12. December 2018
71 urban municipalities in Norway were judged on how forward-looking they are in terms of value creation, competence, economic density and quality of life.
“The index demonstrate that size and links to the oil industry are important, but in addition that it is possible to obtain a culture that promotes value creation in all kinds of towns and cities. The Stavanger and Oslo regions are heavily represented in the top ten list, but big cities like Trondheim and Bergen are also two of the ten most forward-looking urban municipalities”, explains Bernt Sverre Mehammer, Vice President for Cities and Society at Multiconsult.
He points out that two smaller towns in the top ten, Kongsberg and Ålesund, demonstrate that it is possible to succeed even without the benefits of size and the oil industry. Kongsberg has been a centre of cutting edge technology since the opening of the silver mines centuries ago, while Ålesund clearly benefits from the famously entrepreneurial spirit of the local people.
Bærum on top
Bærum was the top performer of the 71 urban municipalities, with high skills, strong productivity and economic activity, and proximity to the capital city Oslo being the key factors that helped it to secure first place.
“For many years we have been guided by the vision ‘Creating the future together’. We are delighted to receive this award, which shows that we are moving in the right direction. I look forward to share the news with all of the capable staff at the town hall, the resourceful residents and the highly-skilled business community”, says Lisbeth Hammer Krog, the Mayor of Bærum Municipality.
These are the ten most forward-looking urban municipalities in Norway, according to Multiconsult’s index:
1. Bærum
2. Sola
3. Stavanger
4. Oslo
5. Kongsberg
6. Sandnes
7. Bergen
8. Trondheim
9. Bryne
10. Ålesund
Value creation becomes important
“Globalisation, climate change and an ageing population are challenges to Norway’s prosperity. In order to maintain our position as one of the world’s best countries to live in, we must increase our focus on how we promote forward-looking businesses and value creation. Our index is a tool that municipalities can use to help them understand how they are doing and where they have potential to improve”, says Mehammer.
Quick facts about the index
The index ranks 71 urban municipalities in Norway with a population of over 10,000 on the basis of their overall score from ten indicators. The ten indicators cover four main areas: culture for value creation; competence; economic density (agglomeration); and quality of the city.