Nordic News, Business and Life in Asia
Follow the latest business developments connecting the Nordic countries
with Asia. ScandAsia covers companies, investment, trade, technology,
energy, manufacturing and new opportunities across the region.
Planning to live, work or do business in Thailand? Expat Guide Thailand provides practical information for expatriates, while EuroThaiLink introduces Thai businesses to European products, technology and industrial machinery.
Danish Ambassador, Mikael Winther, inaugurated the new Designers Field factory, on February 19. Designers Field is a Bangkok based Scandinavian interior design manufacturer. The new factory is 600 square meters …
Scandinavian Design Factory Inaugurated by Danish Ambassador Read More
“Maid needed”, “maid wanted”, “household service needed”. These ads are many and everywhere in Bangkok. Steen Emborg, age 46, was out running one day and was getting tired of seeing …
Reliable maids, at your service Read More
Arla Foods reports its 2013 results announcing its highest Performance Price ever in its history and an improved balance sheet. This is as a result of a strong European business …
Arla’s 2013 revenue in China jumps 60 % Read More
Global brands Puma and H&M are among a group of international buyers met Cambodian government officials in Phnom Penh on Wednesday, only weeks ahead of planned labour action that could …
H&M, int’l brands discuss labour issues with Cambodia Read More
A new report from the Danish NGO, DanWatch, shows that child labour is being used at shrimp-processing plants in Thailand. Denmark is importing big amounts of shrimps and prawns, from …
Shrimp-exporting Asian countries exploit child labour Read More
Lundin Petroleum AB (Lundin Petroleum) is pleased to announce that it has commenced the exploration drilling in the Baronang PSC, Natuna Sea, Indonesia using the drilling rig Hakuryu 11. Balqis-01 …
Lundin starts exploration drilling in Indonesia’s Natuna Sea Read More
Napkins sold by Swedish furniture giant IKEA have been identified as one of several substandard items sold in China and Hong Kong after undergoing tests by the Beijing Consumer Association, …
IKEA napkins among ‘substandard’ paper towels sold in China Read More
Finnish Business Council in Beijing together with The Finnish Embassy held an event on counselor topics on Saturday, February 15. Two subjects was on the agenda. Consular Secretary Kirsi Puronpää informed …
Finnish counselor event in Beijing Read More
Metso and Guangxi Liugong Group Co., Ltd. (LiuGong) have been given the go-ahed by the Chinese authorities to establish a 50-50 joint venture. Headquartered in Shanghai, Liugong Metso Construction Equipment …
Metso enters joint venture with China’s LiuGong Read More
Danish Fur-fashion, represented by Julia Maria Iversen, director of Kobpenhagen Nexus, was given a pride of place on the judging panel at Hong Kong Fur Federations 2014 competition on February …
Kopenhagen Fur rep on the judging panel of Hong Kong fur show Read More
Telenor Group and UNICEF have signed a global partnership agreement and are joining forces to promote children’s development. The five-year agreement includes both financial support and access to a range …
Telenor Group and UNICEF partnering for children Read More
Malaysia’s proposed purchase of fighter jets has switched from a procurement competition to a leasing competition due to affordability issues, according to industry executives. “Saab has put an offer on …
Saab to propose Gripen lease to cash-strapped Malaysia Read More
Hanoi’s leading businesses are seeking to boost trade promotion and penetrate the Norwegian market following a current fact-finding tour of the European nation. A roundtable exchange was held in Oslo …
Hanoi businesses promote trade in Norway Read More
Danish recycling equipment manufacturer, Eldan Recycling is to supply a three tonne per hour cable recycling line to Chinese firm, Tianjin Xinneng Renewable Resources. Eldan Cable Recycling Equipment Destined for …
Eldan ships cable recycling machine to China Read More
The price of mink fur has dropped almost 40 percent at auction in Denmark this year after hosts of new breeders piled into the business, attracted by the record sums …
Mink fur price drops 40 pct as new breeders burst China bubble Read More
Warehouse workers from three Finnish companies have vowed not to handle some Thai juices between Feb. 12-14, following a report from NGO Finnwatch that alleges suspicions of forced labor and …
Finnish warehouse workers to boycott Thai pineapple juices Read More
February 11 was the global ‘Safer Internet Day’ and in celebration of the occasion, DiGi Telecommunications Sdn. Bhd. and Telenor Group (Norwegian telecommunications group with 49% stake on DiGi) are …
Telenor/DiGi updates CyberSAFE in Malaysian schools Read More
Total Access Communication Pcl (TAC), Thailand’s second-largest mobile operator and majority-owned by Telenor, forecast lower revenue growth for this year as fierce competition and a weakening economy resulted from unrest, …
Telenor’s TAC sees lower 2014 revenue growth due to Thai unrest Read More
The leading financial newspaper in Denmark, Børsen, this week published an article on Vietnam as an attractive country to invest in for Danish companies, notwithstanding challenges related to corruption. In …
Danish media highlights Vietnam opportunities Read More
Asia, the hub of world manufacturing, has some rethinking to do. There are two elements that might potentially change the face of manufacturing worldwide. One is 3D printing which has …
Universal Robots to transform Asian manufacturing Read More
Shangtex Holding Co., Ltd, a Chinese textile and fashion conglomerate has partnered with Danish fashion company Metropol by acquiring a 50% stake of Metropol. Shangtex is a leading player in …
Shangtex acquires 50% of Danish fashion company Metropol Read More
Deltamarin strengthens its position in the offshore oil and gas industry by signing a contract with Bumi Armada, for the basic design of a floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) …
Deltamarin awarded $4.9M design contract for Bumi Armada Read More
Danish fashion-brands have yet to gain exposure to Chinese consumers. So far the Danish fashion industry has proved to be a huge export success in Germany and Sweden, but now …
Danish fashion industry to target China Read More
Saab will be participating in Asia’s largest and one of the most important aerospace and defence exhibitions in the world being organized in Singapore at stand C11 between February 11-16, …
Saab spreads wings at Singapore Airshow Read More
Taiwan’s HTC Corp. and Finland’s Nokia Oyj have reached a patent and technology collaboration agreement to settle all pending patent litigation between the two smartphone makers since 2012. HTC will …
HTC, Nokia in patent and tech collaboration Read More
Marimekko, Finnish fabric designer company, said the prospects for economic growth and business opportunities in East Asia are promising. The plan for 2014 is to open at least six new …
Marimekko targets E Asia expansion Read More
KONE has been awarded four 2013 GOOD DESIGN awards for its design offering, functional elevator signalization series and sleek new elevator car design. This is the third time KONE has …
KONE wins prestigious GOOD DESIGN awards Read More
Norwegian carried more than 1.5 million passengers in January 2014, an increase of 24 percent compared to January last year. The load factor increased despite major capacity growth. In January, …
Norwegian’s passenger growth continues apace Read More
Nokia Normandy aka Nokia X, the Finnish company’s first alleged Android-powered smartphone, is in news again as the device has been listed on certification database of Indonesia and Malaysia. Read …
Nokia X appears on Malaysian, Indonesian certification database Read More
Nido Petroleum has been advised by operator, Sweden’s Lundin Petroleum, that the Hakuryu-11 jack-up rig is being towed to the Balqis-1 location in Indonesia. The Balqis-1 well will be followed …
Nido, Lundin ready to drill Indonesia’s oil well Read More
The World Bank may be dangling the prospect of affordable cell phones in Burma at the expense of freedom of expression and privacy rights. Foreign investment in Burma’s underdeveloped telecommunications …
Telecom investments threaten privacy rights in Burma Read More
The Danish shipping company Nordic Shipholding will in the future be managed from Singapore, writes the Danish business daily Børsen. Hedgefond PAG, the company that acquired Nordic Shipholding in January …
Danish shipping company to be managed from Singapore Read More
Espoo, Finland — Digital marketplace IT solutions provider Tecnotree is pleased to announce it has been awarded a project to supply a convergent Business Support System (BSS) solution for GMM …
Tecnotree awarded project with Thai digital content provider Read More
Finnair and fellow oneworld alliance members Japan Airlines and British Airways are now selling joint fares between Europe and Japan, for travel after April 1, 2014. Customers will benefit from …
Finnair sells joint fares on Europe-Japan routes Read More
Arla Foods unveiled a US$400m investment plan, to boost growth in exports to emerging markets, as hopes rose for further gains in China’s demand that is “supporting the entire dairy …
Arla to capitalize on booming China milk demand Read More
Thailand’s state oil producer, PTTEP, plans to speed up development of its Canadian oil sands assets once an agreement to split up a multibillion-dollar partnership with Statoil ASA is finalized, …
Thailand’s PTTEP plans to speed up oil sands development Read More
Friland A/S, Denmark’s largest specialist organic meats producer, plans to adopt a market entry strategy of “thinking big but starting small” in China, following the company gaining an important foothold …
Danish meat firm to tap China organic market Read More
Tomra Sorting Recycling has officially opened a test center in Xiamen, China, its first test center in China. The company officially opened the test center in December, 2013. In a …
Norway’s Tomra opens test center in China Read More
The Danish cattle breeding company, Viking Genetics, announced on Wednesday it has received an order for bull semen from Thailand’s Dairy Farming Promotion Organisation (DFPO). The initial order is for …
Danish breeding company begins cattle-semen export to Thailand Read More
Telenor Group today announced that it has signed an agreement with the Union Government of Myanmar for a nationwide telecommunications license. The license includes spectrum in the 900MHz and 2.1GHz …
Telenor Group signs mobile license in Myanmar Read More
The DTCC Dairy Agro group and a visiting trade delegation from Danish dairy industry joined this year’s National Dairy Cow Festival in Muak Lek in Saraburi. The festival was opened …
The Danes are back in the Thai dairy sector Read More
Thai agricultural university students entered fierce competition to win HRH Princess Sirindhorn’s first prize trophy and a study tour to Denmark Students from Suranaree University of Technology from Korat have …
Thai students win trip to Denmark Read More
Novo Nordisk increased operating profit in local currencies by 15% in 2013. In China Region, sales increased by 13% (12% in Danish kroner). Sales in North America increased by 18% …
Novo Nordisk 2013 China sales up by 13% Read More
Statoil and the Thai exploration and production company PTTEP have signed an agreement to divide their respective interests in the Kai Kos Dehseh (KKD) oil sands project in Alberta, Canada. …
Statoil and PTTEP swap Canadian oil sands assets Read More
Tanjung Ringgit Eco Region Project in Pink Beach, East Lombok was launched on 29 January 2014 in a ceremony with Minister for Creative Economy Dr Mari Elka Pangestu, Vice Governor …
Asia’s largest eco resort is Swedish-Indonesian venture Read More
Mikkeller, the exclusive Danish beer bar brand, celebrated its Grand Opening in Bangkok Wednesday evening 29 January 2014. The launch of the high-end craft beer outlet, the first of its kind …
Danish Beer Bar Mikkeller grand opening in Bangkok Read More
The IKEA Group net income increased by 3.1% to EUR 3.3 billion ($4.2 billion) for the financial year 2013; and market conditions continued to improve with strong growth in China, …
Growth in China, Russia and US contribute to IKEA profit hike Read More
Norway’s $817 billion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, has halved its exposure to coal producers, with most of its remaining interest in the sector in Chinese companies, its chief …
Norway’s sovereign fund halves coal exposure Read More
Chris Beaufait has been appointed new Group Senior Vice President of Vestas and President of Vestas Asia Pacific & China. Chris, who comes from a position as President and General …
Vestas appoints new Asia/China chief Read More
Swedish chef Björn Frantzén will be a guest chef at Les Amis on Saturday February 22nd, serving luxurious Swedish food with an Asian twist. Björn Frantzén is a star in …
A taste of Swedish – with an Asian twist Read More