The Brønnøysund register

We are now approaching the town center, and this is a good moment to talk about Brønnøysund before and after the establishment of the Brønnøysund Register Centre. Before it was created, the town was a traditional coastal community shaped by fishing, trade, and small local businesses. When the Norwegian government decided in the 1970s to gather several national registers here, a completely new era began. Suddenly, the town became a national hub for administration and IT. Everything from companies and accounting records to vehicles is registered here—and if you are married, that is registered as well. In total, there are around 20 different national registers, approximately 550 employees, and additional branch offices in Narvik and Oslo. This means that almost everyone in Norway—companies, organisations, and private individuals—interacts with Brønnøysund without even noticing it, every time they register something, submit a form, file an application, or report information to the state. The Brønnøysund Register Centre has become an important part of the town’s identity and a symbol of how a coastal community can combine long-standing maritime traditions with modern technology and future-oriented jobs.