leading role in reaching the goal of the Paris climate deal. That gives us a fantastic starting point for cooperation between Norwegian and Californian companies and stakeholders.”
“I am enthusiastic that this MOU will be a platform for Norwegian businesses to leverage as they seek to expand to California; and for Californian companies to put Norway on the map as an international destination that shares their vision.”
Dee Dee Myers, Senior Advisor to Governor Newsom and GO-Biz’s Director said: “I am proud to sign this critically-important MOU with Innovation Norway so that we can chart a path forward in these uncertain times more strongly together. Together, we can increase two-way trade and investment and develop the blue-green economy, leveraging the richness of our beautiful coastal and land resources.
“Together, we can promote interaction between industry, enterprises, financial institutions, and governments to share strategies and best practices.”
