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With a diverse program for Norwegian investors, business associates, entrepreneurs, students and other interested parties, the first Norwegian Culture Week has concluded in Latvia with 12 widely attended events, which were organized with the aim of strengthening bilateral cooperation between Norway and Latvia in business, culture and education.

The Norwegian Culture Week ended on May 17 with the World Ice-Hockey Championship match between Norway and Latvia and the Celebration of the Norwegian Constitution Day. The Norwegian Culture Week was organized by the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce in Latvia (NCCL) in cooperation with the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Latvia, Latvia’s Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) and several NCCL member companies.

"In the field of investment attraction, Norway is among the 10 largest foreign investors in Latvia. In 2022, Norway together with Germany ranked first in terms of the number of investment projects attracted to Latvia (6). On the other hand, Norway is one of the fastest growing Latvian export markets with a positive trade balance. In 2022, the total amount of exports to Norway was estimated at around 631.9 million euros, demonstrating 33% increase compared to the previous year. We highly appreciate our Norwegian partners and the fact that Latvia has been chosen as a destination by a number of internationally-known Norwegian companies - Linstow, Orkla, Visma, DNB, Norwegian Air, Atea Global Services, Livonia Print, Møller Mobility Group and many others. This is a clear signal that Latvia has an attractive investment environment that is able to provide all the necessary conditions for companies looking for expansion opportunities," emphasizes LIAA Director Kaspars Rožkalns.

In total, around 250 Norwegian companies operate in Latvia with Norwegian capital, providing more than 6,000 jobs. According to Lursoft, the total turnover of these companies exceeded 1.3 billion euros in 2021.

"May is a very special month both for Latvia and Norway. While Latvia celebrates her Independence Restoration Day on May 4th, Norwegians mark their Constitution on May 17th. This year, the May 17th Celebration was a little extra special, as it coincided with Norway competing with Latvia at the 2023 IIHF World Ice-Hockey Championship in Riga. Building up to this date, NCCL together with its closest partners offered a rich and diverse culture and business programme in Latvia, which was attended by close to 1000 participants, including leading Norwegian investors, company managers and employees, closest partners, and friends of Norway. The high participation proves not only the close bilateral cultural and business ties between the two countries, but also demonstrates a great interest in even closer cooperation in the future," says Ilze Garoza, Executive Director of NCCL, thanking all co-organizers, supporters, and attendees of the many events throughout the week.

The first Norwegian Culture and Business Week in Latvia took place from May 10th to 17th. During the week, 12 events took place, including NCCL Brain Games, organized in close cooperation with DNB Service Centre and with the support of Norwegian Embassy and Orkla Latvija, screenings of Norwegian movies at K Suns, art show at the Norwegian Ambassadors residence, webinar on Norwegian Business Culture, and a free Norwegian language class, provided by the “House of Languages”. During the Norwegian Culture Week several business meetings were held, including with the Director of Latvia’s Investment and Development Agency and the Mayor of Riga Mārtiņš Staķis, who is scheduled to visit Oslo on May 21 and 22. The Culture Week ended on a high note with the watching of the Norway and Latvia Ice-Hockey game and May 17th Celebration at Tallinas kvartāls.

The first Norwegian Culture Week Celebrates Norwegian Investments in Latvia

Celebrating the close cultural and business ties between Norway and Latvia and in efforts to strengthen them even further, a 

 will take in place in Riga from May 10 until May 17, leading up to Norwegian Constitution Day celebration together with Norwegians and friends of Norway in Latvia!

This is your last chance to sign up and join us tomorrow, 

 tournament, which will take place at Oratorio (Sporta iela 2, Riga). The Brain Games, which will engage participants in a friendly competition on all things Norwegian, are organized in close cooperation between 

Norwegian Embassy in Riga, Orkla Latvija, 

the Investment and Development Agency in Latvia. 

We will be joined by both the Norwegian Ambassador in Latvia H. E. 

 who will participate in the brain games with their own teams.


May 11 at 18:00 - Free Norwegian Language Class

Want to learn some basic words and expressions in Norwegian language to break ice in your conversation with Norwegian colleagues and partners? We are delighted to invite you to a free Norwegian language class, which will take place on Thursday, 

May 11, at 18:00 at the House of Languages

, located at Avotu iela 33 in Riga! This class is designed for those who have little to no prior knowledge of the language and are eager to start learning. Limited seats. Admission is free, but registration is required! 


May 12 at 10:00 - "Understanding Norwegian Business Culture"

Are you looking to expand your business to Norway or improve cooperation with Norwegian partners and colleagues? If so, tune in for the webinar "

Understanding the Norwegian Business Culture", 

Friday, May 12, from 10:00 to 11:00 (EEST

). Our panel of experts will share their insights and experiences, providing valuable information as well as tips & tricks on how to succeed in building partnerships with Norwegian partners and clients. Admission: Free, Registration is required! 

May 13 & 14 at 17:00 - Norwegian movie screening at K Suns

On May 13 and 14 two Norwegian movies will be shown at K Suns Movie theatre (Elizabetes iela 83/85 in Riga), including 

. Admission is free, but ticket reservation is required! Click here to get your tickets for 

May 16 at 15:00 - Norwegian Art showcase at the Ambassador's Residence

The Royal Embassy of Norway in Riga has extended an invitation to 

 at the Norwegian Ambassador's Residence on May 16, from 15:00 to 16:00. Limited seats. Admission is free, but registration is required! Sign up by e-mail: office@nccl.lv!

May 17 - Norway vs Latvia Ice hockey game and May 17th Celebration

On May 17, Norway celebrates its Constitution Day. This year, the May 17th celebration will be a little extra special, as on that date the national 

2023 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship.

 The game will take place at Arena Riga, located at Skanstes iela 21 in Riga with the start time at 16:20. This is your last chance to reserve your ticket and join our group of about 100 NCCL members and friends that will be attending the game in person. After the game we will proceed to 

The first Norwegian Culture Week kicked off in Riga

On May 3, the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce in Latvia Board held its first board meeting since NCCL Annual General meeting. During the meeting, NCCL Board held elections of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman. 

, Founding Partner at "Spīgulis & Kukainis" Law Firm on his re-election as the NCCL Chairman of the Board and 

, CEO of Linstow Baltic, as the NCCL Vice-Chairman of the Board!

 is a founding partner of the full-service business law firm SPIGULIS &amp; KUKAINIS, based in Riga, Latvia (www.ska.lv). Matiss is a licensed attorney both in Latvia and the State of Illinois, USA. Matiss specializes in all aspects of real estate law, consulting on the sale, acquisition, lease, inheritance and management of property. SPIGULIS &amp; KUKAINIS law firm employs numerous lawyers that cover the whole spectrum of business law / legal advisory services. In addition to serving on the board of NCCL, Matiss has previously been both the President and Vice President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia, and on the board of the British Chamber of Commerce in Latvia. Matiss has also taught business and international law at various institutions in Latvia, at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, amassing more than 1,300 direct classroom teaching hours. Matiss also regularly advises various non-profit organizations on a pro-bono basis.

Matiss was born and educated in the United States, and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering (B.S.M.E.), and a Juris Doctor Degree in Law (J.D.) from Michigan State University, as well as a Master of Law Degree (LL.M.) in International and European Union Law from the Riga Graduate School of Law in Riga, Latvia

 is CEO of Linstow Baltic, a Norwegian real estate developer and manager with more than 20 years experience in the Baltics. He has been with the company since 1998 when he joined as its COO, becoming CEO in 2004. He has held several positions at Executive Boards, including the Foreign Investor Council in Latvia and Power Nordic Consumer Electronic Chain (former Expert Nordic). Frode holds a BA in International Marketing from the University of Leeds in the UK and Master of Marketing Science from the Norwegian Business School (BI) in Oslo, Norway.

NCCL Chairman and Vice-Chairman Re-Approved by the Board for Another Term

", which has recently joined NCCL Member network! 

Orkla Biscuit Production, part of Orkla Confectionery & Snacks, is a producer of Biscuits and Wafers. The company supply products for the Nordic and Baltic markets within the brands of Ballerina, Singoalla, Saetre, Selga, Kalev, Kantolan, Göteborgs utvalda, and more.

Orkla Biscuit Production joins NCCL as a Silver Category Member

Over 50 NCCL members and invited guests participated in the Norwegian Chamber of Commerce in Latvia Annual General meeting, which took place last week at Hotel Bergs Suites in Riga. The event provided an opportunity for NCCL members to learn about the latest developments in Latvia's economy, Norwegian business presence in Latvia, NCCL activities and interact with other NCCL members.

At the AGM, we were joined by the Norwegian Ambassador H.E. Ine Måreng and heard a presentation by 

, Adviser to the Council of Latvijas Banka and ECFR Council Member, focusing on the topic "The Economy of Latvia in the Whirlwinds of Geopolitical Developments". The meeting was chaired by the NCCL Chairman of the Board 

Four NCCL Platinum members - Spigulis & Kukainis Law Firm, Linstow Baltic, Moller Baltic Import, and DNB Service Centre provided brief introductions of their business operations in Latvia. NCCL also introduced several newcomers to the Chamber, including Gold member AtoZ Group; Silver category members Codex Advokat Oslo AS, Sorainen, VA Government Rud Pedersen Group; Bronze members - Slokenbergs PLLC, JPR Bemanning, SCANFREIGHT LATVIA SIA, and Individual members Andre V. Demarest and Andis Šadurskis.

During the AGM, the results of the NCCL Board elections were announced. We are delighted to continue close cooperation with 

Matiss Kukainis, Frode Gronvold, Ilze Grase-Ķibilde, Snorre Karkkonen Svensson

, who were re-elected on the NCCL board for another 2 year term. Congratulations! To learn about NCCL and our activities last year, check out our 

NCCL Members Focus on Economy and Member Updates at AGM

If your company plans on launching upgrades in digital infrastructure, check out the recently launched 

support programs for business digitalisation

, which are made available as part of the European Recovery mechanism! 

The aid programmes provide aid to economic operators in the amount of 

 and have been created with an aim to promote digitalisation of processes, automation and robotisation in commercial activities by investing in technological solutions and innovations, as well as by changing the production processes. 

Investment and Development Agency of Latvia

 (LIAA). Check out the programme description prepared and shared by 

 and reach out to them if you have any questions:

 https://leinonen.eu/lva/news/support-programs-for-business-digitalisation/

Support Programs for Business Digitalisation

To address the topics highly relevant to the Norwegian business community in Riga and to learn more about outlook and concrete initatives to attract new talent and investments to Riga, NCCL members this week visited the 

Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (RITA)

While Fredis Bikovs outlined the priorities and planned activities by RITA, 

Antra Zālīte, Chairperson of Visma Enterprise and Board member at NCCL

, who also serves on the recently-established 

, shared her outlook on the major challenges, followed by a discussion among NCCL members operating in the IT, global service centre industry, real estate, education, and banking.

As pointed out by F. Bikovs in his presentation, access to qualified talent is cited as far more important criteria for new investors than many other aspects such as location, taxes etc. To address this topic, NCCL members spoke of the need for improved education, better branding for the city of Riga, the need for higher inclusion and proactive engagement of Latvian diaspora, foreign students and non-Latvian spouses, as well as support for relocation.

In 2023, the Riga Investment and Tourism Agency has introduced several innovations in facilitating attraction of talent and new investors to the capital of Latvia, including the launch of the international talent attraction platform "

, inviting companies to spend a paid "working vacation" in Riga.



 - offers information for job seekers from European Union countries outside the EU and those from the Latvian diaspora abroad. This is a platform that provides clear and concise information in one place on all matters related to moving and starting a job in Riga.



 which was launched at the end of 2022, - offers potential investors to spend a week in Riga and learn more about the business opportunities offered by the capital of Latvia. The agency will cover travel (plane), accommodation and co-working space expenses for 5 working days for you to explore Riga's investment environment in more detail and receive a tailor-made visit agenda that will include meetings with city leadership, business consultancies and key-opinion leaders relevant to your industry as well as company visits.

News

The first Norwegian Culture Week Celebrates Norwegian Investments in Latvia

The first Norwegian Culture Week kicked off in Riga

NCCL Chairman and Vice-Chairman Re-Approved by the Board for Another Term

Orkla Biscuit Production joins NCCL as a Silver Category Member

NCCL Members Focus on Economy and Member Updates at AGM

Support Programs for Business Digitalisation

NCCL Members Discuss Talent Attraction to Riga

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