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.
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Construction has officially begun on Horizon X, a new generation ferry for Swedish operator Gotlandsbolaget, The Embassy of Sweden in Manila reports. The vessel is being assembled at the shipyard …
Sweden’s new green ferry is being built in the Philippines Read More
Vietnam is pushing hard to become a global shipbuilding nation and Denmark could play a key role. Under a new national strategy to 2030, with a vision to 2050, Vietnam …
Vietnam accelerates shipbuilding strategy with Denmark in focus Read More
Milestone Systems, a Copenhagen-headquartered video technology company, has opened a new Experience Centre in Singapore, expanding its regional footprint in Asia. The centre is intended to act as a hub …
Danish video tech firm Milestone Systems opens new experience centre in Singapore Read More
Panama has transferred the day-to-day running of the Balboa and Cristóbal ports at the Panama Canal to APM Terminals, part of Denmark’s Maersk, and MSC during an 18-month transition period. …
Panama gives Maersk temporary control of two ports previously held by Hong Kong Read More
Norway’s Kongsberg Maritime has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PT PAL Indonesia, the country’s largest state-owned shipyard. The agreement was signed at PT PAL’s headquarters in Surabaya on 24 …
Kongsberg Maritime signs MoU with Indonesia’s PT PAL Read More
Swedish carmaker Volvo Cars is recalling more than 40,000 of its electric EX30 SUVs worldwide due to a potential battery overheating risk, Reuters reports. The batteries were produced by a …
China-linked battery issue forces Volvo to recall 40,000 SUVs Read More
Big money is moving across the oceans. Two giant oil tankers have just secured contracts worth up to USD 94,000 per day – and operations in both Norway and Singapore …
Oil tanker company with operations in Norway and Singapore secures million-dollar deals Read More
Novo Nordisk and China’s United Laboratories International Holdings have announced promising results from a clinical trial of a new experimental obesity drug, the company reports in a press release. In …
Novo and Chinese partner report strong weight loss results Read More
Nordic-affiliated companies and Philippine firms working with Nordic partners are now invited to compete for the Sustainability Leadership Award 2026. The award recognizes companies that demonstrate measurable results in environmental …
Nordic-Philippine firms invited to apply for sustainability award Read More
Danish-founded United Plantations has reported its highest net profit in the company’s 120-year history, according to the Danish-Malaysian company’s own financial statement. The plantation group reported a net profit of …
120-year-old Danish-founded plantation firm reports strongest results ever Read More
At the 8th China International Import Expo (CIIE), Sweden is for the first time featured as a guest country of honor, Newsflare reports. The China International Import Expo (CIIE) is …
Sweden named guest of honor at major China trade fair Read More
When Swedish entrepreneur Elias Ek arrived in Taiwan in 2000, there was no clear roadmap for foreigners wanting to start a business. Over the years, he learned the system the …
Elias Ek’s Entrepreneurial Taiwan Read More
Start By Checking What You are Actually Buying Many people compare premiums without checking what the policy actually covers, and then feel the car insurance price is too high. Third-party …
Why New Car Insurance Premiums Feel High: The Real Reasons Behind the Price Read More
A Finnish company has secured a key role in China’s growing LNG shipping industry, The Digest reports. Finland’s technology group Wärtsilä has won an order to supply LNG cargo handling …
Wärtsilä secures key role in China’s expanding LNG fleet Read More
Norwegian biometric technology company Next Biometrics has secured its first contract in Malaysia, supplying fingerprint readers to government authorities, according to Biometric Update. The company’s Oyster III device will be …
Norwegian company wins first fingerprint order in Malaysia Read More
Chinese electric vehicle manufacturer Nio recorded weak sales across Europe in January, with particularly sharp declines in Nordic markets, according to EV. In Norway – Nio’s first European market – …
Chinese EV maker Nio struggles in Nordic markets Read More
Norway’s Halten Bulk has signed a contract with Chinese yard Jiangsu SOHO Marine Heavy Industry to build two 7,100 DWT bulk carriers, with options for two more, according to The …
Norwegian company orders new ships from China Read More
Sweden’s White Pearl Technology Group AB (WPTG) said on 16 February it has signed a letter of intent to acquire Saltycustoms, a corporate merchandise, design and digital fulfilment company with …
White Pearls signs LOI in Malaysia and Singapore Read More
There has undoubtedly never before been a more vibrant time for Swedish-Vietnamese trade relations than now. Swedish investments into Vietnam, paired with various bilateral collaborations, are at an all-time-high, and …
Modernising the heritage and deepening the trade relationship key goals for Swedish Ambassador Johan Ndisi Read More
China has significantly reduced planned tariffs on dairy imports from the European Union, lowering rates from as high as 42.7 percent to a final range of 7.4 to 11.7 percent, …
China slashes tariffs on Danish-Swedish dairy giant Arla Read More
Hong Kong-based CK Hutchison has warned Denmark’s A.P. Moller–Maersk of possible legal action if Maersk’s APM Terminals takes over two Panama ports. The warning follows Panama authorities invalidating CK Hutchison’s …
Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison warns Maersk of legal action over Panama ports takeover Read More
Finnish food company Atria has delivered the best financial performance in its history following the launch of chicken exports to China, Xinhua Net reports. In 2025, net sales rose to …
China breakthrough sends finnish food giant to record year Read More
Vietnam has encouraged Norway to increase investment in renewable energy projects as the country plans to invest an estimated $136 billion in expanding its power system, according to Báo Nghệ …
Vietnam pushes Norway over $136 billion energy plan Read More
Chinese car brands made up nearly 14% of all new car sales in Norway in 2025, according to data reported by Reuters. The figures, based on research from automotive consultancy …
Notable growth: China gains ground in Norway Read More
Norwegian seafood exporters now have a new direct route to China. On 24 January 2026, Suparna Airlines officially launched weekly cargo flights between Oslo Airport and Shanghai Pudong International Airport, …
Norway strengthens China trade with new direct air route Read More
BioMar will expand its production facility in Wuxi, China, by adding a second production line during 2026. The Danish aquaculture feed producer stated in a press release that the expansion …
Big expansion plans for Danish company in China Read More
Australian Shipbuilder Austal has started building a new high-speed ferry for Sweden’s Gotlandsbolaget at its shipyard in Cebu, Philippines. The vessel is called Horizon X. It is planned to operate …
Swedish ferry project starts in the Philippines Read More
Hong Kong’s Centre for Food Safety has ordered an immediate suspension of poultry meat, eggs, and related products from Guldborgsund Municipality in Denmark, the government agency has announced in a …
Bird flu bans Danish chicken in Hong Kong Read More
This week, representatives from Denmark’s Investment & Trade team met with the Vietnam Maritime and Waterway Administration and the Vietnam Register in Hanoi, the Embassy of Denmark in Vietnam reports. …
Vietnam and Denmark explore next steps in green shipping Read More
I’ll never forget the email we received from Sarah M., a 29-year-old marketing executive who struggled to maintain her energy during long workdays. She tried coffee, energy drinks, and quick …
Avoiding Energy Crashes During Busy Days Read More
Norfund has invested USD 4 million in a plastic recycling company in Vietnam to expand production at a plant near Ho Chi Minh City. The funding will support Circular Plastics …
Norfund invests USD 4 million in plastic recycling expansion in Vietnam Read More
A Chinese biotechnology company, Shanghai Shiling Pharmaceutical, plans to complete clinical trials by 2028 for a weight-loss nasal spray that uses semaglutide, the same active ingredient as Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk’s …
Chinese biotech develops semaglutide spray as Novo Nordisk patent expires in China Read More
Craft Sportswear has opened its first flagship store in China, establishing a permanent retail presence in Shanghai, according to International Services Shanghai. The Swedish endurance sports brand opened the store …
Swedish sportswear brand Craft opens first flagship store in China Read More
Thailand’s healthcare system is under growing pressure, and the issue is now appearing more clearly on the bilateral agenda between Thailand and Sweden. This was reflected last week, when the …
An ageing society is reshaping Thailand’s healthcare priorities Read More
Danish shipping group A.P. Moller – Maersk has ordered eight large container vessels from New Times Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. in China. The agreement was announced on 9 February 2026. The …
Maersk orders eight vessels from Chinese shipbuilder Read More
For Danish companies operating in China, sustainability has become a balancing act between two regulatory systems that do not always align. On one side are stricter EU and Danish ESG …
Danish companies caught between EU rules and China’s reality Read More
Denmark, the European Union and Switzerland have supported 461 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Myanmar under the RBF Plus programme, the Embassy of Denmark in Myanmar reports. RBF, or …
Danish funding supports hundreds of local businesses in Myanmar Read More
As China’s Spring Festival draws near, the LEGO Group is celebrating the season by leaning into what has become a defining part of its China strategy: cultural closeness. The Danish …
LEGO introduces new China-exclusive sets for Spring Festival Read More
The Danish sandwich chain Bartels has been named the Best Sandwich in Thailand at the Grab Awards 2026 for the third year in a row. Bartels started six years ago …
Danish sandwich chain wins Thailand’s Best Sandwich for third year Read More
Norwegian salmon is changing direction. Where exports once flowed west toward the United States, they are now increasingly heading east – to China, according to the Norwegian Seafood Council. …
China dramatically increases purchases of Norwegian salmon Read More
Danish supplements brand Denps has launched in Singapore and says it will use the market as a regional hub. The company entered Singapore on 1 January 2026. Denps Global CEO …
Danish supplements brand Denps uses Singapore launch to push expansion across Southeast Asia Read More
Pandora will launch platinum-plated versions of its best-selling bracelets after silver prices more than doubled in 2025, Reuters reports. The company said it will first use a third party for …
Pandora to shift platinum-plated jewellery in Thailand and Vietnam as silver prices surge Read More
Dongfeng, a Chinese state-owned company, plans to build a large electric car assembly factory in Fredrikstad, Norway, according to NRK. Dongfeng has signed an intention agreement to establish the plant …
Chinese company plans electric car factory near NATO port in Norway Read More
Thailand and Denmark marked more than six decades of dairy cooperation at the Thai National Dairy Festival January 23rd to February 1st, held at the Thai–Denmark Milk Dairy Farm in …
The red cow behind Thai-Danish cooperation celebrated at national festival Read More
Taiwan will step up technology cooperation with Sweden in semiconductors, quantum technology, AI, drones and robotics. The plan was outlined at a bilateral research workshop in Yilan on 30 January. …
Taiwan and Sweden expand joint research in chips, AI and drones Read More
The Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) has appointed international sports marketing agency Druid Sport as its official commercial representative for China, according to a statement from the company. Under the agreement, …
Norwegian Football Federation names Druid Sport as commercial representative for China Read More
Finnish Sisu Auto and Singaporean ST Engineering signed an expression of interest at the Singapore Airshow on 3 February 2026. The companies said it sets a framework for closer technology …
Finnish Sisu Auto and Singapore’s ST Engineering deepen Arctic vehicle partnership Read More
A Dutch design studio has launched a programme offering owners of a classic Volvo model the possibility to have the car comprehensively redesigned and modernised, while retaining its original character. …
Concept idea: Old cars redesigned and modernised Read More
The Republic of Singapore Air Force has selected the Swedish-made Saab Giraffe 1X radar to replace its existing Portable Search and Target Acquisition Radar (PSTAR). RSAF chief Maj. Gen. Kelvin …
Singapore selects Sweden’s Saab Giraffe 1X radar for low-level air defence Read More
Denmark and China have agreed to deepen their cooperation on green maritime technology and shipbuilding, strengthening a key partnership in the global transition towards cleaner shipping, Reuters reports. The renewed …
Denmark and China renew green maritime cooperation Read More