University attracts Norwegian IT firms to Klaipeda

Published: 21.02.07

News2biz Lithuania - IT & Media

Irrespective of the sector, Norwegian firms cannot go far from the sea: Lithuania’s port city Klaipeda may be the natural place for port logistics companies, but, oddly, is also becoming the location of choice for Norwegian IT firms.

Norwegian Omega, an IT services specialist for the offshore oil and gas industry, is to beef up its Klaipeda-based daughter Omega Technology by recruiting 20 software developers.

“Then we expect to have a team of 35 software developers in Klaipeda,” says Petter Aalvik, CEO of the Omega group, to news2biz Lithuania. “Our decision to set up in Klaipeda evolved through our earlier cooperation with other Norwegian companies who have been doing business in the city. First we recruited two Klaipeda University graduates for our Norwegian operation back in 2004. One of them is now heading the Klaipeda unit, the other one is working in our US office. Our base in the Klaipeda Science and Technology Park is just next to the University so our present staff of 17 is mainly made up of former and present students.”

Klaipeda is also a good location for Omega’s future Russia plans. “We need people who know Russian – some of our major customers – ConocoPhilips, Statoil, Hydro – are working in the country, and therefore it is good to get onboard software engineers with Russian Language capabilities,” says Mr Aalvik.

Omega has been growing very fast in recent years – 50-60% annually – and turned over NOK 380m in 2006. It now employs over 400 people, with nearly 130 recruited last year alone.