Bergen awarded global recognition for quality of life

The ranking covers 1,000 of the world’s largest cities, and globally Bergen is ranked behind only Canberra in Australia. You can read more about it here.

For businesses competing for talent, quality of life is part of the equation. Bergen combines a strong labour market with access to nature, a compact urban environment and a well-developed cultural and recreational offer. The city is blessed with both mountains and the fjords immediately located by the city centre.

- Vestland has one of Norway’s strongest concentrations of expertise in industries including energy, maritime, seafood, technology and life sciences. Bergen is at the centre of many of these environments, with companies, universities, research institutions and public-sector organisations working closely together. We experience daily that work-life balance is manoeuvrable, says Investment manager Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem.

Part of the wider Vestland offer

Oxford Economics assesses cities across five dimensions: economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. Within the quality-of-life evaluation, the index considers factors including income equality, salaries, housing costs, life expectancy, and recreation and culture.

For international companies considering Vestland, Bergen is the region’s main urban gateway. But the quality-of-life proposition extends beyond the city. The county combines urban centres with coastal communities, fjord landscapes and smaller towns, giving employees different options for where to live and work.

A locations’s housing prices, leisure opportunities, cultural life and access to nature may not appear on a company balance sheet, but they can influence where people choose to build their careers and choose to stay. Vestland is a region where work and everyday life are close, making work-life balance manageable. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem. 

As a city, Bergen has a compact scale, highlighted as one of its practical advantages. The city centre is surrounded by the famous seven mountains, while the wider region provides easy access to fjords, the coast and outdoor activities. For international employees and their families, that means a combination of urban services, education, culture and outdoor life without long distances.

Bergen is also home to a substantial knowledge and research environment, including the University of Bergen, Norges Handelshøyskole, Haukeland University Hospital, several acknowledged research institutes, and a growing ecosystem of companies and organisations working across sectors such as energy, maritime industries, seafood, technology and health. Read more about how this ecosystem supports the region’s ability to supply a skilled and competent work force. 

This is Jølster, Sunnfjord, the place Nikolai Astrup called home. Surrounded by these dramatic mountains, lush valleys, and shimmering waters, he created paintings that captured the soul of western Norway. Photo Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem. 

Quality of life supports the business proposition

- When we meet companies considering establishing or expanding in Vestland, access to qualified people is a key consideration. The Oxford Economics result therefore adds an external reference point to a proposition that companies operating in Vestland already know: Attracting investment is not only about access to markets, infrastructure and expertise. We believe it is a strength with a region that offers both professional opportunities and an attractive place to live, says Lem.

Of course, a ranking does not tell the whole story of Bergen or its business environment. But it provides an independent indication of one of the factors increasingly relevant to companies and employees when choosing where to locate.

Bergen offers a combination of a strong and internationally oriented business community, major research and education institutions, and a compact city surrounded by seven mountains, the sea and the fjords. The UNESCO listed Bryggen is a living proof of the legacy and heritage. Photo: Charlotte Hartvigsen Lem.