Facilitating internationalization : the role of INTPOW for the renewable energy industry in Norway

Abstract

Globalization forces companies to internationalize as markets are becoming more and more internationally integrated and competition gets tighter both at home and abroad. The role of a facilitator in internationalization is looked into in this thesis, more specifically the role of INTPOW as the Norwegian state’s facilitator for internationalization of the renewable energy industry in Norway. This thesis emphasizes the role of networking and the arena where networking can happen as essential for internationalization. It also looks into the role of the public authorities in the facilitator organization. The role of the state is important as it provides access to persons and companies at a higher level than what the companies can achieve on their own. Through mapping competence and uniting the industry, a more conscious awareness of what the industry can offer is revealed both with the Norwegian authorities but also within the industry itself. A specific locally developed competency derived from years of experience from working with renewable energy in Norway is an important asset for Norwegian companies when entering international markets. Different stages in internationalization can be found and the role of the facilitator is seen to change accordingly emphasizing how the different stages needs different assistance with regards to international efforts. This study contributes to the gap in theory on facilitators for internationalization and the understanding of internationalization in the globalized world economy.