STORY / PUBLIC SOURCE RECORD
How Norway’s health and life science industry will succeed in boosting exports
- Published 16 January 2025; updated 18 June 2026; estimated reading time 4 minutes. The article describes Innovation Norway’s national export initiative for health and life science. Its page-era goals were to increase non-oil-and-gas exports by 50% by 2030 and grow health-industry exports from NOK 22 billion in 2021 to NOK 50 billion in 2030. It reports NOK 27 billion in health-industry exports for 2023. These are government targets and article-stated historical figures, not current outcomes.
- Project-board head Heidi Blengsli Aabel (Vitalthings) says the initiative focuses on leading exporters to create a visible international presence and open doors for other firms. The page says 30 of Norway’s largest health exporters accounted for 25.5% of NOK 27 billion in sector exports in 2023. Innovation Norway selected 36 companies as a “national team,” segmenting them by 2023 export revenue (above NOK 100 million; NOK 5–100 million; and invited lower-revenue firms). An autumn 2024 meeting gathered major exporters to identify useful activities. The article says the initiative supplements existing Innovation Norway and Research Council funding programmes.
- The page cites annual grants and loans of NOK 780 million from Innovation Norway and the Research Council and describes accelerators, export campaigns, Team Norway activities, advice and export programmes spanning startups to scaleups. It says unique Norwegian health data and research capacity offer export potential.
- Export initiative project board listed: Heidi Blengsli Aabel (Vitalthings), Ane Solesvik Oppedal (Kernel), Michael Eimstad (Epiguard), Michel Eid (Laerdal Medical), Thomas Eden-Jensen (Bayer), Monica Larsen (NHO/LMI) and Gøril Bjerkan (LO).
- The 2024 national-team list on the page includes: Agilera Pharma, ArcticZymes, Bayer, Bliksund, CheckWare, Convene, Curida, Curida Diatec, Diagnostica, Dignio, DNV Imatis, Dossier Solutions, Epiguard, GE HealthCare, GE Vingmed Ultrasound, Genetic Analysis, Gentian, HP Halden Pharma, Hepro, Kernel, Laerdal Medical, Made For Movement, Medistim, NextPharma, NordicNeuroLab, Palla Pharma Norway, Pharmaq, Photocure, Sensio, SERO, Sonitor Technologies, Tellu, Thermo Fisher Scientific, TOPRO Industri, Vistin Pharma and Vitalthings.
- Related resources: Team Norway for health and life science; Innovation Norway internationalisation services and health/life-science export initiative; company registration on Business Norway. Related industry: Health and life science. No individual contact block is visible in the captured page.