How is Oslo performing and being perceived internationally in 2022?
Dive into the analysis of Oslo: State of the City 2022! The annual outside-in review of Oslo made by The Business of Cities in London, based on data from 330 global benchmarks and indexes. It analyses how Oslo is progressing on innovation, city development, sustainability, and preparedness for the future.
The report looks at five areas: Opportunity, Innovation, People, Place and Preparedness. And this year, we deep dive into two special chapters: one on Oslo’s culture scene and visitor economy and one on Oslo’s innovation ecosystem.
State of the City matters because it keeps in mind the big picture and long-term journey of Oslo. It reveals the depth of European and global competition. It sees where Oslo stands out from the crowd, and if its changing. One of the issues over the past 7 years, has been that the perception of Oslo is not as good as our performance. I.e. we are more innovative than we are perceived. State of the City gives us the opportunity to measure.
Key findings
The last 6 years of State of the City have shown that Oslo had more momentum than many cities in the lead up to Covid. This year, although the recovery is not yet complete, the city looks like it has shifted more efficiently to remote and hybrid work.
People who live in Oslo rate the city highly – in fact they are 6th most fulfilled in the world across all measures.
More of Oslo and Norway’s graduates are sticking around. The city is on the radar of more top tech talent. Green tech, the circular economy, fintech and maritime have all seen a step change.
After years of effective policy and positioning in the green transition, they are now well established in the international mind. Yet there are some important gaps emerging. As a city and also a region, it needs to look at how it can deliver on clean air, the future of public transport, and sustainable fashion especially.
Internationally, Oslo is still not widely viewed by enough people as a flexible, welcoming and affordable city. Oslo is seen to be a place to sample cultural excellence, but not yet as somewhere where people can have rich and meaningful cultural experiences as standard.
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About the report
- It is now seven years since the Oslo region launched its brand management strategy and since The Business of Cities began systematically benchmarking Oslo’s progress on the global stage. These annual ‘outside-in’ reviews provide a window into how the world sees Oslo, and how its strengths and reputation compare to other high-performing cities on the international stage.
- The benchmark is systematically put together by The Business of Cities, which is a London based urban intelligence firm, and lead from Dr. Tim Moonen (Managing Director), Jake Hunley (Head of Research) and Maria Lawrence (Associate).
- The report is owned by Oslo Business Region.
- The design and digital outlay is made by Metric.
- The special chapter is made by support from the Oslo Region Alliance.
