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Introduction
This report analyses Norwegian offshore wind power (OWP) and solar photovoltaics (PV) industries,
based on a survey executed in February 2015. These are two key new renewable energy industries in
Norway, where there is lacking systematic empirical evidence on current characteristics. By industry
we here refer to the set of actors (primarily firms) that have delivered or have ambitions to deliver
products or services to the production of offshore wind or solar energy. We focus on the features and
dynamics of these industries in Norway with a special focus on their internationalisation patterns and
characteristics.
We focus on internationalisation for three main reasons. First, renewable energy is expected to grow
rapidly globally and these growthmarkets thus provide new opportunities for Norwegian firms. In 2014
renewable energy (excluding large hydro) accounted for 48% of the net power capacity added
worldwide (UNEP/BNEF 2015). Renewable energy is expected to account for 70% of the new
generation capacity added globally by 2030 (BNEF 2013). As part of this the OWP and PV industries are
both associated with significant global growth. At the same time building an industrial capacity for
renewable energy technology (RET) development and diffusion is a central and global challenge
(Jacobsson et al. 2009). The development in international markets for new renewable energy is also
highlighted by the Energi21 strategy as the main reason for provision of public support for these
industries in Norway (Energi21 2014, p. 27).
Second, a key characteristic of new renewable energy in Norway is weak growth in domestic
deployment, despite vast resources, largely due to the dominant position of hydropower (Hanson et
al. 2011). Thus, because Norway already has large shares of renewables in the energy mix, Norwegian
suppliers to new industries such as offshore wind and solar energy have mostly been oriented towards
opportunities provided by growth in international markets for these industries.
Third, in spite of the weak historic market situation for new renewable energy, Norway has fostered
nascent industries linked to offshore wind and solar energy. Individual case studies have illustrated the
role of existing industries, competences and resources from established industries that may be
transferred to offshore wind and solar photovoltaics (Hanson 2013; Steen & Hansen 2014; Weaver
2012; Weaver & Steen 2013). The potential in exploiting established competence and knowledge and
the large opportunities in international markets has been present in both industries since their
conception in Norway.
The rationale behind selection of these two industries thus rests on the combination of high global
growth in deployment and investment levels and the industrial basis for developing such industries in