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.
The Rongchang People’s Government and the Royal Danish Embassy signed a Memorandom of Understanding in Chongqing the 27th of February regarding Economic and Technical Cooperation on Pig Production. The MoU …
Danish-Chinese “Memorandum of Understanding” on pig production Read More
The Norwegian DNV GL, the world’s leading ship classification society and one of the world’s leading risk and sustainability service providers with more than 500 employees in Singapore, consolidates its …
DNV GL opens new Asia Pacific headquarters in Singapore Read More
Norwegian group REC Solar has announced that it will expand its $2.5 billion integrated plant in Tuas to meet strong market demand, in a marked turnaround from having reduced its …
REC Solar to expand solar plant in Singapore Read More
The Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce took place at Sheraton Grande Sukhumvit in the evening on February 27, with on-going political protests right on the …
Thai-Swedish Chamber AGM Updated on Thailand’s Situation Read More
The joint venture of Aboitiz Power Corp and Norway’s Statkraft Norfund Power Invest AS is set to develop its string of greenfield power projects in the Philippines. In a media …
AboitizPower, Norwegian venture to install Luzon hydropower plant Read More
Smog in Chinese cities is providing unexpected momentum for a global deal on trade in environmental goods because China urgently needs access to cheaper, cleaner energy, Denmark’s trade minister said …
China’s smog has silver lining for green trade, says Danish Trade Minister Read More
Toy colossus LEGO released its annual accounts today, revealing its tenth record-high profit in eleven years. Since bottoming out in 2003 with a 1.5 billion kroner loss, the company has …
LEGO profits soar on back of new products, China sales Read More
The airspace between Helsinki and Bangkok will be blue and white in the upcoming winter season. Finnair will offer 17 weekly flights from Finland to Bangkok making them the biggest …
Finnair; Europe’s leader to Bangkok Read More
Norway’s REC Silicon will build a polysilicon and silane gas plant in China through a joint venture as the maker of materials used in solar panels seeks to take advantage …
With Chinese venture, REC Silicon enters world’s biggest solar market Read More
Real Future has completed the rollout of 4G/LTE in Central, Western, Northern and Southern Thailand. Users will enjoy an improved smartphone experience, with faster web browsing and downloads and better …
Real Future launches LTE with Ericsson in Thailand’s cities Read More
Residents in Pattaya and the Eastern Seaboard can now store their luggage, motorcycles or other personal belongings at a Self Storage facility for instance during the summer holidays, moving house …
Self Storage in Pattaya Read More
A new campaign, “Brighter Lives for Refugees”, will run at the IKEA Bangna store in Bangkok from today to 29 March 2014. For every LEDARE light-emitting diode bulb sold during …
IKEA Brings Sustainable Lighting to Families in Refugee Camps Read More
Economic expansion and growing middle-class have made Indonesia an attractive market to an increasing number of Danish companies wishing to export to this Southeast Asian country. But widespread corruption in …
Danish businesses eye Indonesia’s rising global profile Read More
Mendor, Finnish diabetes technology company, continues rapid growth and is happy to announce yet another international distributor, Mendor has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with Beijing Tagene Medical Co., Ltd. …
Finland’s Mendor targets China’s diabetes patients Read More
The Malaysian unit of Norwegian telecom firm Telenor reported sales and core earnings slightly above average forecasts for the fourth quarter and expects sales to grow by four to six …
Telenor’s Malaysia unit beats Q4 earnings forecasts Read More
Denmark’s fruit-concentrate company, Orana, attributes its success to an early entry to Vietnam The company continued to enjoy healthy revenue growth from 184 million kroner to 220 million last year …
Danish fruit-concentrate producer’s focus on Vietnam pays off Read More
Some foreign buyers, like Sweden’s H&M, are fleeing China for Bangladesh, Cambodia and Indonesia, not just for cheaper labour but also because of rising tensions between the workers and their …
H&M, other buyers flee China for SE Asia, Bangladesh Read More
Reports by the international news agency Reuters indicate that plans may be afoot to re-launch production of Fisker electric cars. Two years ago production was discontinued at Valmet Automotive in …
Chinese owner to resume Fisker e-car production in Finland Read More
Wind turbines produced by China’s Dongfang Electric Corp Ltd will soon be used in a wind power plant in Sweden, the company authorities said on 21 February. According to the …
Chinese wind turbines to enter Swedish market Read More
Oil and shipping group A.P. Moller-Maersk has received a permanent license to operate container business activities in Myanmar, it said in a statement on Friday, February 21. Since the European Union …
Maersk gets permanent licence to operate in Myanmar Read More
Due to ongoing fierce competition from low-cost airlines, SAS is considering dropping flight routes to and from Bangkok completely. Scandinavian Airline Service made a decision last year to discontinue its …
SAS considers discontinuing flights to Bangkok Read More
Sweden’s IKEA Group, the world’s biggest retailer of home furnishings, has started work on a new store in Xi’an, in northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. With a total investment of 108 …
New IKEA store in NW China Read More
A federal lawmaker urged Putrajaya today to set up a special oil fund for Malaysians like Norway’s pension fund, which recently ballooned to US$828.66 billion (RM2.7 trillion) and turned every …
Malaysian lawmaker wants Norway-style oil fund Read More
Danish-UK pork manufacturer Tulip has set its sights on China after the company invested US$62m into upgrading its facilities for export markets. Read more: Just Food
Tulip eyes Chinese expansion Read More
This year’s Norway-Asia Business Summit, held in Bangkok on the April 24, highlights opportunities and challenges for Norwegian businesses in this fast-growing region. Inspiring speakers deliver expert advice and insights …
Keeping Norwegian business’ competitive Read More
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