The Ministry of Trade and Industry (NHD) henceforth referred to as the Awarding Authority, manage an inter-departmental liaison group for the project: knowledge acquisition - value creation in the north. The objective of the project "Knowledge acquisition - value creation in the North" is to acquire knowledge of effects and ripple effects due to increased focus on financial value creation in industries such as tourism and fishery related activities in Nordland, Troms and Finnmark.

The Awarding Authority wishes to assess the value creation in a wide perspective where both financial, social and environmental effects and ripple effects are taken into considerations. The basis for the geographical limitation is to update the management plan for the Barents Sea-Lofoten and the acquired knowledge shall be used as a basis for the next updating of the management plan.

The Knowledge acquisition covers a wide range of industries and problems and shall demonstrate the potential for value creating in the industries individually and united. The following sectors shall be subject to separate analyses:

— Fishery, fish farming and new marine industries,

— Tourism,

— Renewable energy,

— Mineral industry,

— Other industry and business activity.

This study involves sector analyses of the mineral industry which shall be included in the work with future visions.

The objective of the sector analyses is to map relevant industries/sectors and assess the potential for value creation on medium-term (2030) and long-term (2050-2100) basis. The studies shall be basis for preparation of background materials with status for the relevant industries and describe their future prospects, including important business specific tendencies.