Bjørnøen is a state-owned company that owns land and buildings on Bear Island ( Norwegian Bjørnøya ) in the Svalbard polar archipelago. It is a division of Kings Bay . The presence of the company on the archipelago is formal. The Norwegian Weather Institute leases land from the company for its weather station.
| Bjørnøen AS | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type of | Kings Bay Division |
| Base | 1918 |
| Location |  Ny Aalesund |
| Operating profit | ▲ NOK 213,000 (2005) |
| Parent company | Ministry of Industry and Trade of Norway |
| Website | Ministry website |
The company was founded on June 3, 1918 with the goal of developing coal deposits in Bear Island. In 1932, the company was nationalized, and in 1967 came under the control of Kings Bay [1] .
Bjørnøen is currently managed by the Kings Bay Board of Directors. The company oversees scientific activities on the island, which since August 16, 2002 has the status of a reserve .