Country Profile: Norway
Dedicated design policy status
No
Design in other policy agendas
- CCI Strategy – The Roadmap for Creative Industries positions design as the most impactful subsector, highlighting its role in IPRs, placemaking, sustainability and internationalisation. It dedicates chapters to Sami culture and indigenous design, Norwegian design promotion abroad and design’s role in the All of Norway Exports reform. It also commits to strengthening DOGA’s Design-Driven Innovation Program (DIP) and links design to the green industrial shift. [Championed]
- Innovation Strategy – The Long-term Plan for Research and Higher Education 2019–2028 mentions design in relation to university buildings and universal design. [Mentioned]
- Industrial / Development Strategy – The Industrial Policy Recommendations 2015–17 (outdated) included design for interaction, service, and public sector innovation. [Mentioned]
- Circular Economy Strategy – National strategy mentions sustainable product design and the EU Ecodesign Directive. [Integrated]
- Digital Strategy – No strategy identified.
- Architecture Strategy – Earlier framework: Norway Universally Designed by 2025 (2009–2013), focused on accessibility and equality. [Championed]
Observations
Norway stands out for embedding design within its Creative Industries Roadmap, where design is explicitly connected to export promotion, sustainability and innovation capacity. The strong institutional role of DOGA and the reinforcement of the Design-Driven Innovation Program mark notable instruments for policy delivery. However, outside of CCIs and circular economy, references to design in industrial, research and digital strategies remain fragmented and dated. This suggests a need to better integrate design into broader innovation and industrial frameworks, while capitalising on the country’s existing international reputation and sectoral strengths.
Sources
- Lund Einar & Bringa Olav Rand, 2016
- norway-universally-designed-by-2025-web, o. J.
- (ecommendations_industrial_policy_council_ 2015-17, o. J.
- Veikart for kreativ næring, o. J.