Norway

Telemark Province

Parameter	Telemark
Number of inhabitants	166 295
Number of inhabitants per km2	10,85
Area	15 315 km2
GDP per inhabitant	66, Norway=100
Dispersion of industries	Raw material 3 %  Industry 35 %  Services 62 %
Number of municipalities	18
Province capital	Skien

Telemark Province – ‘Norway in miniature’
Telemark Province is often described as ‘a piece of Norway in miniature’ with its glittering archipelagos and magnificent mountain plateaus. Telemark stretches from the Skagerrak coastline and further inland to the mountain plateaus of Hardangervidda – through wide open farming villages, narrow valleys, steep mountains such as Gaustatoppen with a plateau of 1883 meters, coastal villages and inland waterways. The Telemark Canal stretches 105 kms. from Skien to Dalen and when it was completed in 1892 was described as the 'eighth wonder of the world'.

Culture and competence
Telemark offers a variety of exciting cultural events such as theatre, concerts and annual festivals. Telemark provides a high quality of life at a fraction of the cost than Oslo, and is located just 2 hours south of the capitol.

Telemark University College in Telemark provides a higher education to thousands of students and offers one of the most diversified course curriculum in the country. The BI Norwegian School of Management located in Porsgrunn also offers a top notch education.

Research and development
Research environments are heavily represented in Telemark such as the Herøya Research Park, Telemark University College, Telemarkforsking, and Tel-Tek. Telemark has a flourishing bio-technology research environment, and can boast a new innovation centre for natural gas which was established in Grenland in January 2005.

Industry
Telemark is one of the leading counties for industry in Norway which is home to approx. 500 various industrial companies. Forestry, metal and natural products have had great influence on the current and past handicraft and industrial production in Telemark.

Facts – did you know that:

• Every 4th apple cultivated in Norway comes from Sauherad municipality in Telemark.
• 60% of Telemark’s population lives in a city.
• Telemark has approx. 400 professional artists.
• Telemark has the largest production of electricity than any other province in the country.
• The lower part of Skien’s waterway is one of southern Norway’s best rivers for salmon.
• Mt. Gausta, which many believe is Norway’s most beautiful mountain top, rises majestically over Rjukan in Tinn municipality at an elevation of 1883 meters above sea level. On a clear day one can view 1/6 of Norway, eastwards to the border of Sweden and southwards to the coast.

Telemark Province Municipality
Telemark Province Municipality is responsible for regional development, regional planning, coordination and administration, public transportation/ roads/ the Telemark Canal, international cooperation, upper secondary schools, public dentistry, and culture. www.telemark-fk.no

Telemark is a member of the following European cooperation organizations:

• Assembly of European Regions (AER)
• Baltic Development Forum
• Baltic Sea States Sub-Regional Cooperation (BSSSC)
• Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions (CPMR) – Telemark Province Mayor Gunn Marit Helgesen is 1st Vice President
• Euromontana
• North Sea Commission (NSC) – Telemark’s Province Mayor Gunn Marit Helgesen is President. Telemark  is responsible for the NSC secretariat

Participation in European projects:
Telemark participates in several Interreg and other international projects, such as:

• Canal Link
• MoPark
• Water City International II
• BESST
• Farmers for Nature
• North Sea Rural
• Nordic Transpolitical Network
• Forum Skagerrak
• Euromountains.net
• Connect BSR
• SuPortNet II
• VNE – Inland Waterways of Europe
• GLOCAL
• Europe of the Sea

Cooperating cities/ regions/ exchange agreements:

• Hubei Province in China
• Novgorod Province in Russia
• Joint agreement for cooperation with Schleswig-Holstein in Germany
• Bamble, Drangedal and Kragerø municipalities cooperate with Panevezys in Lithuania
• Notodden municipality cooperates with Alytus in Lithuania
• Most of Telemark’s municipalities have twinning cities which are mainly located in Northern Europe
• The upper secondary schools in Telemark are active participants in Leonardo and Comenius programs as well as project initiatives in other countries in and outside of Europe, for ex. in the Baltic, Africa, etc.

Contact address:
Telemark fylkeskommune
International Division
Fylkeshuset
3706 Skien
NORWAY
www.telemark-fk.no/international
www.btvregion.no/internasjonalt

Contact person:
Head of Section for Plan and Strategy
Bjørn Reisz
Tlf. +47 35 584 451, mob. +47 909 94 703
E-mail:  bjorn.reisz@t-fk.no