{"id":40715,"date":"2026-10-27T10:11:31","date_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:11:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/?p=40715"},"modified":"2026-10-27T10:11:31","modified_gmt":"2026-10-27T09:11:31","slug":"a-celebration-in-the-industrial-park-80-years-of-industrial-history","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/a-celebration-in-the-industrial-park-80-years-of-industrial-history\/","title":{"rendered":"A Celebration in the Industrial Park \u2013 80 Years of Industrial History"},"content":{"rendered":"

On Saturday, 22 August, Mo Industripark opened its gates and invited the entire town in. The Open Day marked 80 years of industrial history, while also providing an opportunity to showcase today\u2019s diverse industrial community and the opportunities that lie ahead.<\/strong><\/p>\n

This year marks 80 years since the Norwegian Parliament decided to establish A\/S Norsk Jernverk in Mo i Rana. The decision made in 1946 was to have an enormous impact. It laid the foundation for Mo i Rana as an industrial town and has shaped working life, community development and local identity for generations.<\/p>\n

On Saturday, 22 August, the anniversary was celebrated with an Open Day at Mo Industripark. The car park outside Gulbygget brought together companies, partners and visitors for a day filled with industry, history, activities and experiences for the whole family.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is wonderful to see so many people gathered here. Today, we are opening the industrial park and inviting you in to see, experience and learn more about the industries that create significant value for Rana, the region and the rest of Norway every day,\u201d said Bj\u00f8rn Ugedal, CEO of Mo Industripark, as he welcomed the visitors.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/h3>\n

A Decision That Changed the Town<\/h3>\n

The Open Day was not only about showcasing the industrial park as it is today. It was also a celebration of the history behind it.<\/p>\n

On 19 July 1946, the decision was made to establish A\/S Norsk Jernverk. Norway was rebuilding after the war, and the country needed jobs, industry and greater national control over the production of iron and steel. Mo i Rana was chosen as the location, partly because of the iron ore in Dunderlandsdalen, its hydropower resources, harbour and railway.<\/p>\n

Norsk Jernverk would eventually shape far more than industry alone. People moved to Rana from all over Norway, the town grew, and an entire community was built around the industry. The ironworks created jobs and optimism for the future, while influencing the culture, identity and development of Mo i Rana.<\/p>\n

The story took a new turn when the Norwegian Parliament decided in 1988 to end state ownership of Norsk Jernverk. Rather than disappearing, the industrial community built on its existing expertise, infrastructure and industrial culture. Where one large state-owned company had previously dominated, a wide range of independent industrial companies and suppliers emerged.<\/p>\n

This is the industrial community that visitors were able to experience during the Open Day.<\/p>\n

Experiencing Industry Up Close<\/h3>\n

Throughout the day, visitors could meet companies at their stands and gain an insight into the remarkable diversity of Rana\u2019s industrial community.<\/p>\n

Free guided bus tours took visitors around the industrial park, while a limited number of guests had the opportunity to get even closer to industrial production through guided tours at Ferroglobe, where they could see pig iron production first-hand.<\/p>\n

For many, this was a rare opportunity to go behind the gates and experience the scale, activity and diversity of the industrial park from the inside.<\/p>\n

Today, Mo Industripark is home to 110 companies and around 3,000 employees. Products manufactured here include reinforcing steel, ferroalloys and lime products. The park is also home to mechanical engineering companies, engineering firms, laboratories, logistics operations, energy supply, security services, research organisations and technology companies.<\/p>\n

It was precisely this diversity that the Open Day aimed to highlight \u2013 particularly for children and young people who may one day become part of the industrial community.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndustry needs you. There are jobs here where you can create something tangible. Here, you can use new technology, solve major challenges and help shape the society of the future,\u201d said Ugedal.<\/p>\n

Experiences for the Whole Family<\/h3>\n

The Open Day was designed as a family event, with activities for visitors of all ages. Vitensenter Nordland provided activities for children and young people, while Bj\u00f8rnis was, naturally, a popular attraction among the youngest visitors.<\/p>\n

At the event area, visitors could also watch gas fire demonstrations by MIP Sikkerhetssenter. The demonstrations provided a striking insight into the work involved in maintaining safety and emergency preparedness in a major industrial environment.<\/p>\n

A varied programme took place on stage throughout the day. In addition to Ugedal, Mayor Geir Waage and Minister of Local Government Bj\u00f8rnar Skj\u00e6ran gave speeches. The programme also included a panel discussion, SINTEF Helgeland\u2019s tenth anniversary celebration and a film from Momek.<\/p>\n

One of the programme highlights that particularly connected the anniversary celebration with the past was the screening of 7 Steel\u2019s film Kollektiv hukommelse<\/em> (\u201cCollective Memory\u201d). The film brings to life memories and stories from the era of Norsk Jernverk, while reminding us that industrial history is, above all, the history of people.<\/p>\n

\u201cIndustrial history is not just about buildings, furnaces and production figures. It is about people. About working days, camaraderie, pride, hard work, ingenuity and community,\u201d said Ugedal.<\/p>\n

Building on the Legacy<\/h3>\n

Although the 80th anniversary provided a good reason to look back, the future was an equally important part of the celebration.<\/p>\n

Today\u2019s industrial park continues to build on the expertise, infrastructure and industrial culture developed over generations, while operating conditions and technology are constantly evolving. The companies compete in international markets, and requirements relating to resource utilisation, energy efficiency and documentation are becoming increasingly demanding. At the same time, competition for power, expertise, capital and new industrial developments is intense.<\/p>\n

Mo Industripark\u2019s vision, \u201cStrong industrial community, creating value for the future,\u201d<\/strong> reflects the ambition to build on the strength of the industrial community. Collaboration, circular solutions and renewable energy will help develop existing businesses while also creating opportunities for new industrial establishments.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe stand on the shoulders of those who built this before us. Our task is to manage their legacy well, while also having the courage to create something new,\u201d said Ugedal.<\/p>\n

A Major Collaborative Effort<\/h3>\n

An event such as the Open Day would not have been possible without the efforts of a wide range of companies, partners, employees, volunteers, clubs and organisations.<\/p>\n

Mo Industripark would like to extend a sincere thank you to its partners Svabo Industrinett, \u00d8ijord & Aanes AS, Ferroglobe, 7 Steel Nordic Manufacturing, Villy H\u00f8g\u00e5s, SMA, Helse & Sikkerhet, Elkem Rana, Imtas, AKVA group and Nemko<\/strong> for their contributions to the event.<\/p>\n

Special thanks go to \u00d8stb\u00f8 and Renta<\/strong>, who sponsored equipment and services for the Open Day. Their contributions helped make the event possible and ensured a positive experience for visitors.<\/p>\n

And, not least, thanks go to everyone who visited the industrial park, asked questions, met the companies, took part in activities and spent the day getting to know the industrial community better.<\/p>\n

The Open Day provided an opportunity to bring the past, present and future together in one place: the story of the ironworks that transformed Mo i Rana, the industrial community that has grown since then, and the people who will carry its industrial history forward.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On Saturday, 22 August, Mo Industripark opened its gates and invited the entire town in. The Open Day marked 80 years of industrial history, while also providing an opportunity to showcase today\u2019s diverse industrial community and the opportunities that lie ahead. This year marks 80 years since the Norwegian Parliament decided to establish A\/S Norsk […]","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":40701,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2445,2444],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40715","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-frontpage_en","category-industriparknytt_en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40715","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/136"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40715"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40715\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40716,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40715\/revisions\/40716"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/40701"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40715"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40715"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mip.no\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40715"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}