Responsible Business Conduct – our "License to Operate"
KONGSBERG encompasses more than 200 years of tradition and history as a defence supplier and technology enterprise. It is fundamentally important for us to conduct our business in a responsible manner. This involves following the laws and regulations applicable in the countries where we operate, our own corporate Code of Ethics and Business Conduct and other national and international principles and frameworks for responsible business conduct.
We operate in industries and countries that can involve different types of risk. We conduct risk analysis and seek to prioritise and manage risk for maximum prevention and mitigation.
The defence industry
The Armed Forces safeguard important social functions both in peacetime, crisis situations, armed conflict and in war. Modern defence calls for state-of-the-art defence systems, and KONGSBERG’s defence systems and products are an integral part of this. KONGSBERG’s role as a supplier of defence products must be seen in the context of Norway’s national security policy, and Norway’s international obligations as a member of the United Nations and NATO. The Norwegian Armed Forces and KONGSBERG collaborate extensively to develop customised systems for the country’s specific needs. KONGSBERG has developed high-tech defence systems that also play an important role in the international arena.
Outside of KONGSBERG, we work closely with communities, to ensure that our relationships with them are mutually beneficial. And as we venture deeper into the oceans and space, we go to extreme lengths to guarantee the safety and security of everyone who works with us.
Export of defence material
Norwegian rules for exporting defence material are among the most restrictive in the world. The Norwegian parliament has sanctioned that defence products can only be sold to pre-approved countries. Transparency around defence material exports is an important principle in Norway. KONGSBERG consistently complies with all requirements set by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the application process, reporting and statistics. KONGSBERG also holds shares in companies, and has partners, suppliers and customers in other countries. Compliance with export control regulations in other countries must therefore also be ensured. KONGSBERG has a comprehensive programme for internal control and training in connection with our export activities.
kongsberg defence & aerospace Compliance training
Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace’s compliance training program includes all employees in KONGSBERG and its subsidiaries. The training program is risk based, and different target groups receive customized mandatory training, based on exposure, either annually, every second year or every three years. Target groups identified include different levels of management, board members, expatriates, as well as marketing, sales and procurement personnel. Training is conducted in the appropriate language. Compliance training is based on our Code of Ethics and Business Conuct and addresses topics such as Conflicts of Interest, Gifts & Hospitality, Anti-corruption and Anti-bribery, Money laundering, Economic sanctions, Export Control, Trafficking and bonded labor, Antitrust/Competition law and Raising concerns. An important focus of our compliance training is on how to identify and handle dilemmas, for instance related to bribery, gifts & hospitality and conflicts of interest.
