Engineering in the Nordics

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Introduction to engineering in Scandinavia

This page provides an overview of engineering in the Nordic countries, both historical and modern. The long travel distances, availability of various natural resources, varying geological conditions, the rough northern climate and the presence of the sea and rivers have incited Scandinavian engineers to develop technical solutions for several societal challenges and avail of economic opportunities.

As a rugged mountaineous country, Norway's economic development has been shaped by engineers.

The extensive natural resources that Sweden and Finland avail of have spurred engineers to develop major industries for processing and manufacturing.

Engineering fields

§1. Maritime & nautical engineering

▪ 1.1 Shipyards

Norway, Danmark and Sweden have a long history of ship building. Some historical vessels have been well-preserved, like the Oseberg ship in Oslo and the Vasa ship in Stockholm. The Ulstein X-Bow is an innovation in maritime engineering, launched in 2005. The Swedish shipyard Hallberg-Rassy, founded in 1943, is internationally known for producing sailing yachts.

▪ 1.2 Ferry lines

Norway and Sweden are connected to Denmark and Germany through several sea ferries that cross the Skagerrak. Hurtigruten is a major ferry route established in 1893 that leads along the Norwegian coast from north to south. In Kristiansand, Larvik, Oslo, Hirtshals, Frederikshavn, Gothenburg, Stockholm and Turku there are large ferry terminals with adjacent road infrastructure and pedestrian routes for embarking. The ferry terminals at Rødbyhavn and Puttgarden have the capacity to embark trains.

▪ 1.3 Offshore technology

During the past decades, Norway has developed significant know-how in the offshore sector, which will now become progressively important for the development of offshore wind power (ref. §6.2).

§2. Mining

Nordic engineers have contributed to the development of mining technology (iron ore) and of industries for the manufacturing of steel and aluminium parts. Kiruna is an important mining town in northern Sweden. The Swedish steel industry is currently innovating by switching to hydrogen as a source of clean energy for producing steel (H2 Green Steel). Norway has a number of mines. The Norwegian company Hydro is active in bauxite mining abroad. Norwegian industry is experienced in metallurgy.

§3. Mechanical & aerospace engineering

▪ 3.1 Manufacturing - automotive, aviation and machinery

Since many decades, Sweden has significant activity in the automotive industry (Volvo, Scania), aerospace sector (Saab, Heart Aerospace) and mechanical manufacturing, which account for a major share of Swedish export. Major Swedish corporations in the field of mechanical engineering are for example NIBE Industrier (HVAC company formed in 1989), Systemair (HVAC company founded in 1974) and Husqvarna (tools and construction equipment) which is one of the oldest companies in the world.

There are aluminium factories at several locations in Norway, which for example manufacture construction elements.

Also in Denmark there is mechanical industry, like the international companies Grundfos (the largest pump manufacturer in the world, founded in 1945), Genvex (HVAC company created in 1978) and Exhausto (HVAC company founded in 1957).

▪ 3.2 Drones & robotics

Engineering companies like Norce, Sundt Group and Blueye develop drones and robotics.

§4. Civil engineering

▪ 4.1 Fortifications

Ancient fortifications that have been preserved are for example Christiansholm Fortress in Kristiansand, Oscarsborg Fortress in the Oslofjord, Akershus Fortress and Malmö Castle. Of the Copenhagen fortifications, only a few parts are remaining today, like the Christianshavn rampart.

▪ 4.2 Structural engineering and construction technology

The English engineer Sir Ove Nyquist Arup, of Danish-Norwegian descent and educated in Denmark, has been a major influence in the field. In 1946 he founded the UK engineering firm Arup, which has been closely involved in iconic projects such as the roofs of the Sydney Opera House, the Centre Pompidou in Paris and the Millennium Bridge in London. Arup has become an international group, engineering some of the largest bridges and stadiums around the world.

The Danish structural engineer Jorgen I. Breuning invented the innovative hollow-core concrete floor slab system BubbleDeck, which was patended by him in 1995. This bidirectional structural flooring system enables light-weight slabs with long spans in two directions. The company BubbleDeck was founded in Danmark in 1991 and has since expanded to several other countries beyond Scandinavia.

▪ 4.3 Infrastructure - bridges, tunnels and highways

Øresund Bridge is the longest bridge in Scandinavia. Currently it is the only road & rail connection between mainland Europe and the Scandinavian peninsula. As of 2024, Höga Kusten Bridge is the longest bridge in Sweden. Hardanger Bridge is currently the longest bridge in Norway. Ref. pages List of bridges in Norway. The Atlantic Ocean Road is a well-known touristic destination at the coast of western Norway. List of bridges in Sweden. List of bridges in Denmark. Among the largest infrastructure projects in Scandinavia is the E39 coastal highway route in western Norway, a large-scale road improvement project which will lead from Stavanger to Ålesund, comprising long stretches across the Boknafjord, Bjørnafjord and Sognefjord. This will involve several bridges and tunnels, among which a planned submerged floating tunnel that will cross one of the fjords. A floating bridge across the Bjørnafjord is also being considered by Statens vegvesen.

There are many tunnels in Norway. With a length of 24.5 kilometer, Lærdal Tunnel is the longest road tunnel in the world. The 7.5 km long Vallavik Tunnel near Bergen includes an underground roundabout that connects to Hardanger Bridge. Norwegian tunnel building know-how is also successful abroad: recently Norwegian engineers completed the construction of subsea tunnels on the Faroe Islands.

Another large-scale engineering project is the Fehmarn Belt tunnel, a submerged road & train tunnel connecting Puttgarden (on Fehmarn in northern Germany) to Rødbyhavn (on Lolland in southern Denmark), for which construction has begun.

The Ypsilon bridge in Drammen was accorded the European Steel Bridges Award in 2008 and the Norwegian Steel Construction Award in 2009. The Akrobaten bridge for pedestrian and cyclists in Bjørvika (Oslo) was accorded the European Steel Bridges Award in 2012. The landmark bridge Norgesporten in Ørje marks the entry to Norway when coming from Sweden on the E18 highway.

The Varvsbron Dockyard Bridge in Helsingborg received the Eugene C. Figg Jr. International Bridge Prize in 2022,, the European Steel Design Award in 2023 and the IStructE Structural Award in 2024.

▪ 4.4 Geotechnics

The Nordic landscapes are characterised by mountains, ice caps, gletchers, fjords, rivers, swamps and boreal tundras. Scandinavian engineers have therefore developed significant know-how in geotechnical engineering, which is intensively used in the Nordics and in other parts of the world.

For example, geotechnical engineers in Scandinavia are experienced with rockfall mitigation and slope stabilisation - using rock bolting, sprayed concrete and secured drapery systems (anchored meshes). These solutions are often used next to highways in steep mountainous terrain.

▪ 4.5 Infrastructure - airports

The major international airports in Scandinavia are Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Oslo Airport Gardermoen and Copenhagen Airport Kastrup. Additionally, Norway has many regional airports: List of airports in Norway.

▪ 4.6 Infrastructure - harbours

There are major ports in for instance Hamina-Kotka, Gothenburg and Narvik, which are used for international shipping.

§5. Environmental engineering

▪ 5.1 Water treatment engineering

Nordic engineers have contributed to the development of water filtration and drinking water networks internationally, often as part of development aid in third-world countries.

▪ 5.2 Industrial ecology

The Technical University in Trondheim (NTNU) comprises a reputed department for industrial ecology.

§6. Energy systems engineering

▪ 6.1 Hydropower

Among the major engineering works in Scandinavia are several hydroelectric power plants that employ dams in lakes and rivers. Ref. pages List of hydroelectric power stations in Sweden and List of power stations in Norway. Nordic engineers have also contributed to the development of hydropower internationally, amongst others in development countries.

▪ 6.2 Wind energy & ocean energy

Denmark is reputed for its large-scale development of wind power, especially offshore wind parks. The city of Esbjerg is a major centre for the wind energy industry. Danish industrial companies like Ørsted and Vestas are major drivers of the green energy transition, both in Denmark and internationally. Norway is currently starting with the development of offshore wind parks and ocean energy facilities. An osmotic power plant has been tested at a river mouth near Trondheim.

▪ 6.3 Solar energy

Recently, research was done on bifacial solar and vertical solar in Norway. Over Easy Solar is a young start-up that focuses on vertical, bifacial solar systems.

▪ 6.4 Geothermal energy - carbon capture & storage (CCS)

Iceland's development has to a large extent been characterised by geothermal energy; recently the innovative Icelandic company Carbfix made progress with subterranean carbon storage.

▪ 6.5 Waste heat & recovery of industrial heat

The Swedish company Fortum has innovated in the field of waste heat and recovering heat from industrial processes.

▪ 6.6 Biomass

Finnish companies have innovated in the field of biochar and energy from biomass.

▪ 6.7 Electric vehicles - transition to hydrogen

Norway is currently the country with the highest share of EVs. There is a considerable build-out of public charging facilities for EVs around the country. The Think electric city car was produced in Norway from 2008 to 2012.

A number of companies in Norway are driving the transition to hydrogen as a clean energy carrier: Nel Hydrogen, Norwegian Hydrogen and Green H.

▪ 6.8 Energy transition, energy efficiency and zero emissions

Denmark has an early adopter role in the transition to renewables & improved energy efficiency. The Danish island Samsø became carbon-negative, having switched to using 100% renewable energy. The City of Copenhagen plans to become zero-carbon by 2025.

§7. Electrical engineering

Nordic engineering has contributed to a number of technical innovations worldwide, for instance in the fields of ICT and electronic control & measuring systems.

▪ 7.1 Telecommunication engineering

Scandinavian firms have contributed to the development of technology for telecommunication:

• GSM - co-developed by Ericsson in Sweden and Nokia in Finland, amongst others.

▪ 7.2 Informatics and automation

Computer & electronics engineering are an area of focus in Scandinavian research:

• Linux - the Finnish computer expert Linus Torvalds was central to its development,
• Bluetooth - co-invented by Swedish engineer Sven Mattisson, who was awarded the Swedish Royal Medal in 2021,
• MySQL - developed by a Swedish IT firm led by Michael Widenius, David Axmark and Allan Larsson,
• The computer programming language C++ developed by Bjarne Stroustrup, who received the Faraday Medal in 2017.

The Danish industrial company Eltronic, founded in 2000, started in automation solutions and has since expanded to other engineering fields.

▪ 7.3 Cybernetics, steering / monitoring technology

The Technical University in Trondheim (NTNU) has a faculty for cybernetics. Engineers educated there were involved in developing innovations in the field, such as a steering system for stabilising the highspeed ICE trains in Germany when these trains drive through railway curves at high speed.

After having studied technical physics at NTNU, the Norwegian engineer Fred Kavli created a company in the USA that manufactured sensors. He then established the Kavli Foundation, which supports innovation & development in the natural sciences. He was awarded several recognitions in honour of his scientific work.

▪ 7.4 Audio-video systems

Companies like Bang & Olufsen in Denmark and Tandberg in Norway have contributed to innovations in sound engineering, radio and television.

§8. Applied physics and applied chemistry

▪ 8.1 Quantum technology, nanotechnology and photonics

The Centre for Materials Science and Nanotechnology (SMN) at the University of Oslo and Lund Nano Lab focus on nanotechnology.

DTU in Copenhagen has a research group that focuses on metamaterials.

The Swedish start-up Lazerah in Gothenburg is involved in developing quantum technology.

▪ 8.2 Biotechnology, medical technology, biomedical engineering

There are some biotechnological research groups in Scandinavia (like Oslo Cancer Cluster and Incubator) that are dedicated to developing cancer diagnostics and anticancer nanomedicine.

Engineering education, professional organisations and practice

§9. Institutions for engineering and technology

▪ 9.1 Universities of technology in the Nordics

There are a number of technical universities in the Nordic countries, amongst others:

• Lappeenranta-Lahti University of Technology (LUT) in Finland,
• The KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg,
• Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in Trondheim,
• The Technical University of Denmark (DTU) in Copenhagen.

These universities provide many study programmes for B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in engineering. A few of the M.Sc. studies in engineering are organised in collaboration with other technical universities in mainland Europe.

▪ 9.2 Nordic research centres & technical institutes

A number of public institutions and research centres for engineering & technology are involved in, for example, product testing and publishing technical norms / technical standards.

• SINTEF Trondheim (including SINTEF Byggforsk), Teknologisk Institutt (now part of Kiwa) and the Institute for Energy Technology (IFE) in Norway,
• The Danish Technological Institute and the Danish Board of Technology.

▪ 9.3 Engineering associations

The major professional associations for engineering & technology in Scandinavia are:

• The Icelandic Association of Consulting Engineers (Félag Rádgjafarverkfrædinga FRV, affiliated to FIDIC).
• The Federation of Swedish Innovation Companies (Innovationsföretagen, affiliated to FIDIC) and Engineers of Sweden (Sveriges Ingenjörer).

• TEKNA in Norway, Rådgivende Ingeniørers Forening RIF (affiliated to FIDIC) and the Norwegian Society of Engineers and Technologists (NITO).
• The Danish Association of Consulting Engineers (Foreningen af Rådgivende Ingeniører FRI, a FIDIC affiliate) and the Danish Society of Engineers.

• The Finnish Association of Consulting Firms SKOL (also affiliated to FIDIC) and the Union of Professional Engineers in Finland.

▪ 9.4 Awards for technology & engineering

The Millennium Technology Prize is awarded biannually by the Technology Academy Finland.

▪ 9.5 Periodicals for technology & engineering

Teknisk Ukeblad is a magazine for engineers & technologists in Norway, published since 1883. Comparable magazines are Ny Teknik launched in Sweden in 1967 and Ingeniøren in Denmark, published since 1892.

§10. Nordic engineering firms

There are various engineering consultancies in Scandinavia, many of which are multidisciplinary. Some of the largest Scandinavian engineering companies also operate in several other countries.

▪ 10.1 Danish engineering consultancies

• COWI - multidisciplinary corporation founded in 1930 by civil engineer Christen Ostenfeld. Member of FRI and RIF (ref. §9.3). COWI was involved in engineering for the project of Øresund Bridge (between Copenhagen and Malmö). COWI also provided structural engineering for the project of the Hålogaland suspension bridge near Narvik in northern Norway.
• Originally Danish, MOE is now part of the French Artelia group for multidisciplinary consulting.
• NIRAS, a multi-disciplinary engineering consultancy.
• Rambøll - multidisciplinary corporation founded in 1945 as "Rambøll & Hannemann" by the civil engineers Børge Johannes Rambøll & Johan Georg Hannemann. Rambøll is known for its social model of egalitarian collaboration. Member of FRI and RIF.

▪ 10.2 Faroese engineering consultancies

An engineering firm on the Faroe Islands:

• SMJ Consulting Engineers, founded in 1969 - multidisciplinary firm.

▪ 10.3 Icelandic engineering consultancies

Some engineering firms that were founded in Iceland:

• EFLA - multidisciplinary firm.
• Verkís - multidisciplinary corporation.

▪ 10.4 Norwegian engineering firms

Some engineering consultancies that were founded in Norway:

• Aas Jacobsen - office for structural & civil engineering, located in Lysaker (Oslo). Member of RIF. The firm was founded in 1937 by building engineer Dr. Ing. Andreas Aas-Jakobsen.
• A.L. Høyer - office for structural engineering & building physics, based in Telemark. Member of RIF.
• Asplan Viak - multidisciplinary corporation with headquarters in Sandvika. Member of RIF.
• Geovita - office for geotechnical engineering, based in Lysaker (Oslo).
• Dr. techn. Kristoffer Apeland - office for structural engineering, based in Oslo. Member of RIF.
• Multiconsult - multidisciplinary corporation, with roots in Norsk Vandbygningskontor (NVK) that had been founded in 1908. The name Multiconsult was created in 1974 when Sivilingeniørene Apeland og Mjøset AS were reorganised. Member of RIF.
• Node rådgivende ingeniører - office for structural engineering, geotechnics & building physics, located in Bergen. Member of RIF.
• Norconsult - multidisciplinary corporation with headquarters in Sandvika. Member of RIF.
• Nyvoll Consult - civil engineers
• Plan-AE - building physics, energy & environment
• Structor - multidisciplinary
• ViaNova - office for infrastructure engineering
• Xrgia - office for renewable energy consulting, located in Oslo
• Originally Norwegian, UnionConsult is now part of WSP Global, a multidisciplinary consulting group.

▪ 10.5 Swedish engineering consultancies

Some consultant engineering companies that were founded in Sweden:

• AFRY (previously ÅF Consult) - a multidisciplinary corporation with headquarters in Solna (Stockholm).
• Sweco - a multidisciplinary corporation, headquartered in Stockholm.
• Tyréns - a multidisciplinary firm.

▪ 10.6 Finnish engineering consultancies

Some engineering firms that were founded in Finland:

• FCG Finnish Consulting Group - a multidisciplinary firm.

References

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