Embracing Collaboration

Close to 50 companies took part in over 250 one-on-one digital meetings with other partners and members of GCE Ocean Technology during a two hour speed-dating session at Møteforum.

Aker BP and CGG opened the event sharing interesting perspectives from their work before the participants continued with eight, one-on-one meetings based on their preferences.

Focusing on User Needs

User needs are central when it comes to defining what the focus should be for Aker BP. With an asset centric approach to technology they work hard to visualize technology to increase the quality of work inside and outside the company, according to Technology Manager Kristin Moe Elgsaas.

The Aker BP strategy sets the direction, and prioritization criteria are tools to evaluate projects and weight them up against each other. It is essential and required to be able to describe the end-to-end plan for the technology for Aker BP, that take a holistic approach to technology development, by evaluating the totality and overarching goals of each project in order to maximise value, minimise emissions, improve and share. Suppliers should be able to put their technology into a larger picture with- or without Aker BPs help when contacting the company.

Evaluating technology or individual components alone is a failure when you consider R&D projects, according to Elgsaas, and the Aker BP way is to look at hardware technology in relations to software solutions and work processes. Only then, you will start creating value using technology.

An example of this is Aker BPs work to develop remote control of cranes: The key drivers of this technology project is to increase safety, take people away from container areas, a wish to streamline processes, reduce staffing offshore and increase predictability. The solution has been to work with the hardware side, sensor systems, to look at simplification of cranes, next generation cranes and work heavily on the software side for systems that allow remote control, plus major software development and to change the way of work. This is the totality that must be defined every time they enter a technology race or an investment.

Embracing Collaboration for the Energy Transition

Many investments are now allocated to renewable energy rather than oil and gas, and CGG's expertise in geoscience may become an important contributor within especially marine minerals, CO2 storage and offshore wind in the future, according to Terje Weisser, Manager Subsurface Imaging present at CGG.

Weisser said that clusters provide expertise from other industries enabling CGG to develop their business areas. CGG joined GCE Ocean Technology, this autumn and has already connected with several useful companies and projects in other industries, according to Weisser.