The first 2025 meeting in the French-Norwegian Green Industry Forum took place in Paris on March 31. While Cecilie Myrseth, Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry, presented Norway’s ambitions for a competitive clean Industry. French Minister of Industry and Energy Marc Ferracci laid the roadmap for the French green industry transition.
Minister Ferraci stated that Norway and France play key roles on the international
mineral scene, and the two governments share the same level of ambition.
- We are close friends, and among friends we speak frankly. So, to be clear, France needs Norwegian gas! But more important here today; we see Norway as our close, privileged partner in the mineral industry, said Ferraci. He emphasized ambition, innovation, and cooperation as common success factors.
- Norwegian industry is well integrated with European value chains. Thus, dialogue with my European colleagues is very important, says Minister Cecilie Myrseth. Norway and France signed a Letter of intent on green industry cooperation in 2024. Key elements of the partnership agreement are CO2 capture and storage (CCS), renewable energy and critical raw materials.
'Memorandum of Understanding' signed in Paris
As part of the forum in Paris, the directors of the French and Norwegian geological surveys (BRGM and NGU, respectively) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU is a direct outcome of the Green Industrial Partnership and its Letter of Intent mentioned by Minister Myrseth.
The MoU identifies three key factors as the basis for future survey collaboration:
- As national geological surveys, BRGM and NGU support their respective national public policies in all geoscience domains.
- As national geological surveys, BRGM and NGU fulfill their respective countries’ need for geological data and knowledge, essential for sustainable industrial development and societal security
- As active members of EuroGeoSurveys, BRGM and NGU aim to develop European collaboration, and respond and contribute to EU commission initiatives.
Cooperation and innovation concerning machine learning, AI and mineral intelligence will be increasingly emphasized by both surveys.
Learn more about the green industry cooperation.
Strong governmental push for European mineral supply
- The Norwegian government has given NGU a strong mandate and targeted funding to enhance our pre-competitive mapping of critical raw materials. Although not a union member, our national exploration program is well aligned and coordinated with EU’s CRMA, said May Britt Myhr, Director of The Geolocial survey of Norway during the partnership forum.
- To meet society’s need for geological resource and risk assessment data, our understanding of mineral resources supply chains must be deepened, as well as the assessment of existing primary and secondary resources, to secure strategic mineral resources supply, and to increase national and European sovereignty, said Christophe Poinssot, delegate Director General of BRGM.
-We are certain that this new bilateral agreement will help us mobilize for further innovation in the coming years. We look forward to close cooperation between our two surveys, both on management level and among our excellent staff in France and Norway. We have much in common and much to gain from close cooperation, said the two directors. They jointly emphasized that the pace of innovation should not only continue, but increase.
Learn more on Government.no: The Norwegian Government launches white paper on industry to strengthen industrial competitiveness
