written like an advertisement . please help improve it by removing promotional content and inappropriate external links and by adding encyclopedic content written from a neutral point of view . september 2014 learn how and when to remove this template message kongsberg gruppen asa type allmennaksjeselskap traded as ose kog industry merchant marine defense aerospace offshore oil and gas industries . founded march 30 1814 headquarters kongsberg norway area served global key people geir h y ceo revenue nok 26 323 million 2014 1 number of employees 7 493 december 2014 subsidiaries kongsberg maritime kongsberg defence systems kongsberg protech systems kongsberg oil & gas technologies website http www.kongsberg.com kongsberg gruppen is an international technology group that supplies high technology systems and solutions to customers in the merchant marine defence aerospace offshore oil and gas industries and renewable and utilities industries . 2 at the beginning of 2016 kongsberg had revenues of nok 17 032 million and 7 688 employees in more than 25 countries . 3 the company is headquartered in kongsberg . it comprises four business areas kongsberg maritime kongsberg defence & aerospace kongsberg protech systems digital kongsberg is a continuation of kongsberg weapons factory kongsberg v penfabrikk kv 1814 1987 . after kv s restructuring in 1987 defence activities continued as the company norsk forsvarsteknologi nft . in 1995 the company changed its name to kongsberg gruppen . kongsberg was listed on the oslo stock exchange in 1993 and is a public company . the norwegian ministry of trade industry and fisheries is the largest shareholder with a 50.001 percent interest . 4 markets outside of norway pose a growing and increasingly important part of business and represented approximately 80 % of revenue in 2015 . contents 1 history 1.1 beginning 1814 to 1890 1.2 international breakthrough 1890 to 1900 1.3 modernization 1900 to 1945 1.4 industrial locomotive 1945 till 1960 1.5 innovative breakthrough 1960 1987 1.5.1 international breakthroughs between 1960 and 1987 1.6 reappearance 1987 1993 1.7 international growth 1993 2015 1.7.1 significant events for kongsberg in the years 1993 to 2014 2 business 2.1 defence 2.1.1 notable products from kongsberg s defence divisions 2.2 space 2.3 maritime 2.3.1 kongsberg maritime 2.3.2 notable products from kongsberg maritime 2.4 digital 3 corporate management 3.1 kongsberg s chief executive officers ceo 4 results 5 corruption charges 6 see also 7 references 8 external links history edit the company s origin and background dates back to the early 1600s . the discovery of silver in the mountains around kongsberg in 1624 meant that the city became an important mineral resource for the danish norwegian kingdom . when the danish norwegian union was dissolved about 200 years later there was a need to build up a strong defence that would contribute to independence and security for norway . there was a need for a domestic defence industry and kongsberg already had expertise after centuries of mining . on 20 march 1814 poul steenstrup founded kongsberg vaabenfabrik . beginning 1814 to 1890 edit 1814 was an important year for norway . the nation wrote its constitution and in conjunction to this kongsberg weapons factory kongsberg v penfabrikk was founded by mining superintendent poul steenstrup on march 20 1814 . the weapons factory was one of the nation s first industrial factories . kongsberg silver mines experienced a recession and as a consequence kongsberg suffered distress and poverty . there was a need to create new jobs . in addition norway was marked by the desire for national independence and the weapons factory would make the newly established state self supplied with weapons . kongsberg s mining traditions established over several centuries provided a good basis for building a knowledge based business . skilled mining engineers were now assigned to develop the new cornerstone company . the weapons factory quickly began producing rifles for the norwegian armed forces . a number of models were developed and delivered throughout the 19th century . the major international breakthrough came in 1888 when director ole herman johannes krag and corps gunsmith erik j rgensen showcased a new type of rifle . international breakthrough 1890 to 1900 edit international breakthrough came with the krag j rgensen rifle in 1892 . the officer ole herman johannes krag and gunsmith erik j rgensen wanted to produce a new type of precision rifle which was both easy to use inexpensive to manufacture and which had revolutionary functionality . the rifle s mechanism proved to be something quite revolutionary in the arms industry . the krag j rgensen rifle was first adopted as a service rifle by the danish army in 1889 . three years later the rifle became a world known concept when the united states decided to equip their soldiers with the rifle . the krag turned out to be one of the first major export contracts for the norwegian industry . during a six year period the u.s. alone produced well over half a million rifles on licence . in 1894 the weapon was adopted as army rifle for the norwegian army . the weapon was in service until world war ii . the krag became norway s first large scale industrial export and helped to establish an important relationship with the u.s. military . modernization 1900 to 1945 edit danish m. 1889 carbine the krag j rgensen rifle dominated production at kongsberg until the end of world war i. when the war was over there was a significant decline in military orders . the company therefore used its position and expertise from the defence industry to enter new markets and seek new business opportunities . production of civilian products such as civil weapons tools and parts for the shipping industry and whaling fleet began 1918 . other departments made bicycle components while the cannon department made shafts connecting rods forgings and whale guns . kongsberg launched its first civil products in 1921 . the products won gold medal at the world exposition in barcelona in 1929 . during world war ii kongsberg was under german control . production however never came up to such numbers as the occupation forces wanted . this was partly due to access to raw materials but also resistance among factory workers . industrial locomotive 1945 till 1960 edit after the war kongsberg was designated as one of the major industrial builders in norway . the company produced everyday necessities such as pots and pans and contributed to the development of the defence and maritime industry . the weapons factory was no longer under military command and in 1953 the norwegian parliament adopted a large scale modernization and expansion of the company . the aim was to build a national high tech defence industry that met the needs of the norwegian armed forces as well as those of nato . the creation of the forsvarets forskningsinstitutt defence research establishment ffi at kjeller in 1947 was part of the same strategy . this cooperation has from the 1950s and up till present given rise to a number of defence systems such as the penguin missile nasams 2 air defence system hugin auv and naval strike missile . after an agreement with volvo in 1957 the production of automobile parts also became a considerable business for kongsberg . at first the company produced drive shafts and then other components for heavy trucks buses tractors and agricultural machinery . the division was later reorganized into the company kongsberg automotive . innovative breakthrough 1960 1987 edit having had a national focus in the post war period kongsberg again directed its attention and expertise towards the international market . the years from 1960 to the end of the 80s were a time of innovation development and rapid growth for kongsberg . kongsberg s focus on the maritime industry began in the early 1970s and coincided with the discovery of oil in the north sea . companies that would later become part of kongsberg gruppen such as simrad and norcontrol however had already provided sonar systems and equipment for fishing and merchant marine for decades . the 1970s also became the decade when kongsberg positioned itself towards the petroleum sector . dynamic positioning dp and subsea installations were revolutionary technology which gave kongsberg a technological edge . kongsberg was about to get a position as a global technology leader . international breakthroughs between 1960 and 1987 edit the production of gas turbines in 1969 submarine systems in 1969 1970 subsea and dynamic positioning dp in the early 1970s pioneering missile technology and the penguin missiles in 1972 the rapid international growth resulted in both new opportunities and challenges . the new focus on establishing a civilian product portfolio changed the shape of the company . in 1981 civil divisions accounted for 70 % of business . 5 companies were acquired and the number of employees increased sharply . an international network of offices and factories began to take shape . but the business advancement and progress coincided with national and international unrest which had a serious impact on the company . the outcome was a need to restructure the entire company . reappearance 1987 1993 edit in 1987 the company was part of the toshiba kongsberg scandal which involved a subsidiary of toshiba and the kongsberg vaapenfabrikk . the two provided the soviet union with technology toshiba milling machines and kongsberg computer numerical controls that could be used to produce quiet submarine propellers in violation of the cocom agreement . the us always relied on the fact that the soviets had noisy boats . providing the ussr with technology that could make their subs harder to find and track was perceived as a significant threat to america s security . 1987 was a turning point in the history of kongsberg . the company was divided into divisions that manufactured automobile parts aircraft parts gas turbines oil installations and marine equipment and defence equipment . innovation was high but not the profitability . the company had taken on too large and complex development tasks . the state which owned all the shares would not inject big money to keep the whole business so the company was split up . the civil division was sold out while the defence division continued under the name norwegian defence technology nft from 19 june 1987 to 1995 . the newly formed company had for a short period of time a renewed focus on its core defence business . this helped the company regain financial stability . then kongsberg again turned its focus towards civil and maritime sectors . kongsberg also entered new markets . in 1990 the company launched its own aerospace division . the restructuring process that began in 1987 culminated in 1993 when it was decided that the group should be partially privatized and listed on the oslo stock exchange . this gave kongsberg greater independence and the opportunity to cooperate with private business investors . it helped facilitate many positive changes such as the establishment of kongsberg maritime as a separate business unit . the decision proved to be a crucial building block in the creation of kongsberg as a modern company . international growth 1993 2015 edit in 1993 the company norwegian defence technology nft became publicly listed and partially privatized . two years later in 1995 the company took the name kongsberg gruppen and the current logo was established . then followed a long series of acquisitions . this included buying back the maritime division . in 1997 kongsberg gathered its operations in the subsidiaries kongsberg maritime and kongsberg defence & aerospace . in 2008 parts of the defence business spun off as a separate business area as kongsberg protech systems . other defence activities continued under the name kongsberg defence systems . also in 2008 parts of kongsberg maritime which had worked with simulation technology in oil and gas were reorganized under new management . the result was kongsberg oil & gas technologies that was established as a