A core activity for NCE Maritime CleanTech is bringing cluster members together to identify, establish and realize green innovation projects and to launch new technologies in the global market.
NCE Maritime CleanTech recently held its annual cluster meeting at Stord, with many of the cluster’s forward-leaning and ambitious newcomers on the speakers list.
– NORsteam wants to win America’s cup with Norwegian technology and competence. We want to bring the trophy to Norway, to show our strengths within ocean technologies to the world, Petter Mørland Pedersen states with confidence.
NORsteam differs from most of the members in the cluster. They want to build a sailboat packed with Norwegian technology, from ship design and material technology to control systems, to win one of the most prestigious trophies in the world of sports.
– To do that we need contacts in the industry. Being able to present our case to the cluster here today is essential to convey the message. The project is 99 percent about technology development, Mørland Pedersen says.
Autonomous shipping evolving
NORsteam was only one of several ambitious newcomers at the cluster event in March. Maybe they could find some of the digital and autonomous competence they need from fellow cluster partner Massterly?
– Massterly wants to move transport of goods from road to sea in an environmentally friendly, safe and cost effective way. Autonomy is a part of the picture, with reduced number of crew or no crew at all, Pia Meling says about the Kongsberg/Wilhelmsen joint venture.
– I have met people with a variety of backgrounds today. I look forward to getting to know them better, and to get a better picture of what we can achieve together in exciting innovation projects in Norway.
Meling believes that if we pull together, we can take a leading position globally, within zero-emission solutions and autonomous shipping.
– We need to co-operate on a national level. The NCE Maritime CleanTech cluster will play an important role. It enables us to share knowledge, as well as establish and realize projects together.
Watch the movie from the cluster event March 21, 2019:
Explosions of creativity at cluster events from NCE Maritime CleanTech on Vimeo.
Efficiency through digitalization
Digitalization is one of NCE Martime CleanTech’s main paths forward, and both Massterly and Yxney Maritime are examples of industries that uses information technology and big data to improve efficiency in shipping.
– Yxney Maritime is offering a software package called Maress that makes offshore vessels more efficient. It reduces fuel consumption and emissions. I think what we do fits perfectly into the cluster and that the activities in the cluster are relevant to us, he says.
– A clear advantage of the cluster is that it gathers a variety of different competences in the same room. This often creates unexpected, positive explosions of creativity, Bornstein says.