Clean air from this year’s Export Award winner

The winner of the Export Award 2018 sells products that make consumers’ everyday lives safer and healthier. Airthings has built up a strong R&D department in which nuclear physicists and engineers develop sensors and new products. The company’s in-depth software development and electronics expertise and international sales and marketing activities have secured it five consecutive Gaselle growth-company awards from the Norwegian business daily Dagens Næringsliv.

The company is highly innovative Jury chairman John G. Bernander

“I am pleased to congratulate Airthings on winning the Export Award,” says jury chairman John G. Bernander. “This highly innovative company has an export ratio of 90 per cent, but creates its value in Norway. It is precisely the kind of business we look for.”

The latest generation of Airthings detectors checks the levels of the most important pollutants – including radon, CO2 and other volatile organic compounds – in homes, offices, day-care centres and schools. Users are provided with immediate results, and can monitor levels on their smartphones. “We need more such rapidly growing and export-boosting businesses,” says Minister of Trade and Industry Torbjørn Røe Isaksen. “This year’s winner has many of the characteristics Norwegian enterprises should focus on. Markets are global, and Airthings has taken advantage of this fact from the start.”

 

Strong candidates

The two other award finalists were Orkal from Trøndelag County and Aker BioMarine from Akershus County. In total, 47 enterprises representing numerous industries and segments were nominated. The majority of the candidates were marine or bio-economy businesses. The Export Award seeks to recognise innovative Norwegian exporters who demonstrate both success over time and value creation in Norway through activity in foreign markets. The award is backed by Export Credit Norway, GIEK, GIEK Kredittforsikring and Innovation Norge.