Positive Reception for Blue Quantum Leap Energy in Arendal
Owe Hagesæther, CEO of GCE Ocean Technology in Bergen, and Tor Arnesen, Chairman of Energy Transition Norway in Stavanger, invited a highly esteemed panel to discuss the Blue Quantum Leap Energy during Arendalsuka.
Authored by Karianne Skjæveland from Energy Transition Norway.
– The opportunity to leverage the diverse knowledge from the two industrial clusters we represent becomes significantly greater with a joint organisation that gives us an overview of connections we otherwise wouldn't see, stated Arnesen.
He also emphasised that other industry clusters are invited to join the initiative.
The national initiative, which will be built on the foundations of regional industry clusters with the goal of accelerating the energy transition through increased focus on commercialization and export, received broad support from both politicians and the business community.
Participating in Monday's discussion on the Rygerelektra were Marte Mjøs Persen, leader of Vestland AP and a member of Parliament; Cecilie Sælen, head of CCB Subsea and board member of Offshore Norway; Ståle Kyllingstad, CEO of IKM and Chairman of Norsk Industri; and Torger Reve, Professor Emeritus from BI.
The plans will be realised through the newly established company Ocean Energy Norway.
PWC has been commissioned to develop the business plan, and the initiators have already presented a concrete budget proposal to politicians, hoping it will be prioritised. While the majority of funding is expected to come from private industry, political support is crucial.
– Ocean Energy Norway will support 300 member companies with the goal of improving their global competitiveness through innovation and efficient utilisation of energy resources, said Owe Hagesæther, who will be the company's CEO.
– We will build this initiative on what we have learned from working with the regional industry clusters, continuing the internationalisation and growth programmess that GCE Ocean Technology has worked on for several years. The technical committee of Energy Transition Norway, composed of industry leaders, will evaluate project proposals to ensure they meet the real needs of the market, Hagesæther added.
Torger Reve, Professor Emeritus from BI, called the initiative "the Norwegian cluster programme version 3.0" and emphasised the necessity of such a merger.
– This connection of the regional clusters is the next level. The regional clusters remain essential, but when we step into the global arena, we must stand united, said Reve.
Marte Mjøs Persen, member of Parliament and leader of Vestland AP, pointed out that the initiative is well aligned with the government's policies and will be an important tool for achieving greater ambitions in the energy transition.
– This will be an effective tool for realizing larger ambitions, improving execution capability, and creating more systematic collaboration than we have today, said Persen.
Ståle Kyllingstad, CEO of IKM and Chairman of Norsk Industri, also supported the initiative. He stressed the importance of diversity in the business community and how combining large and small players can drive innovation and development.
He highlighted the advantage of connecting cluster environments from different regions in Norway.
– We have good control over our local environment; our own customers, competitors, and suppliers regionally. But we in Stavanger do not always have insight into what is happening in Bergen. Therefore, we greatly benefit from joining forces, concluded Kyllingstad.
– The more we collaborate with, the better we become. Blue Quantum Leap will play a crucial role in driving innovation, new industry, and improved value chains in the supplier industry, he concluded.
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