Support for the Blue Quantum Leap Energy

Owe Hagesæther, CEO of GCE Ocean Technology, and Tor Arnesen, Chairman of Energy Transition Norway, recently led a panel at this year's ONS to discuss a national initiative to accelerate the energy transition by leveraging the strengths of regional industry clusters.

Note: Some of the quotes in this article are borrowed with permission from NORCE's LinkedIn post.

The Blue Quantum Leap Energy initiative focused on commercialization and export, has gained strong support from both politicians and the business community.

Owe Hagesæther emphasized that the initiative is widely considered one of the most successful industrial efforts in Norway in recent decades. He stated, "We are taking the best from the regional industrial clusters and building it on “their shoulders”.”

A Supportive Panel

During the discussion, the panel shared their support for the Blue Quantum Leap's vision.

Tina Bru, Storting representative from Rogaland and Second Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party, expressed strong support for initiatives like the Blue Quantum Leap, which connect key regions and strengthen the industry, adding that if the current government does not back this initiative, the Conservative Party will when it comes into power.

She commented: "We are a small country, so we should be able to collaborate to accelerate the energy transition. And of course, we will reduce the costs of offshore wind, it just takes a little time."

Siri Espedal Kindem, Head of Equinor Renewables Norway, highlighted: "The oil and gas expertise in the Stavanger region is transferable when we work with other industries, such as offshore wind."

Aina Berg, Acting Executive Vice President for Climate and Environment at NORCE, emphasized the value of integrating all aspects of research through close industry ties and diverse expertise, which she sees as vital for achieving success. She also pointed out the need to combine the best of Bergen and Stavanger to benefit the entire Vestland region.

Berg highlighted the market and investment processes within Energy Transition Norway (ETN) that ensure innovation projects are based on sound market fundamentals.

Additionally, she underscored the importance of the scaleup programme, which GCE Ocean Technology runs in collaboration with MIT Boston, emphasizing that it should benefit as many companies as possible.

Marte Mjøs Persen, Leader of Vestland Labour Party and Storting politician, expressed the need to ensure that such initiatives succeed and move forward, noting that the Labour Party (AP) is committed to supporting this process.

Moving forward with Ocean Energy Norway

The implementation of the plans will be managed by 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.

Although most funding is anticipated to come from the private sector, 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 on the insights from working with regional industry clusters, continuing the internationalisation and growth programmes that GCE Ocean Technology has championed for years. Energy Transition Norway's technical committee, comprising industry leaders, will review project proposals to ensure they address real market needs.

The chance to harness the diverse expertise from two industrial clusters is significantly enhanced with a unified organization that provides an overview of connections we would otherwise overlook. Additionally, other industry clusters are welcome to join the initiative, ends Tor Arnesen.

Do not hesitate to contact Tor Arnesen or Owe Hagesæther to know more about this initiative.