Business in
HALDEN
Welcome to one of the most dynamic and award- winning regions for doing business in Norway. Many companies have realised the possibilities and opportunities Halden offers, and we are pleased to invite you to our community.
12 REASONS TO CHOOSE HALDEN
Great access to expertise and labour
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Higher proportion of residents with PhD and STEM education compared to many other cities
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Numerous future IT talents, trained in Halden
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755* students in IT-relevant study programmes
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185* IT graduates/ year (*numbers from 2023)
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Østfold University College & a large varierty of vocational education and training facilities (see HiØ) are located in town
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Located in the Østfold region, where three cities are gradually growing together, creating a regional market of approximately 180,000 inhabitants with high mobility and short travel distances
Strategic location
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Located in the Østfold region of Norway, directly on the Swedish border, Halden offers excellent conditions for business expansion and international growth.
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Halden serves as a gateway to the Nordics, Central Europe, and Eastern Europe, providing several strategic advantages:
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Quick accessibility
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Short and direct routes to consumers and suppliers
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Perfect conditions for tapping additional market
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Strong infrastructure
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Halden is the gateway to the EU, easily accessed by road or train. Halden’s infrastructure supports efficient logistics, freight transport, and regional connectivity for businesses and commuters.
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E6:
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Approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to Oslo
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Approximately 2 hours to Gothenburg
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Large industrial and development areas located close to the E6 corridor
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Train:
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Halden Station is centrally located in the city and is the terminus of the Intercity trains on the Østfold line.
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The train departs every hour to/from Oslo S, and four times per day to/from Gothenburg
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Port with high capacity
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Municipally owned port
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5 500 m² heavy lifting quay
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Point load capacity of 70 tonnes per. m²
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8 000 m² additonal storage area by the quay
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The railway terminal of 16 000 m² with approximately 800 meters of track, divided across four tracks
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Land-based electricity supply to ships
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The port has approximately 90-100 sea calls annually, with capacity for further sea calls or project loads
Outstanding digital infrastructure
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Mobile coverage close to 100% in populated areas (data from 2023)
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Five new mobile masts built during 2022/2023
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All new housing has broadband services
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Broadband services are continuously being expanded in areas surrounding Halden through funding from NKOM, including:
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Klepper
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Ør
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Torpedalen
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Enningdalen
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Skogskroken
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Pålsbu
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Bokerød
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Additional funding is applied annually to continue expanding broadband access in areas with limited coverage.
Business-friendly municipality
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The Departement of Planning and Building Services prioritizes the processing of important business initiatives and major construction projects.
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More than 90% of applications are processed within statutory deadlines.
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Businesses receive support and guidance for both large and small projects and challenges.
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The municipailty has good availability by phone and email. Contact information: Halden Municipality
Excellent water and sewage capacity
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The municipality's water and sewage system are monitored 24/7
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Newly upgraded wastewater treatmant plants (see Halden Kommune) with strong capacity, close to the city enter (Refne), Prestebakke and Kornsjø
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High supply security and water quality, with two water treatment plants near the city center (Lille Erte and Asak) and two water treatment plants outside the center (Prestebakke and Kornsjø)
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A new main water supply line from Lille Erte to Halden Prison provides safe and reliable water delivery to Remmen and the Sørli industrial area
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Ongoing replacement and modernization of water and waste pipelines
Strong business networks
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Halden Chamber of Commerce (see haldennu.no) is the city's largest business network and hosts more than 50 meetings and events annually
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The Chamber actively works to strengthen business conditions and support local companies and industries
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Halden is home to three strong industry clusters that contributes to more innovation, exports and commercialization:
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The Mayor hosts monthly Breakfast Meetings with the business community.
Proximity to key markets
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Halden offers excellent access to regional and international markets through its strategic location in the Østfold region.
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Approximately 340.000 people* live within a 60 minutes drive of Halden (see isochrone to the right) (*data from 2025)
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In a six-hour radius, you can reach a market of over nine million people.
Historic, compact and effective city center
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The city is compact and almost 50% of the population lives within a 2 km radius from the center and 90% within 5 km (see ArcGIS)
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Around 40% of the workplaces are within a 1 km of the city center and 50% within 2 km.
Vibrant local community
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Halden offers a vibrant and active local community with a strong cultural scene and over 400 cultural events every year (see Visit Østfold)
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Unique nature and with easy access to forests, lakes, coastline, and outdoor experiences (see Visit Østfold)
Attractive tourist destination
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320 000 tourists each year.
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85 000 hotel nights per year.
