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Human Resources

Wealth in Human Resources

The Icelandic labour force is well educated,with compulsory ten-year school education. More than 55% of the labour force has educational backgrounds beyond compulsory schooling,in the form of vocational training or university degrees.

The local economy is supported by a steadily expanding commercial and service sector, in which over 20 per cent of the local working population is employed,while Akureyri is also developing a reputation as a centre of logistical activities.

As well as being the administrative centre of the region, Akureyri contains one of the country's leading universities, which plays an important role in training people for industry, health care, teaching, fisheries science and management as well as carrying out research into the regional environment.

Industrial production in northeast Iceland rests on a deep-rooted tradition. Hence, people there possess considerable work skills and are eager to tackle novel industrial and technical projects. Icelandic industries have first and foremost long been founded on the manufacture of goods and the use of high quality raw material, e.g. making clothes and shoes of Icelandic wool and skins, but raw materials have also been imported for further processing. A pragmatic approach therefore involves the utilisation of Icelandic energy sources for industrial production.

By far the largest industry in Northeast Iceland in terms of productivity is fishing and fish processing. The region commands 20% of the total Icelandic fishing quota and within the fish processing sector there are high-tech fish processing factories that have been developed by virtue of Icelandic ingenuity and work skills. The same applies to production in the plastic industry, log processing, diatomite production as well as the dairy industry and meat processing. The business environment has changed to a market driven economy at record speed which has resulted in making local companies more competent and better able to cope with international competition.

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Investment Promotion Agency for the Eyjafjordur Region
Glerargata 36 • 600 Akureyri • Iceland • Tel. (+354) 460 5700 • Fax (+354) 463 0998
E-mail [email protected] • Homepage afe.is