DNV is commemorating its 120 years in Greater China.
“We feel proud of our long history in China. DNV has shown its strong commitment to China since we first established our presence in Xiamen in 1888,” said DNV President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Henrik O. Madsen, speaking at the anniversary event in Shanghai.
“Today, Greater China is DNV’s fastest growing unit and largest operation outside Norway, with a network of 36 offices in 20 cities and nearly 800 employees. We are confident about expanding our presence in China and partnering up with the Chinese on their way to becoming an innovative, technically advanced country,” said Dr Madsen.
As a leading provider of services for managing risk, DNV helps China identify, assess and manage risk related to its growth and development across all industry sectors with a focus on maritime, energy, industrial certification and information technology.
Increasing demand for risk management services
“The strong development of the Chinese economy has presented a great opportunity for DNV’s risk management services in China. The Chinese market currently accounts for more than 10% of DNV’s worldwide revenue, and the overall growth rate is currently at 45%, which is significantly higher than the global growth rate,” explained DNV Vice President and Area Chair Bjorn K. Haugland. Last year DNV achieved revenues of RMB 711 million from its operations in China.
DNV’s long-established reputation in the maritime sector in China attracted 280 newbuilding contracts last year, corresponding to more than 23 million deadweight tons. This accounts for 50% of the total new orders DNV received in 2007 said Mr Haugland.
DNV has also been involved in oil and gas activities in China since the early 1980s and currently has about 50% of the offshore oil and gas field certification market in China. Its services in Health Safety and Environmental Risk Management and Asset Integrity Management are in increasing demand as China attaches more and more importance to energy exploration.
In the certification field, DNV has issued more than 5000 certificates in China and most of the certification “firsts” in China were issued by DNV. Among these are the first ISO 9000 certificate (1991), ISO 14001 certificate (1996), OHSAS18001 certificate (1998), SA8000 certificate (1998), BS7799 certificate (2000), BS15000 certificate (2005), ISO/TS 16949:200 (2005), and ISO27001 certificate (2006).
Also, DNV is one of the very few companies in China which has local competence to provide corporate responsibility (CR) services. To date, DNV has verified eight CR reports in China including COSCO, State Grid and the Bank of China.
DNV has also worked together with the Chinese government to develop Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) projects to comply with the Kyoto Protocol. Under this instrument, industrial polluters can offset their emission of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHGs) by supporting emission-reducing projects in the developing world. DNV currently has 50% of the CDM market in China.
Committing to China’s growth and to the society
Environmental concerns, globalization, corporate social responsibility, and sustainable growth are core business drivers for DNV. Many of these market drivers are related to what takes place in China.
“With this tremendous growth underway and so much of it tied to industries where DNV excels, we see China as one of the most important areas we cover, which is why we have been extending our network here so rapidly in the past decade. By the end of the decade we will have more than 1,000 staff making this country the second highest headcount in our organisation outside of our Norwegian headquarters,” said Dr Madsen.
Finally on a note of corporate responsibility, Mr Haugland made the point that “DNV, as a not-for-profit foundation with the purpose of safeguarding life, property and the environment, is always looking at projects that can improve the lives of those around us where ever DNV is located. As an example, the recently completed water and sanitation project in Xiaowudao Village in Jilin Province marks the fifth project DNV has supported through its collaboration with the Norwegian and Chinese Red Cross since 2005. DNV will continue to provide support and is committing to donate 350,000 renminbi for further projects.”
At the anniversary event, DNV also announced its intention to donate one million renminbi towards the disaster relief efforts in connection with the recent earthquake in the Sichuan province in south-west China.
“We take pride in our competent, knowledge-based organization and are geared up to support China’s diverse industries. Our 120 years of experience in China is a strong foundation for serving as China’s preferred partner in risk management,” said Dr Madsen and concluded “Our 120th anniversary is a time to reaffirm our commitment to China’s development. At the same, we very much feel we are part of the Chinese community, and all of us in DNV would also like to take this opportunity to express our feelings of sadness for those lost in the Sichuan earthquake and our wishes for a speedy recovery to all those affected.”
Date: 2008-05-16