KORUS
KORUS is Norway's national network of seven regional competence centers, funded by the Norwegian Directorate of Health, providing free evidence-based knowledge, tools, training, and surveys on substance abuse prevention, harm reduction, and youth welfare to municipalities, schools, and healthcare professionals.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSkien
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What KORUS does
KORUS is Norway's national network of seven regional competence centers dedicated to substance abuse prevention, harm reduction, early intervention, and public health. Funded and mandated by the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet), the organization delivers evidence-based knowledge, tools, and training to Norwegian municipalities, schools, healthcare and social services, and the general public. Its service portfolio spans free digital publications and brochures, handbooks (e.g., overdose prevention), conversational tools (Motivational Interviewing posters and value cards), educational board games (Mestringsspillet and Metaspillet families), and e-learning courses covering topics from youth substance use to elderly alcohol and medication interactions. KORUS also operates the Ungdata national youth welfare survey system, which has captured over one million responses since 2010, and the newer Ungdata Plus longitudinal survey launched in 2023 following 6,000 children in Vestfold and Telemark through 2039, with professional research responsibility shared with NOVA at OsloMet.
The business model is non-commercial: KORUS is entirely government-funded (parental mandate from Helsedirektoratet), and all products are distributed free of charge via the korus.no webshop and as PDF downloads. Go-to-market is event- and content-driven, using courses, conferences, webinars, e-learning, podcasts (Spillradioen), and a nation-wide network of regional offices that deliver in-person support and tailored workplace training. The technology stack is modest and operational — Piwik Pro for analytics, Make for newsletters, Cimple for e-learning delivery, and Deltager.no for course registration — rather than a proprietary platform business. Strategic research partnerships with NOVA, RKBU/RBUP, RVTS, and universities, plus an operational relationship with Blå Kors, embed KORUS within Norway's broader public health and academic ecosystem. KORUS functions as a publicly mandated knowledge dissemination infrastructure rather than a commercial enterprise, with no disclosed private ownership, M&A activity, or equity funding.
KORUS firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KORUS
- Legal name
- KORUS
- Website
- https://korus.no
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- KORUS is Norway's national network of seven regional competence centers, funded by the Norwegian Directorate of Health, providing free evidence-based knowledge, tools, training, and surveys on substance abuse prevention, harm reduction, and youth welfare to municipalities, schools, and healthcare professionals.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KORUS industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Public Health Competence Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying) (EDAJAIAG)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Test Prep & Exam Readiness (K–12) (EDAJALAC), KOL Engagement & Medical Education (Advisory Boards/CME Support) (HLAGALAM)
Keywords
Where KORUS is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Skien
Offices6 records
Markets served
KORUS business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Funding: KORUS is a government-funded national competence center. The Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet) finances the operations of the competence center network.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | All products available free of charge |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
KORUS product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KORUS is Norway's national network of seven regional competence centers that provides free knowledge, evidence-based tools, training courses, publications, and the national Ungdata youth welfare survey system to municipalities, schools, and professionals working in substance abuse prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, treatment follow-up, and public health. Its offerings span physical brochures and handbooks, educational board games, e-learning courses, motivational interviewing conversation tools, and large-scale youth surveys (Ungdata, Ungdata Plus, Ungdata Junior) plus drug trend monitoring (Føre Var).
Product overview
KORUS (Koordineringsorganet for rusmiddelforebyggende arbeid i kommunene) is a national network of seven regional competence centers for substance abuse and public health, funded by the Norwegian Directorate of Health (Helsedirektoratet). The organization provides knowledge, tools, and training services to municipalities across Norway. Its product portfolio includes physical and digital publications (brochures, handbooks, research reports) such as the Gaming Brochure, Pengespill Brochure, and Håndbok i overdoseforebyggende samtaler; e-learning courses including Aldring alkohol og legemidler and the Digital Course in Physical Health and Substance Use; and educational board games (Mestringsspillet in versions for lower and upper secondary school, Metaspillet). KORUS also operates the Ungdata survey system, its longitudinal extension Ungdata pluss, and Ungdata junior, providing municipalities with survey-based knowledge about young people's health and wellbeing. Supporting tools include Motivational Interviewing (MI) materials (conversation posters and value cards). All products are available cost-free for municipalities and professionals working in prevention and public health.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ungdata: A national welfare survey for children and young people conducted across Norway, providing knowledge about how youth live, their school environment, friendships, leisure activities, and health.
- Ungdata pluss
- Føre Var
- Spillradioen
Products and services
- Gaming – Brosjyre (Gaming Brochure)
Companies that use KORUS
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
KORUS technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
KORUS partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Vestfold og Telemark fylkeskommunecorePartner in the Ungdata Plus project, providing funding and municipal participation for the longitudinal survey of children aged 10+ in Vestfold and Telemark.
- Universitetet i Sørøst-NorgecoreCollaborates with KORUS Sør on Ungdata Plus research, including focus group studies with children and youth in Vestfold and Telemark.
- NOVA (Velferdsforskningsinstituttet), OsloMetcoreNOVA at OsloMet has the professional and legal responsibility for the Ungdata survey. KORUS collaborates closely with NOVA on Ungdata and Ungdata Plus research projects.
- Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health)coreHelsedirektoratet funds and mandates KORUS's national competence center operations, including the Ungdata surveys and regional substance abuse competence support.
- Blå Kors NorgecoreKORUS sør is part of Blå Kors Norge. Blå Kors has appointed a privacy officer (personvernombud) that supports KORUS. KORUS øst co-produces the Spillradioen podcast with Blå Kors.
- RKBU/RBUP (Regionalt kunnskapssenter for barne- og ungdomsforskning)coreKORUS collaborates with RKBU/RBUP on following up Ungdata results, particularly related to child and youth mental health, violence and traumatic stress.
- RVTS (Regionalt videre- og spesialopplæringssenter)coreKORUS collaborates with RVTS for follow-up of Ungdata results, specifically regarding violence, traumatic stress and suicide prevention.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
KORUS competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Folkehelseinstituttet (Norwegian Institute of Public Health, FHI): Norway's national public health research institute, operating at a broader scale than KORUS across all population health topics. FHI's research on substance use, youth health and population surveys overlaps substantively with KORUS's mandate and dataset focus.
- EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction): EU agency providing evidence on substance use at a multinational scale. EMCDDA's remit is conceptually comparable to KORUS's — collecting data, producing reports, and supporting policy — though operating at EU rather than national level.
- Blå Kors Norge: Norwegian addiction treatment and prevention NGO; KORUS sør operates as part of Blå Kors, and KORUS øst co-produces the Spillradioen podcast with Blå Kors. Blå Kors is a broader addiction services operator with treatment, not just prevention, focus.
Direct peers
- Actis - Rusfeltets samarbeidsorgan: Norwegian umbrella organization for actors working in alcohol and drug policy. Actis shares KORUS's substance abuse prevention remit and serves as a complementary policy/advocacy body that KORUS works alongside.
- RKBU/RBUP (Regionalt kunnskapssenter for barne- og ungdomsforskning): Norway's regional knowledge centers for child and youth research, with which KORUS collaborates directly on Ungdata follow-up. RBUP/RKBU shares KORUS's government-funded competence-center model and addresses overlapping child/youth welfare and mental health subject matter.
- RVTS (Regionalt videre- og spesialopplæringssenter): Norway's regional centers for violence, traumatic stress and suicide prevention. KORUS and RVTS jointly follow up on Ungdata results; both are government-funded specialist centers offering training, guidance, and competence support to municipalities on sensitive public health topics.
Others
- Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health): KORUS's sole funder and mandate holder. Although not a peer in the competitive sense, Helsedirektoratet's broader role in Norwegian health-system competence building intersects closely with KORUS's mandate, including funding and oversight of overdosefore.no and national prevention campaigns.
Regional players
- Nordic Welfare Centre: Inter-Nordic body supporting knowledge and competence in welfare, health, and social policy across the Nordic countries. Operates in a similar public-funded competence-center niche as KORUS, with overlapping substance abuse, prevention, and social-services training scope at the regional level.
- THL - Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare: Finland's national public health and welfare institute serving a similar role as Folkehelseinstituttet in Norway. THL conducts population health surveys, prevention research, and competence support for municipalities — conceptually parallel to KORUS's mandate in a neighboring Nordic jurisdiction.
- Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA): Canada's national competence body on substance use, providing evidence, policy advice, and workforce development. CCSA's mandate, public-funded status, and product portfolio (reports, guidelines, training, data) closely mirror KORUS's role in Norway, scaled to a different country.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KORUS social profiles
Digital presenceKORUS financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KORUS leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
KORUS funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KORUS M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KORUS
What does KORUS do?
KORUS is Norway's national network of seven regional competence centers that provides free knowledge, evidence-based tools, training courses, publications, and the national Ungdata youth welfare survey system to municipalities, schools, and professionals working in substance abuse prevention, early intervention, harm reduction, treatment follow-up, and public health. Its offerings span physical brochures and handbooks, educational board games, e-learning courses, motivational interviewing conversation tools, and large-scale youth surveys (Ungdata, Ungdata Plus, Ungdata Junior) plus drug trend monitoring (Føre Var).
Is KORUS a public or private company?
KORUS is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was KORUS founded?
KORUS was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is KORUS based?
KORUS is headquartered in Skien.
How does KORUS make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Funding.
Who are KORUS's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Folkehelseinstituttet (Norwegian Institute of Public Health, FHI), EMCDDA (European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction) and Blå Kors Norge. Direct peers are Actis - Rusfeltets samarbeidsorgan, RKBU/RBUP (Regionalt kunnskapssenter for barne- og ungdomsforskning) and RVTS (Regionalt videre- og spesialopplæringssenter). Helsedirektoratet (Norwegian Directorate of Health) is listed as an others. Regional players are Nordic Welfare Centre, THL - Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare and Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA).
Does KORUS have an API?
No public API is recorded for KORUS.
What industry is KORUS in?
KORUS's product category is Public Health Competence Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAIAG, Student Wellness & Prevention Programs (Substance Use, Sexual Health, Bullying), with a secondary code of EDAJALAC, Test Prep & Exam Readiness (K–12). Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.