Business and industry in Norway - Graphic production and publishing operations

Over the past few years, the Norwegian graphic industry has changed from a traditional, craft sector into a future-oriented, data-technology industry. Parts of this industry are in the process of changing from being purely manufacturers of goods (printed items) to becoming service providers focusing on efficient communications and Internet solutions.

With the exception of newspaper production, this sector is mainly composed of small companies. There is a clear trend towards collaboration in formal and informal networks and towards growing numbers of mergers. Most of the production value comes from the printing of books, magazines and advertising publications.

Newspaper publishing
Norway is the world leader when it comes to buying and reading newspapers. More than 80 Norwegian newspapers also have their own Internet editions. The national newspapers have a strong position compared to the local newspapers. The newspaper business is covered by a public press policy that, among other things, tries to maintain a basis for publishing newspapers through press subsidies, so that alternatives to the leading daily newspapers can be published both locally and nationally. Other publishing operations include the publication of books and magazines. This sector has a few large publishing houses and many small ones that specialise in niche publications. The large publishing houses own book clubs that sell books by mail order. The publication of school and technical books is an important part of the book-production sector.