The latest World Investment Report has proposed reshoring as one of the strategies firms can embark on to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and the current war in Ukraine. Noteworthy, it is important to mention that before the pandemic and the current war, the reshoring debate was predominantly concerned with the potential benefits manufacturers could reap from advanced technologies. Taken together, such circumstances accentuate that firms will be called upon to facilitate capabilities and competencies as well as technologies when embarking on reshoring.

Interestingly, however, it is very hard to find any research results that can be generalized to a specific country or region, nor within a single industry. Academics have therefore urged for empirical evidence to be reported to be able to build an adequate knowledge base that can assist manufacturing firms and policymakers in strategic decisions. In response to such emerging aspects, NTNU will collaborate with NHO and GCE Blue Maritime cluster in conducting research on reshoring among manufacturers within the county of More and Romsdal (M&R) to increase the chances of establishing a solid starting point for the required state-of-the-art knowledge. And, since M&R has the largest share of industrial firms in Norway and operates with the highest level of industrial employment in the country, it is the perfect candidate for a pilot project.