SKREI
SKREI will be a centre for knowledge and experiences related to the Lofoten fishery and Norway’s most important fish. SKREI extends beyond the confines of a traditional museum.
31 May 2023
Photo: Museum Nord
LARGEST SINGLE CONTRIBUTION FROM a LOCAL BUSINESS TO DATE
– I am touched and quite humbled when I see that SKREI means so much to so many in the region, says Geir Are Johansen, director of Museum Nord, in connection with the presentation of a symbolic check on Tuesday this week.
– This gift shows that Strømberg Gruppen AS and Nordic Last og Buss AS are companies that exercise their social responsibility in a concrete way, and for those who work on the SKREI project it is a strong confirmation that we are on the right track. Such gifts from the business community in Vågan demonstrate that SKREI has a solid local backing, says Johansen.
The occasion was celebrated with marzipan cake and a presentation of the SKREI project for the employees at Nordic Last and Bus in Svolvær.
– Lofoten is a community built around the cod fisheries. The establishment of the SKREI center is a recognition of the importance of cod for the region and the nation, a history that is very important for the business community in Lofoten, Northern Norway and Norway. In the story of the importance of fisheries and trade, the relationship with Bergen is also an important aspect. We are therefore proud and happy to be able to contribute NOK 2,000,000 to the establishment of the SKREI center in Lofoten, says Stig Pettersen, CEO of Nordic Last og Buss AS.
of Great importance
For the SKREI project, the gift of two million NOK is of great importance. Eivind Holst is responsible for the work on private financing and can thus record a total of NOK 21.5 million in donations so far.
– There is still some way to go to reach our goal of 36 million, but we are getting closer, and it is absolutely fantastic to receive such large gifts. We have already received NOK 10 million from Fiskeriprodusentenes fond and NOK 5 million from Sparebanken Nord-Norge, but this is by far the largest gift from a local business. It comes from a forward-looking business group that is keen to invest in the local community and create activity here in Vågan, says Holst.
Mayor of Vågan Frank Johnsen also reacts with enthusiasm to the news of the gift
– It is fantastic that local businesses support this important national project so significantly. This is a considerable sum of money that contributes to the realization of SKREI, and that this important coastal history can be communicated to the many who visit Lofoten, and to the rest of the country through the SKREI Center’s other dissemination and activities, says Johnsen.
About Nordic Last and Bus
Strømberg Gruppen AS is located in Bergen, and is a significant contributor to art and culture in several places in Norway. The company has several connections to Lofoten and owns, among other things, the shares in Nordic Last og Buss AS and Galleri Lofoten in Henningsvær. In addition, the Group has invested in Lofotpils AS, and several properties in Lofoten.
Nordic Last og Buss AS is a sales and service company in Vågan, which supplies goods and services to the transport industry throughout Northern Norway, with 14 branches from Bodø in the south to Vadsø in the north. Many of the company’s customers transport seafood and inputs to the seafood industry along the coast of Northern Norway. Several of the company’s customers operate public transport for the entire region. Galleri Lofoten in Henningsvær is colloquially called the National Gallery of Northern Norway, and showcases paintings from famous artists such as Adelsteen Normann, Gunnar Berg, Otto Sinding. The gallery also periodically exhibits art by artists from all over the country.
About SKREI
SKREI is a new experience and knowledge center that will tell the story of Norway’s most important fish. The centre is set to be built in Storvågan outside Kabelvåg, in connection with Museum Nord’s existing units the Lofoten Aquarium, Lofoten Museum and Espolin Gallery. The planned new building “the Otolith” is 5,000 sqm and will house the main exhibition, a café, rooms for changing exhibitions and events, meeting rooms, magazines, conservation workshops, etc. SKREI will tell the story of the world’s largest cod stock, the incredible spawning migrations of the vodfish andits significant impact on coastal culture. The project has a total investment framework of NOK 583 million. 100-120.000 visitors are expected each year, and SKREI i set to open in the spring of 2026.