OSLO, March 13 (Xinhua) -- Norway's technology giant Kongsberg Gruppen has entered a major agreement with Qatar on long-term development programs for defense, maritime and digital technology, online newspaper E24 reported Tuesday.
The partially state-owned Norwegian company said the first program in the deal is "the biggest in Kongsberg's history" and might give income of up to 15 billion kroner (1.9 billion U.S. dollars) over the next eight years.
"The first program in connection with the cooperation will be delivery of communications, digitalization and tower solutions for military vehicles in Qatar," Kongsberg Gruppen said in a press release.
It is estimated that the program will provide the basis for 15,000 man-labor years and involve more than 170 Norwegian subcontractors.
"The vehicle program will be Kongsberg's largest single agreement ever and it will result in extensive Norwegian value creation and high-tech jobs for many years to come," Geir Haoy, the company's CEO, was quoted as saying.
This collaboration includes a new joint venture called BK Systems, which will have headquarters in Qatar Science & Technology Park and a CEO from the Kongsberg Group.
Kongsberg Group hopes that the cooperation will lead to several new contracts that are worth billions.
"We have established a joint-owned company that will work both on the program we have signed an agreement for today, but also on opportunities in maritime and other sectors, as well as civilian projects. Qatar, for example, has an extensive oil and gas industry," Haoy told E24. (1 U.S. dollar = 7.74 kroner)
