• Category: infrastructure
  • Title: State budget 2024: The government proposes to allocate NOK 32.3 billion for railway purposes
  • Link: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/statsbudsjett/2024/a-til-aa/id2994694/?expand=2996782
  • Summary: NOK 32.2 billion will go to the Norwegian Railway Directorate. The government proposes to spend NOK 17.4 billion on investment and planning of railway infrastructure. Plans are being made for rational progress in the large initiated projects on the Vestfold Railway, the Østfold Railway and the Dovre Railway, as well as the continuation of the development of a new signaling and security system. In 2024, the government prioritizes giving passengers a better train offer. Among other things, departures are being introduced every hour to and from Gjøvik, as well as departures every quarter of an hour between Arna and Bergen. It is proposed to allocate NOK 8.6 billion for operation and maintenance of the railway infrastructure. The government also proposes to increase the subsidy scheme for cultural heritage in the railway sector by NOK 12.8 million to NOK 39.4 million in order to better take care of historic train equipment. The government also wants to continue the support scheme to transfer freight transport from road to rail.
• Category: smart cities
  • Title: State budget 2024: The government continues its investment in attractive and climate-friendly cities.
  • Link: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/statsbudsjett/2024/a-til-aa/id2994694/?expand=2996773
  • Summary: It proposes to allocate a total of NOK 7.5 billion to the agreements with the urban areas. About NOK 6.4 billion will go to subsidies for transport in urban areas. Of this, the government proposes to use around 2.6 billion for large public transport projects and 3.9 billion as other subsidies for urban areas. Money is set aside to follow up on the negotiated proposal for an urban growth agreement for Tromsø, and to negotiate new urban growth agreements for the Kristiansand region and Nedre Glomma. The reward agreements for Buskerudbyen and Grenland will be continued. Around NOK 1.1 billion is also set aside for smaller investment measures above the road and rail budgets to follow up on the urban growth agreements. The money from the road budget will go towards building a connected cycleway network and measures to improve accessibility for public transport, while the money from the railway budget will go towards station and hub development along the railway.
• Category: smart energy
  • Title: State budget 2024: energy efficiency
  • Link: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/statsbudsjett/2024/a-til-aa/id2994694/?expand=2996765
  • Summary: The government proposes to allocate NOK 495 million to work on energy efficiency, and presents an action plan that contains several important measures for energy efficiency in all parts of the Norwegian economy and measures to reduce energy use in buildings. The grants include:
    • NOK 180 million which will go to Enova and the Climate and Energy Fund for measures for more efficient energy use and a more flexible energy system that will contribute to increasing investment in energy efficiency through the Climate and Energy Fund, including in buildings

Husbanken’s subsidy scheme for energy measures in municipal buildings, which will be continued and increased to NOK 300 million

• • • NOK 15 million which will go to Norway’s Water Resources and Energy Directorate, the Directorate for Building Quality and the Housing Bank to follow up the government’s investment in energy efficiency in all parts of the Norwegian economy.
• Category: renewable energy
  • Title: State budget 2024: sea wind power
  • Link: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/statsbudsjett/2024/a-til-aa/id2994694/?expand=2996769
  • Summary: The government proposes to allocate approximately NOK 200 million to work with offshore wind to enable faster development of renewable energy production at sea. The proposal includes, among other things:
    • NOK 118 million for nature and environmental mapping, strategic impact assessment of new areas and preparation of a new call for proposals in 2025
    • NOK 20 million to complete the basic investigations for the part of the offshore wind area Utsira Nord that has been announced
    • NOK 10 million for a grant scheme to strengthen the competence environment in offshore wind. Sørlandets Kompetansefond is responsible for following up the scheme

The government also proposes to increase the allocations under the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate and the Energy Regulatory Authority by around NOK 45 million in 2024 for work on offshore wind.

• Category: telemedicine
  • Title: State budget 2024: health tech scheme
  • Link: https://www.regjeringen.no/no/statsbudsjett/2024/a-til-aa/id2994694/?expand=2996579
  • Summary: The government proposes to allocate NOK 150 million to a new health technology scheme. The health technology scheme shall support the introduction of new technology in the health and care service and continue the investment in the area of ​​welfare technology. The scheme includes, among other things, an application-based subsidy scheme and a guidance service.