Kongsberg Gruppen is a Norwegian multinational company, that supplies

high-technology High technology (high tech or high-tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the most complex or ...

systems to customers in the merchant marine, defence,

aerospace Aerospace is a term used to collectively refer to the atmosphere and outer space. Aerospace activity is very diverse, with a multitude of commercial, industrial, and military applications. Aerospace engineering consists of aeronautics and astron ...

, offshore

oil and gas A fossil fuel is a flammable carbon compound- or hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the buried remains of prehistoric organisms (animals, plants or microplanktons), a process that occurs within geologi ...

industries, and renewable and

utilities A public utility company (usually just utility) is an organization that maintains the infrastructure for a public service (often also providing a service using that infrastructure). Public utilities are subject to forms of public control and r ...

industries. In 2018, Kongsberg had revenues of NOK 14.381 billion, and 6,842 employees in more than 25 countries.Kongsberg Group Reports and Presentations
/ref> The company is headquartered in

Kongsberg Kongsberg () is a historical mining town and municipality in Buskerud county, Norway. The city is located on the river Numedalslågen at the entrance to the valley of Numedal. Kongsberg has been a centre of silver mining, arms production and fo ...

. It comprises Four business areas: *

Kongsberg Maritime Kongsberg Maritime (KM) is a Norwegian technology enterprise within the Kongsberg Gruppen (KOG). Kongsberg Maritime deliver systems for positioning, surveying, navigation, and automation to merchant vessels and offshore installations. Their most ...

* Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace * Kongsberg Discovery * Kongsberg Digital Kongsberg is a continuation of Kongsberg Weapons Factory (Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk - KV) (1814–1987). After KV's restructuring in 1987 following the Toshiba–Kongsberg scandal, defence activities continued as the company Norsk Forsvarsteknologi (NFT). In 1995 the company changed its name to Kongsberg Gruppen. Kongsberg was listed on the

Oslo Stock Exchange Oslo Stock Exchange () (OSE: OSLO) is a stock exchange within the Nordic countries and offers Norway's only regulated markets for securities trading today. The stock exchange offers a full product range including equities, derivatives and fixed ...

in 1993 and is a

public company A public company is a company whose ownership is organized via shares of share capital, stock which are intended to be freely traded on a stock exchange or in over-the-counter (finance), over-the-counter markets. A public (publicly traded) co ...

. The Norwegian Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries is the largest shareholder with a 50.001 percent interest. Markets outside of Norway pose a growing and increasingly important part of business and represented approximately 80% of revenue in 2015.

History

The company's origin and background dates back to the early 1600s. The discovery of silver in the mountains around Kongsberg in 1624 meant that the city became an important mineral resource for the Danish Norwegian kingdom. When the Danish-Norwegian union was dissolved about 200 years later there was a need to build up a strong defence that would contribute to independence and security for

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

. There was a need for a domestic defence industry, and

already had expertise after centuries of mining. On 20 March 1814 Poul Steenstrup founded Kongsberg Våpenfabrikk.

1813–1890: Origins

1813 was an important year for Norway. The nation wrote its

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...

and the weapons factory was one of the nation's first industrial factories. Kongsberg Silver Mines experienced a

recession In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction that occurs when there is a period of broad decline in economic activity. Recessions generally occur when there is a widespread drop in spending (an adverse demand shock). This may be tr ...

and as a consequence Kongsberg suffered distress and poverty. There was a need to create new jobs. In addition Norway was marked by the desire for national independence, and the Weapons factory would make the newly established state self-supplied with weapons. Kongsberg's mining traditions - established over several centuries - provided a good basis for building a knowledge-based business. Skilled mining engineers were now assigned to develop the new company. The Weapons Factory quickly began producing rifles for the

Norwegian Armed Forces The Norwegian Armed Forces () are the armed forces responsible for the defence of Norway. It consists of five branches, the Norwegian Army, the Royal Norwegian Navy, which includes the Norwegian Coast Guard, Coast Guard, the Royal Norwegian Air ...

. A number of models were developed and delivered throughout the 19th century. The major international breakthrough came in 1888 when director Ole Herman Johannes Krag and corps gunsmith Erik Jørgensen showcased a new type of rifle.

1890–1900: International breakthrough

International breakthrough came with the Krag–Jørgensen rifle in 1892. The officer Ole Herman Johannes Krag and gunsmith Erik Jørgensen wanted to produce a new type of precision rifle, which was both easy to use, inexpensive to manufacture and which had revolutionary functionality. The rifle's mechanism proved to be something quite revolutionary in the arms industry. The Krag–Jørgensen rifle was first adopted as a service rifle by the Danish Army in 1889. Three years later the rifle became a world-known concept when the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

decided to equip their soldiers with the rifle. "The Krag" turned out to be one of the first major export contracts for the Norwegian industry. During a six-year period the U.S. alone produced well over half a million rifles on licence. In 1894 the weapon was adopted as army rifle for the

Norwegian Army The Norwegian Army () is the land warfare service branch of the Norwegian Armed Forces. The Army is the oldest of the Norwegian service branches, established as a modern military organization under the command of the King of Norway in 1628. The ...

. The weapon was in service until

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. "The Krag" became Norway's first large-scale industrial export and helped to establish an important relationship with the U.S. military.

1900–1945: Modernization

The Krag–Jørgensen rifle dominated production at Kongsberg until the end of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. When the war was over there was a significant decline in military orders. The company therefore used its position and expertise from the defence industry to enter new markets and seek new business opportunities. Production of civilian products such as civil weapons, tools, and parts for the

shipping industry Maritime transport (or ocean transport) or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by watercraft has been widely used throughout recorded history, as it provi ...

and whaling fleet began 1918. Other departments made bicycle components, while the cannon department made shafts, connecting rods, forgings and whale guns. Kongsberg launched its first civil products in 1921. The products won gold medal at the World Exposition in Barcelona in 1929. During

Kongsberg was under German control. Production, however, never came up to such numbers as the occupation forces wanted. This was partly due to access to raw materials, but also resistance among factory workers has also been suspected.

1945–1960: Industrial locomotive

After the war, Kongsberg was designated as one of the major industrial builders in Norway. The company produced everyday necessities such as pots and pans, and contributed to the development of the defence and

maritime industry Maritime transport (or ocean transport) or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by watercraft has been widely used throughout recorded history, as it pr ...

. The weapons factory was no longer under military command, and in 1953, the

Norwegian Parliament The Storting ( ; ) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years based on party-list proportional represe ...

, adopted a large-scale modernization and expansion of the company. The aim was to build a national high-tech defence industry that met the needs of the

as well as those of

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

. The creation of the Forsvarets Forskningsinstitutt ("Defence Research Establishment") (FFI) at

Kjeller Kjeller is a village located near Lillestrøm in the municipality of Lillestrøm, Norway. It is located 25 kilometers north-east of Oslo. Name The Norse form of the name was probably ''Tjaldir''. This is then the plural of ''tjald'' n 'tent'. ...

in 1947 was part of the same strategy. This cooperation was from the 1950s and up till present given rise to a number of defence systems such as the Penguin missile, NASAMS 2 air defence system, HUGIN AUV and Naval Strike Missile. After an agreement with

Volvo The Volvo Group (; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distribution and sale of truck ...

in 1957, the production of

automobile parts This is a list of auto parts, which are manufactured components of automobiles. This list reflects both fossil-fueled cars (using internal combustion engines) and electric vehicles; the list is not exhaustive. Many of these parts are also used o ...

also became a considerable business for KONGSBERG. At first the company produced

drive shaft A drive shaft, driveshaft, driving shaft, tailshaft (Australian English), propeller shaft (prop shaft), or Cardan shaft (after Girolamo Cardano) is a component for transmitting mechanical power (physics), power, torque, and rotation, usually ...

s, and then other components for heavy trucks,

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a motor vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van, but fewer than the average rail transport. It is most commonly used ...

es,

tractor A tractor is an engineering vehicle specifically designed to deliver a high tractive effort (or torque) at slow speeds, for the purposes of hauling a Trailer (vehicle), trailer or machinery such as that used in agriculture, mining or constructio ...

s and

agricultural machinery Agricultural machinery relates to the machine (mechanical), mechanical structures and devices used in farming or other agriculture. There are list of agricultural machinery, many types of such equipment, from hand tools and power tools to tractor ...

. The division was later reorganized into the company Kongsberg Automotive.

1960–1987: Innovative breakthrough

Having had a national focus in the post-war period, KONGSBERG again directed its attention and expertise towards the international market. The years from 1960 to the end of the 80s were a time of innovation, development and rapid growth for Kongsberg. KONGSBERG's focus on the

began in the early 1970s and coincided with the discovery of oil in the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

. Companies that would later become part of Kongsberg Gruppen, such as Simrad and Norcontrol, however, had already provided sonar systems and equipment for fishing and merchant marine for decades. The 1970s also became the decade when KONGSBERG positioned itself towards the petroleum sector. Dynamic positioning (DP) and subsea installations were revolutionary technology, which gave KONGSBERG a technological edge. KONGSBERG was about to get a position as a global technology leader.

1960–1987: International breakthroughs

* The production of

gas turbines A gas turbine or gas turbine engine is a type of continuous flow internal combustion engine. The main parts common to all gas turbine engines form the power-producing part (known as the gas generator or core) and are, in the direction of flow: ...

in 1969 * Submarine systems in 1969-1970 *

Subsea Subsea technology involves fully submerged ocean equipment, operations, or applications, especially when some distance offshore, in deep ocean waters, or on the seabed. The term ''subsea'' is frequently used in connection with oceanography, marin ...

and dynamic positioning (DP) in the early 1970s * Pioneering

missile A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this ...

technology and the Penguin missiles in 1972 The rapid international growth resulted in both new opportunities and challenges. The new focus on establishing a civilian product portfolio changed the shape of the company. In 1981 civil divisions accounted for 70% of business. Companies were acquired and the number of employees increased sharply. An international network of offices and factories began to take shape. But the business advancement and progress coincided with national and international unrest, which had a serious impact on the company, as an outcome of so-called Toshiba-Kongsberg scandal, after illegal export to the Soviet Union machine tools banned by

Cocom The Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (CoCom) was established in 1949 at the beginning of the Cold War to coordinate controls on exports from Western Bloc countries to the Soviet Union and its allies. Operating through inform ...

. The outcome was a need to restructure the entire company.

1987–1993: Reappearance

In 1987, the company was part of the Toshiba–Kongsberg scandal, which involved a subsidiary of

Toshiba is a Japanese multinational electronics company headquartered in Minato, Tokyo. Its diversified products and services include power, industrial and social infrastructure systems, elevators and escalators, electronic components, semiconductors ...

and the Kongsberg Vaapenfabrikk. The two provided the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

with technology (Toshiba milling machines and Kongsberg computer numerical controls) that could be used to produce quiet

submarine A submarine (often shortened to sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. (It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability.) The term "submarine" is also sometimes used historically or infor ...

propeller A propeller (often called a screw if on a ship or an airscrew if on an aircraft) is a device with a rotating hub and radiating blades that are set at a pitch to form a helical spiral which, when rotated, exerts linear thrust upon a working flu ...

s, in violation of the

CoCom The Coordinating Committee for Multilateral Export Controls (CoCom) was established in 1949 at the beginning of the Cold War to coordinate controls on exports from Western Bloc countries to the Soviet Union and its allies. Operating through inform ...

agreement. The US always relied on the fact that the Soviets had noisy boats. Providing the Soviet Union with technology that could make their subs harder to find and track was perceived as a significant threat to the security of the United States. 1987 was a turning point in the history of Kongsberg. The company was divided into divisions that manufactured

, aircraft parts,

, oil installations, and marine equipment and defence equipment. Innovation was high, but not the profitability. The company had taken on too large and complex development tasks. The state, which owned all the shares, would not inject big money to keep the whole business, so the company was split up. The civil division was sold out, while the defence division continued under the name Norwegian Defence Technology (NFT) from 19 June 1987 to 1995. The newly formed company had for a short period of time a renewed focus on its core defence business. This helped the company regain financial stability. Then Kongsberg again turned its focus towards civil and maritime sectors. Kongsberg also entered new markets. In 1990 the company launched its own

division. The restructuring process that began in 1987 culminated in 1993 when it was decided that Kongsberg should be partially privatized and listed on the

. This gave Kongsberg greater independence and the opportunity to cooperate with private business investors. It helped facilitate many positive changes, such as the establishment of

as a separate business unit. The decision proved to be a crucial building block in the creation of Kongsberg as a modern company.

1993–2015: International growth

In 1993, the company Norwegian Defence Technology (NFT) became publicly listed and partially privatized. Two years later, in 1995, the company took the name Kongsberg Gruppen and the current logo was established. Then followed a long series of acquisitions. This included buying back the maritime division. The development of the prototype of HUGIN which was demonstrated for Statoil in 1996, later further developed to MUNIN. REMUS is another

Autonomous Underwater Vehicle An autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) is a robot that travels underwater without requiring continuous input from an operator. AUVs constitute part of a larger group of undersea systems known as unmanned underwater vehicles, a classification tha ...

, produced at Hydroid, a fully owned subsidiary of Kongsberg. In 1997, Kongsberg gathered its operations in the subsidiaries

and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. The development of the weapons station Protector RWS from 1997. 1998: the Air Defence System Norwegian Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (NASAMS) was pronounced operational. In 2008, parts of the defence business spun off as a separate business area as "Kongsberg Protech Systems". Other defence activities continued under the name Kongsberg Defence Systems. The co-development of Well Advisor together with BP Also in 2008, parts of Kongsberg Maritime, which had worked with simulation technology in oil and gas, were reorganized under new management. The result was Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies that was established as a separate business area. However, due to challenging market conditions in the oil and gas industry this area was consolidated into Kongsberg Maritime and the newly established business area Kongsberg Digital in 2016. By the end of 2009 Kongsberg was divided into four separate divisions/business areas. The development of the Naval Strike Missile and the

Joint Strike Missile The Joint Strike Missile (JSM) is a multi-role, air-launched cruise missile under development by the Norwegian company Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and American company Raytheon Missiles & Defense. The JSM is derived from the Naval Strike Mis ...

. In 2014, Kongsberg celebrated its 200th anniversary. As of October 2017 the business area Kongsberg Protech Systems was merged into Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace.

Business

The Kongsberg Group has three business areas: Kongsberg Maritime, Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace and Kongsberg Digital. *

delivers products and systems for positioning, navigation and automation to

merchant vessel A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which a ...

s and offshore installations, as well as products and systems for

seabed The seabed (also known as the seafloor, sea floor, ocean floor, and ocean bottom) is the bottom of the ocean. All floors of the ocean are known as seabeds. The structure of the seabed of the global ocean is governed by plate tectonics. Most of ...

surveying and monitoring. * Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace focuses on command and control systems, weapons control systems, communication systems,

missiles A missile is an airborne ranged weapon capable of self-propelled flight aided usually by a propellant, jet engine or rocket motor. Historically, 'missile' referred to any projectile that is thrown, shot or propelled towards a target; this u ...

, advanced composites and surveillance. * Kongsberg Digital provides technology, products and services relating to monitoring, integration, analysis, simulation, quality assurance and governance for the oil and gas industry, maritime simulation and the renewables and utilities industry.

Defence

Kongsberg has a long history of collaborating with national and international defence industries. The business area Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace is a provider of command and control systems, weapons control, communications, missiles, advanced composites and surveillance. A major milestone for the Group's defence area came in 2007 when the Group won a contract worth eight billion kroner for the delivery of CROWS II – a type of Protector Remote Weapon Stations (RWS) - to the U.S. military. The RWS allows the operator to control the weapon inside the vehicle, providing increased protection and reduced risk of both military personnel and civilians. As of today, the Protector RWS claims to be the world's leading provider of remote weapon stations. Kongsberg has since delivered more than 17,000 weapons systems to 16 countries worldwide. Kongsberg's largest single contract ever was signed in January 2014 with

Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...

on the air defence system NASAMS. In September 2019, Kongsberg unveiled the Vanguard-class multirole warship, designed in collaboration with Salt Ships.

Notable defence area products

Penguin Penguins are a group of aquatic flightless birds from the family Spheniscidae () of the order Sphenisciformes (). They live almost exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Only one species, the Galápagos penguin, is equatorial, with a sm ...

* Naval Strike Missile (NSM) *

(JSM) * NASAMS 2 * Protector Remote Weapon Station (RWS) - with

Thales Thales of Miletus ( ; ; ) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek Pre-Socratic philosophy, pre-Socratic Philosophy, philosopher from Miletus in Ionia, Asia Minor. Thales was one of the Seven Sages of Greece, Seven Sages, founding figure ...

CROWS The Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) is a series of remote weapon stations used by the US military on its armored vehicles and ships. It allows weapon operators to engage targets without leaving the protection of their vehicle. ...

II – variant of Protector system * Vanguard-class multirole warship * Super Sonic Strike Missile (3SM) Tyrfing (3SM)

Space

Kongsberg has for several years increased its activities in space and surveillance. KONGSBERG's space activities are organized under

Kongsberg Defence Systems Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (KDA) is one of three business units of Kongsberg Gruppen (KONGSBERG) of Norway and a supplier of defence and space related systems and products, mainly anti-ship missiles, military communications, and command and ...

. In 1990, Kongsberg launched its own

business unit. Through its subsidiaries Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT) and Kongsberg Spacetec in

Tromsø Tromsø is a List of towns and cities in Norway, city in Tromsø Municipality in Troms county, Norway. The city is the administrative centre of the municipality as well as the administrative centre of Troms county. The city is located on the is ...

the company is now a leader in services related to ground stations and satellites. Kongsberg currently operates a worldwide network of ground stations including on

Svalbard Svalbard ( , ), previously known as Spitsbergen or Spitzbergen, is a Norway, Norwegian archipelago that lies at the convergence of the Arctic Ocean with the Atlantic Ocean. North of continental Europe, mainland Europe, it lies about midway be ...

and

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

, used by e.g.

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

and the

European Space Agency The European Space Agency (ESA) is a 23-member International organization, international organization devoted to space exploration. With its headquarters in Paris and a staff of around 2,547 people globally as of 2023, ESA was founded in 1975 ...

(ESA). The acquisition of Horten-based Norspace AS 2011 consolidated space operations in Norway and contributed to KONGSBERG's commercial position within international aerospace and surveillance was strengthened. Kongsberg's space division is Norway's largest supplier of equipment and services to the

(ESA). Kongsberg's Space & Surveillance division delivers a broad spectrum of equipment; systems and services related to space and maritime surveillance customers in more than 40 countries. The portfolio includes equipment and components for the European heavy-lift launcher

Ariane 5 Ariane 5 is a retired European heavy-lift space launch vehicle operated by Arianespace for the European Space Agency (ESA). It was launched from the Guiana Space Centre (CSG) in French Guiana. It was used to deliver payloads into geostationar ...

, communication satellites, earth observation satellites and scientific space probes. The division is a supplier of satellite ground stations for downloading and processing satellite data, as well as a supplier of

satellite A satellite or an artificial satellite is an object, typically a spacecraft, placed into orbit around a celestial body. They have a variety of uses, including communication relay, weather forecasting, navigation ( GPS), broadcasting, scient ...

services from ground stations at

in the

Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...

, the

Antarctic The Antarctic (, ; commonly ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the South Pole, lying within the Antarctic Circle. It is antipodes, diametrically opposite of the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antar ...

and numerous other locations. The division is also a provider of maritime domain awareness systems and control centers for maritime surveillance, where integration of terrestrial and satellite data constitutes an important component. Kongsberg's Space & Surveillance division is located in

Horten Horten () is a List of municipalities of Norway, municipality in Vestfold county, Norway. It is located in the Traditional districts of Norway, traditional district of Jarlsberg. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Horten (town) ...

and

Maritime

Kongsberg's focus on maritime industries began in the early 1970s and coincided with the discovery of oil in the

. This was also the decade in which Kongsberg positioned itself in the petroleum sector. Dynamic positioning (DP) and underwater installations were two areas that would prove to be crucial for the company. On 17 May 1977 Kongsberg's first DP-system was put into operation on board the diving support vessel Seaway Eagle. In 1983, KONGSBERG introduced the first diver-free underwater system for the Gullfaks field. It went on to operate for 20 years.

Kongsberg Maritime

is Kongsberg's largest business area. It is divided in three main areas: * Offshore * Subsea & Fishery * Merchant Marine Kongsberg Maritime delivers products and systems for positioning, navigation and automation to

s, Subsea and offshore installations, as well as products and systems for seabed surveying and monitoring. The company is a world leader in dynamic positioning (DP), automation and monitoring systems, process automation,

satellite navigation A satellite navigation or satnav system is a system that uses satellites to provide autonomous geopositioning. A satellite navigation system with global coverage is termed global navigation satellite system (GNSS). , four global systems are ope ...

and hydro-acoustics Kongsberg Maritime's activities have in recent years grown steadily. The company's supplies to the

subsea Subsea technology involves fully submerged ocean equipment, operations, or applications, especially when some distance offshore, in deep ocean waters, or on the seabed. The term ''subsea'' is frequently used in connection with oceanography, marin ...

, offshore and merchant fleet amounted in 2013 to over half of the Kongsberg Group's total revenue. In 2019, the company unveiled its proposed Vanguard-class multirole warship, based loosely on commercial support ships.

Notable Kongsberg Maritime products

* Dynamic positioning * Subsea installations * Kongsberg Maritime Simulation * HUGIN * Seaglider * REMUS * MUNIN The business area is headquartered in Kongsberg, has greater activity in the maritime cluster in

, in addition to offices worldwide.

Digital

Kongsberg Digital was established in 2016 to increase to group's focus and efforts on industrial digitalization. It was fully operational from 1 July 2016. The business area consists of simulation from the previous business area of Kongsberg Oil & Gas Technologies and simulation from

. In addition the business area has established positions within the renewable and utilities area. The business area is headquartered in

Asker Asker (), also called Asker proper (''Askerbygda'' or ''gamle Asker'' in Norwegian), is a district and former Municipalities of Norway, municipality in Akershus, Norway, located approximately 20km southwest of Oslo. From 2020 it is part of the ...

, with offices throughout

and the world.

Notable Kongsberg Digital products

* EmPower * K-Sim * K-Spice * Kognifai * LedaFlow * Rig Manager * SiteCom * Kognitwin

Corporate management

Kongsberg's executives

* Poul Steenstrup, ''Manager 1814–1824 '' * Captain Fredrik Meyn, ''Manager/Vice President 1824–1842'' * Staff Captain Peder Christian Holst, ''Vice President 1842–1854'' * Captain Jens Landmark, ''Vice President 1854–1880 (constituted 1854–1855)'' * Captain Ole Herman Johannes Krag, ''Vice President 1880–1895'' * Captain Jacob Maximillian Gran Paaske, ''Vice President 1895–1912'' * Captain Johan Jørgen Schwartz, ''Vice President 1912–1926'' * Captain Haakon Finne, ''Vice President 1926–1940'' * Department engineer Thomas Mørk, ''Temporary Manager 1940–1945'' * Captain Haakon Finne, ''1945–1946 '' * Major Alstad, ''acting Vice President 1945–1948'' * Dr. scient. Leif Lyche, ''Vice President 1948–1956'' * Major Bjarne Hurlen, ''Chief Executive Officer (CEO) 1956–1975'' * Arthur J. Aasland, ''1975-1978'' * Rolf Qvenild, ''Chief Executive Officer (CEO) 1978–1987'' * Tor Espedal, ''1987'' * Jens Charles Width, ''1987–1988'' * Jan T Jørgensen, ''Chief Executive Officer (CEO) 1987–1999 '' * Jan Erik Korssjøen, ''Chief Executive Officer (CEO) 1999–2008 '' * Walter Qvam, ''Chief Executive Officer (CEO) 2008–2016'' * Geir Håøy, ''Chief'' ''Executive Officer (CEO) 2016–''

Results

Figures are in millions.

Controversies

Corruption charges

In 2014 the company and

were charged by Norway, for corruption related to deliveries (worth around Norwegian kroner 1.5 billionKongsberg Gruppen siktet for korrupsjon
/ref>) of communication equipment to Romania during 1999–2008.Kongsberg Gruppen siktet for korrupsjon
/ref> The alleged corruption supposedly occurred in Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace, according to

Aftenposten (; ; stylized as in the masthead) is Norway's largest printed newspaper by circulation as well as Norway's newspaper of record. It is based in Oslo. It sold 211,769 daily copies in 2015 (172,029 printed copies according to University of Bergen ...

. In spring 2012 "various signals" indicated corrupt practices, and within a short time, investigators from outside the company were put to task.Alle spor stoppet i skatteparadis
/ref> In autumn of 2013 the company discontinued a year-long investigation by

PricewaterhouseCoopers PricewaterhouseCoopers, also known as PwC, is a multinational professional services network based in London, United Kingdom. It is the second-largest professional services network in the world and is one of the Big Four accounting firms, alon ...

—without giving the investigators' report to the police.Undersøkte korrupsjonsrykter - spor stoppet i skatteparadis
/ref> The investigation found that funds had been transferred to

tax haven A tax haven is a term, often used pejoratively, to describe a place with very low tax rates for Domicile (law), non-domiciled investors, even if the official rates may be higher. In some older definitions, a tax haven also offers Bank secrecy, ...

s. On 25 February 2014 Økokrim searched company premises in Kongsberg and

. On the same day one employee was arrested and charged (and released two days later). The leaders of the company were summoned for a meeting with then Minister of Trade and Industry. On 26 February 2014 the meeting was held, attended by then chairman and then CEO.Møte med Kongsberg Gruppen
/ref> The board meeting later that day, was joined by the minister via phone. On 27 February 2014 media said that then chairman had not read the report by PricewaterhouseCoopers about their investigation. A 28 February 2014

NRK The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (), commonly known by its initialism NRK, is a Norwegian state-run, government-influenced radio and television public broadcasting company. The NRK broadcasts three national TV channels and thirteen nat ...

article said that the transaction with Romania was connected with export guarantees worth Norwegian kroner 669 million—from

Guarantee Institute for Export Credits The Norwegian Export Credit Guarantee Agency (, GIEK) is a public-sector enterprise that reports to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries (MTIF). GIEK promotes Norwegian exports by issuing guarantees on behalf of the state. The guarantees h ...

(GIEK).Kongsberg fikk statlige garantier
/ref> Furthermore, "while we RKwere at the

National Archives National archives are the archives of a country. The concept evolved in various nations at the dawn of modernity based on the impact of nationalism upon bureaucratic processes of paperwork retention. Conceptual development From the Middle Ages i ...

to find the documents, representatives from GIEK came to get the folders, supposedly because Økokrim has requested delivery of the documents—from GIEK". (The folders contained "three of the contracts" ith Romania) The contracts with GIEK stipulate that bribes and other corruption are in violation of the contracts. Reactions to the investigation include professor

Peter Gottschalk Peter may refer to: People * List of people named Peter, a list of people and fictional characters with the given name * Peter (given name) ** Saint Peter (died 60s), apostle of Jesus, leader of the early Christian Church * Peter (surname), a sur ...

saying that "It is obvious that the company should have contacted the police and not discontinued the case. When financial crime is suspected, the police should be notified. I think that the reason they did not do that, was that they did not want publicity".- De burde gått til politiet, ikke lagt bort saken
/ref> A 28 February 2014

Dagens Næringsliv ''(DN)'' ( Norwegian for "''Today's Business Affairs''"), is a Norwegian daily newspaper focusing on economic and business current affairs. it is the third-largest newspaper in Norway by circulation. Editor-in-chief is Janne Johannessen, appoint ...

article said that "The question for the company's largest owner thru minister of trade Monica Mæland ( H)—without regard to what Økokrim uncovers in its investigation—ought to be whether the government's companies are best served by having committee members that are that irresolute".Lukkede øyne
/ref> A 5 March 2014

editorial said that "The most important question is another one: Why do such cases appear again and again, despite tightened regulations and attitude campaigns? - Is it time to move focus to the manner in which co-workers are rewarded?" An 18 March ''Dagens Næringsliv'' editorial said that "The board of directors of Kongsberg Gruppen permitted the orporation'sleadership to put out of sight—the fact finding report regarding possible corruption—without bothering the leadership with bothersome questions. - The minister of trade must evaluate if this is in line with the zero tolerance, that she is trying to 'make more clear'." In August 2016 the case against KONSGBERG was dropped by Økokrim, thus the company no longer being under suspicion or investigation for corruption. Økokrim decided to prosecute a former employee of the company with charges of fraud.

Cultural sponsoring

The Kongsberg Group is a main sponsors of the Kongsberg Jazz Festival. In 2018 Andreas Røysum started an online petition on iPetitions demanding the festival organizers to end their cooperation with the Kongsberg Group stating the sponsoring being incompatible with the spirit of the festival.

Complicity with war crimes in Gaza

Kongsberg gruppen has been accused of complicity in the Israeli war crimes in Gaza by supplying parts for the F-35 used by Israel. On January 1st 2025, an anonymous activist smeared blood-red paint on what he claimed to be one of Kongsberg Gruppen's fighter jets. Kongsberg gruppen is also accused of indirectly selling munitions to Israel through the Norwegian-Finnish company

Nammo Nammo, short for Nordic Ammunition Company, is a Norwegian- Finnish aerospace and defence group specialized in production of ammunition, rocket engines and space applications. The company has subsidiaries in Finland, Germany, Norway, Sweden, Sw ...

in which it holds shares.

defends itself by saying it is not responsible for the onselling of its munitions once it has sold them.

References

External links

{{Authority control Companies established in 1814 Holding companies of Norway Manufacturing companies of Norway Defence companies of Norway Formerly government-owned companies of Norway Companies based in Buskerud Kongsberg Companies listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange Norwegian brands Norwegian companies established in 1814 Manufacturing companies established in 1814