The creation of the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) in 1987 led to growth in the Norwegian share of the world's shipping fleet. Today, Norwegian shipping companies control five per cent of the world's merchant fleet, and growth is set to speed up again with the Norwegian government's recent ratification of a tax regime matching that of the EU - a long-awaited piece of good news for maritime Norway.

Oslo's shippers are large and demanding customers for their goods and service suppliers, stimulating continuous innovation in the entire maritime cluster. The close cooperation between demanding owners and the rest of the maritime cluster is of vital importance to both parties and a key to understanding Oslo's attractiveness for maritime companies.