Kongsberg March 20 celebrated its 200th anniversary and said it can boast the longest industrial history in Norway with continuous operations since the foundation of the Kongsberg weapons factory in 1814.
Over 200 years what is now known as Kongsberg has been an industrial trailblazer in the defense, maritime, oil, gas and aerospace sectors, the company said in a release.
“There are not many businesses in the world that can boast 200 years of continuous operations, and this is something we are very proud and respectful of,” said Kongsberg CEO Walter Qvam. “We can look back on a unique and memorable history, and we are now a leading international high-technology corporation.”
The Norwegian defense industry was created in 1814. The Kongsberg weapons factory (KV) was founded by Poul Steenstrup, mining superintendent and participant at the national assembly at Eidsvoll, on March 20, 1814. This represented the establishment of Norway’s first factory, even before the industrial revolution in Norway.
During the spring of 1814, Norway gained its constitution, as it had been ceded to Sweden, after centuries of union with Denmark.
Currently Kongsberg is well-known for its remotely operated weapon system ground vehicles, the NASAMS air defense system, and is working on such things as the Sensis innovation project developing a system to measure the size, speed and direction of icebergs.