Lillestrøm
Lillestrøm is a fast-growing regional centre for the part of the Oslo region to the north and east of the capital, and the administrative centre of the Municipality of Skedsmo. With an excess of 48,000 inhabitants, the city has developed considerably as an important traffic hub since Gardermoen airport opened in 1997.
The city grew up around the former sawmill industry and, in particular, in connection with the introduction of steam saws in the mid 19th century. The first section of railway in Norway was also built from here to Oslo, to maintain the capital as the leading Norwegian port for the export of timber. Since then, Norway’s first airport was built in 1912 very close to Lillestrøm. This remains in use as a military air base and a civil airport for light aircraft.
During the 20th century, the municipality developed as a centre of relatively heavy industry with engineering, textiles, chemicals and timber. At the same time, the Norwegian state built up a defence-related research centre at Kjeller near to Lillestrøm. While industry has declined and now only accounts for a fraction of the number of jobs the municipality had in the 1960s, the research and educational environment now accounts for nearly ¼ of total employment in the municipality with around 7,000 jobs.
The city is slowly losing its identity as an industrial city and is becoming a commercial and service centre with a significant base in knowledge enterprises. The challenges concern creating a varied, future-oriented economic basis for the city by exploiting the potential of existing knowledge enterprises, commerce, cultural life and the growing urbanity and city life that can be seen emerging as a result of a systematic joint initiative to enhance and develop the city centre.