Crown Prince Haakon of Norway will virtually visit San Francisco, California, on April 27 and 28. The visit to San Francisco is Norway’s first major virtual visit abroad, and many have the opportunity to follow this official visit digitally. The Crown Prince will be digitally accompanied by Norway’s Foreign Minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide; Minister of Trade and Industry, Iselin Nybø; Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Tina Bru; and a Norwegian business delegation.
Norway and California are both coastal economies that have the potential for utilising renewable energy source like offshore wind. These opportunities will also be presented during the visit and a discussion on investments and financing of the sustainable societies and businesses of the future will also take place.
California is the largest state in the United States in population, one of the world’s largest economies and home to several of the world’s largest technology companies. It has a national and global leadership role in developing and investing in climate measures and green technology. The Norwegian royal is participating in an effort to strengthen the collaboration between Norway and California on investing in green solutions that contribute to a sustainable future and value creation.
The visit will begin with a welcome by California’s Governor Gavin Newsom and a conversation with California Vice Governor Eleni Kounalakis. The main theme is the cooperation between Norway and California, international climate cooperation and joint experiences with developing and using new green technology. The visit continues to the University of California at Berkeley and Stanford University, with which several Norwegian educational institutions work closely. These universities are important for talent and future factories and central to technology development in California. The Crown Prince will meet professors and students for talks on sustainability, innovation and entrepreneurship.
On the second day of the visit, dialogue and meetings between Norwegian and Californian business people will be arranged. California, like Norway, has set clear goals for the transition to zero-emission vehicles. Innovation Norway is coordinating the main themes for the business delegation, which include the exchange of best practices and experiences to achieve the goals of zero-emissions on land and at sea.
