On Friday, Norway’s government unveiled its proposal to the Storting for how the defense sector should be organized, developed and funded over the next 12 years.
Among the suggested measures to strengthen the military are new research and development operations (FoU) in Northern Norway. This will be led by Forsvarets forskningsinstitutt (FFI), which has identified Tromsø as the main hub for this initiative.
“Investing in Northern Norway will increase our ability to defend, secure and prepare in this region,” said Norwegian Defense Minister Bjørn Arild Gram of Senterpartiet. “Northern Norway is a crucial operational area for the military and an important outpost for allied activity.” The population and activity in the north are strategically important to the military, he added.
The initiative is described as technology- and knowledge-intensive, with the goal of promoting regional resilience and fostering innovation through civil-military and interdisciplinary collaboration. Additionally, it aims to create positive effects on competence development and economic growth in Northern Norway.
