NCE Raufoss

More than one hundred years of experience with international industrial development forms the background for the Raufoss industrial cluster, an outgrowth of Raufoss ASA. The cluster’s core areas of activity are the manufacturing of products in lightweight materials by automated production, and its goal is to develop a national resource centre.

The industrial cluster at Raufoss currently consists of over 40 companies with more than 3,000 employees. The group’s total turnover amounts to roughly NOK 5 billion, of which exports comprise some 85 %.

Background
With expertise originating in Raufoss ASA, the Raufoss cluster serves an extensive, global network of customers. Several of the companies are owned by international interests. The group represents over 100 years of experience in international industrial development, and today its most important markets are the international automobile and defence industries.

NCE Raufoss currently has the following participants:

• Raufoss Technology & Industrial Management AS
• Nammo Raufoss AS
• Hydro Aluminium Structures Raufoss AS
• Hydro Aluminium Profiler AS
• Raufoss Technology AS
• Kongsberg Automotive Raufoss AS
• Steertec Raufoss AS
• Plastal AS
• Hexagon Composites ASA
• Raufoss Water and Gas AS
• Raufoss Metall AS
• Raufoss Industrial Tools AS
• Mustad Longline AS
• TotAl-gruppen (a network of small and medium-sized
• companies)
• Raufoss Næringspark ANS

Measures and projects

The projects at Raufoss are grouped into five main areas of activity:

• Development of the cluster and its networks
  Carry out PR and information activities, network-building and project management.
• New activity
  Promote the establishment of new companies, new activity in existing companies, spin-offs, business development, and development of new markets and funding sources.
• Technology and infrastructure
  Establish a centre for technology transfer and industrialisation in the area of automated production of products in lightweight materials. Physical and virtual testing and verification of materials, manufacturing processes, products and production concepts will be important tools in this context.
• Linking education and practice
  Ensure relevant education and recruitment by establishing long-term ties between industry and educational institutions, in which NCE Raufoss provides opportunities to gain hands-on experience and the universities contribute with in-depth scientific knowledge.
• Commercialisation of R&D findings
  Initiate national and international research, development and innovation projects focusing on the dissemination and use of new knowledge in small and large companies.

Strategy and objective

The core areas of activity to be developed are lightweight materials and automated production. These also comprise the core areas of expertise for all the companies in the cluster, as well as the area in which the cluster is on the international cutting edge. NCE Raufoss seeks to become a national resource centre in these areas. One objective is for the cooperating companies to maintain and strengthen their current market positions. Specifically, this will involve the recreation of 150 jobs annually in existing companies. In addition, new companies employing 250 persons with a total turnover of NOK 1 billion per year will be established and developed during this period.

By collaborating on targeted R&D projects, the companies will maintain and strengthen their market positions. Cooperation with educational institutions and expert circles at the regional, national and international levels will be crucial. As one example of this, the group has signed agreements with Gjøvik University College and the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).

SINTEF Raufoss Manufacturing heads NCE Raufoss. SINTEF Raufoss Manufacturing is a joint R&D company, acting as a resource centre and development partner for companies in the group. SINTEF Raufoss Manufacturing will also play the role of integrator through its well-established networks both inside and outside the cluster.