Our Story 

Welcome Hub Agder (WHA) was created as a result of the rapid growth seen from The Battery Coast following the establishment of a groundbreaking battery factory in Arendal municipality in 2021.

Initiated by Impact Hub Agder, Arendal Municipality and Arendal Chamber of Commerce, WHA’s main goal is to support newcomers who have relocated to the area to settle in comfortably, and to overcome the challenges that come with integrating with a new community.

International recruitment companies and businesses hiring international talent also face challenges both in terms of hiring and retaining talent respectively.

WHA’s two-pronged approach aims to address and alleviate the challenges faced by companies, and also newcomers and their family as a whole.

By collaborating with and extending support to local municipalities, businesses and organisations in Agder* to arrange courses, events and networking opportunities, WHA connects newcomers with what they need to know to navigate ‘the system’ in Agder. This paves the way for newcomers to better cope with the stresses that follow a new job in a new country with a different language and culture; traditions and laws. It can also increase the probability that they will choose to make Agder their home for the long run which in turn will enable companies to retain their new talent.

*Agder county is comprised of several municipalities including Arendal, Grimstad, Lillesand and Kristiansand.