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Sustainability on the regional agenda

Since 2018, the Kongsvinger region has worked purposefully on a joint strategy for the environment and climate. All six municipalities in the Kongsvinger region political decisions that stand behind the strategy. "Regional strategy for environment and climate 2018 - 2030" has as its overall goal that the municipal organizations will be climate neutral in 2025. Kongsvinger region (civil society and business) shall be climate neutral in 2030.

Here you can see some important elements that help make us "Norway's green heart".

Largest forest region in the Innlandet county

Inland county has 26% of Norway's productive forest area. In the climate accounts for Norway, forests have a very positive effect: Half of our emissions are "captured" by the forest. Every year, the growth of CO2 binds the equivalent of half of our greenhouse gas emissions.

The Kongsvinger region is the largest forest region in the county. 1,29 million m3 was felled in 2020 to a value of 515 million. The largest players are Glommen Mjøsen, Nortlømmer and SB Skog.

We have leading competence environments within forestry with a forestry and agriculture programme at Solør high school, Sønsterud nursery and Norwegian agricultural consultancy at Kirkenær. The region has large sawmills with Bergene Holm and Eidskog Stangeskovene in front. In addition, John Deere has forestry and Ponsse is headquartered in Kongsvinger. Important smaller businesses such as Söderhamn Eriksson, Lilleseth kjetting, FeltGIS and Dronedata AS supply equipment and technology to forestry.

Manufacturer of renewable energy

Odal wind turbines are under development and will be completed in early 2022. Total installed capacity is 160 MW distributed on 34 wind turbines in Nord-Odal municipality. When the Odal wind turbines are completed, it will produce 500 GWh per year, or equivalent to the electricity consumption of approx. 31.000 households. The wind turbines are owned by Akershus energi, KLP and Cloudberry). Elvia AS has a license for internet connection.

The Glomma watercourse is central in the Kongsvinger region. Kongsvinger
power plant is a river power plant in Kongsvinger municipality. With a drop height of 10,25
meters, the two pipe turbine units produce an annual amount of energy
average 200 GWh. Kongsvinger power plant is owned by Hafslund E-CO.

Unique purpose-built buildings in wood

Glommasvingen school and Kongsvinger secondary school are built in solid wood. The same is true of the unique "Collection" Library in Nord-Odal.

The furniture manufacturer Vestre establishes itself at Magnor. The Plus is of course a wooden building with the ambition of becoming the world's most sustainable furniture manufacturer.

Norwegian Wood Cluster (NWC) uses Sør-Hedmark Næringshage as project manager for the project digitization and automation in the forest industry. Together with a number of other resources within the value chain forest-industrial construction, the goal is to develop an internationally leading business cluster within sustainable, industrialized wooden construction.

Pioneering sustainability studies

Kongsvinger University College Center offers a bachelor's degree in sustainability economics, which is a new study program that combines financial-administrative knowledge with specialized competence in sustainability.

The goal is to educate future consultants, advisers and managers in companies that take sustainability and social responsibility seriously.

 

 
 
Re-Con-Zero-Evo

Green industrial cluster

The industry works together to become more sustainable through the cluster initiative Green Heart Idustry and the competence-raising collaboration with the Inland college.

There are many exciting projects in sustainability - both across and in individual companies. Examples of this are Forestia with an ambitious project related to the utilization of recycled wood, Mapei with its sustainability strategy and new products and Schütz which recycles plastic containers. We also experience that more manufacturers bring back the production from China.

Research and development

Through the Inter.reg project "Bioeconomy Regions in Scandinavia", we work with innovation in the wood-based construction industry. The work is coordinated by Klosser Innovation.

Interesting research projects are planned in the region; reduction of wood waste on construction sites through better planning (ØMF, Oslo Met, Klosser, etc.) and re-laft, which focuses on reusing old wood in new buildings, are examples of this.

 

 
 
 

Regional environmental and climate strategy

Adopted June 2018 and applies until 2030. The overall strategies are:

  1. The Kongsvinger region will contribute to environmentally friendly infrastructure, transport and logistics on behalf of Norway and Europe
  2. The Kongsvinger region will contribute to green growth in the business community through the use of the college foundation and increased competence and value creation based on increased use of local resources.
  3. The Kongsvinger region will contribute to having an urban and settlement development that is inclusive, safe, robust and sustainable.
  4. The Kongsvinger region must be a safe place in relation to climate change.

7supported sustainability network

In 2018, the industrial giant 7sterke established a network with a focus on sustainability and circular economy. The network has members from both the private and public sectors.

The sustainability network will contribute to both increasing competence and sharing competence, between the companies in the industrial cluster, the business community and the municipalities in the Kongsvinger region.

 

News about sustainability

You can read selected news here.

Kongsirk - inter-municipal re-use market

Circular economy is a green engine of change and a recognized and effective tool for achieving the goals of, among other things, the Paris Agreement and the UN's sustainability goals. The goal of circular economy

Read more »
used furniture

Toolbox circular procurements

The Kongsvinger region (Nord-Odal municipality as the host municipality) has received discretionary funds for innovation from the state administrator in the Inland region for "Circular economy as a green transformation engine". This is an extension of "Circle

Read more »

Kongsvinger region

Welcome!

Centrally situated in Eastern Norway, between Oslo and Sweden, you will find the Kongsvinger region. Seen from the air, it is green and mostly dominated by wooded hills and cultivated land. But do not be fooled! Both private and public sector experience progressive development.

"I have to boast that the work that is being done in the Kongsvinger region after all the municipalities have taken a step up in the municipal NM since last year. The whole of Innlandet cheers for the Kongsvinger region, and we all have a lot to learn from the work that is done there."

Jon Kristiansen, NHO director Innlandet

News about the circular economy projects

The region offers quality education at all levels, from primary school to college. Specially, it is worth noting two new and unique secondary schools built from solid wood, and the offers given for those who want to follow an alternative pedagogical scheme. Safe upbringing conditions is an important argument for moving here.

The labor market in the region is varied and integrated. Many people live in one place and work in another municipality. Well developed infrastructure and commuting opportunities with public transport make this easy. As in the rest of Norway, the service sector is the biggest employer, but also flexible and international industrial companies are attractive employers for many.

The opportunities for leisure activities are diverse and include as well a varied and exciting cultural life. Kongsvinger with its majestic fortress is the city of the region, with the river Glomma as a link to several of the surrounding municipalities.

Welcome to us!

It is good to live, work and do business in our region. Here we give you ten benefits:

Business-friendly municipalities that want you to succeed

- Well developed regulations for business with reduced employer's national insurance contributions and low property tax *)
- Regulated commercial space and plots at competitive prices
- Free advice and assistance adjusted to your needs from a very competent support organization
- Access to venture capital for the best ideas
- Norway's best provider of flexible university education - focused on the business community's competence needs
Stable workforce
*) NHO's municipal barometer

Large regulated business areas near the Oslo region - at a fraction of the price

- The Kongsvinger region is close to the Oslo region.
- The nearest municipality, Sør-Odal is 4 km from Gardermoen and 8 km from Oslo city center
- We have regulated commercial areas and plots at 1/10 of the price of Jessheim / Gardermoen / Oslo

A strong business community with a sound industrial expertise

- The Kongsvinger region has accumulated one of the country's largest numbers of industries
- 7sterke is one of the country's strongest industrial clusters. Continuously, the cluster works in order to influence regional business development and policy, create regional attraction, stimulate innovation and competence development and market the region as an attractive industrial region.
- The region is one of the largest in Norway in building and construction

Extensive access to bio-raw materials and expertise

- Kongsvinger region is Norway's largest forest region with large amounts of timber and agricultural raw materials (potatoes and cereals)
- We have Norway's cleanest water and large amounts of clean power.
- Bioeconomy is a special focus area for Norway. Biofuels, animal feed from wood and potato peel as a substitute for artificial preservatives in food, show only a glimpse of the region's potential.
- We work closely with research communities in the field - both in Norway and Sweden.

Central logistics hub provides efficient logistics and broad market access

- The region is a closely integrated part of the Gardermoen and Oslo regions and close to the EU / Sweden
- Kongsvinger as a natural transport hub in Scandinavia with fully developed road and rail connections to Northern Norway and Europe

The housing dream for 1/3 of the price

- If you move from the Oslo regions, you will get a lot more for your money.
- A house with an apple orchard, small farm and apartments close to the city center - the budget will go a long way and the possibilities are plenty.

Excellent communications bring you wherever you want

- The Kongsvinger region has well developed rail and road connections providing proximity to Oslo - Karlstad - Oslo Airport Gardemoen whenever you need it.
- Train to Oslo at hourly intervals, which takes 1,20 hours from Kongsvinger
- Car to Gardermoen in about 1 hour from Kongsvinger and 45 minutes from Skarnes
- Train to Stockholm in 3,5 hours

A focus on schools yields results

- The Kongsvinger region can offer high quality schools with professionally trained teachers
- Modern schools in both Sør-Odal and Kongsvinger

An active cultural and sports region that creates joy

- We can offer excellent facilities for sport - from an amateur level to top quality educational training (NTG and NTGU).
- Kongsvinger is the city in Norway with the best developed sports facilities per inhabitant.
- Norway's best golf course right outside your living room.
- We can offer numerous cultural activities for both children and adults - whether you want to participate yourself or you just want to be a spectator.

Urban development for an ever-improving environment

- Playgrounds in the city center
- Housing construction in the city center