Maritime Robotics recently completed a trial focused on improving maritime security through the integration of advanced technologies and strategic collaboration. This trial proved how combining satellite imaging, aerial support, and Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USVs) can provide an effective surveillance and monitoring system. The trial started with satellite imaging, which allowed for the detection of unidentified objects heading towards a restricted maritime area. This early warning system prompted the use of aerial support to investigate further. By combining data from satellites with visuals from aircraft, potential risks can be identified before posing any significant danger. Upon detection of any suspicious activity, the Maritime Robotics' uncrewed surface vessel is deployed to conduct a more comprehensive examination of the area. Using advanced sonar technology, the USV carefully maps out the underwater area of the restricted zone in search of potential hidden hazards. This detailed mapping not only ensures safety but also revealed the precise location and depth of the unidentified object. The USV also launches a specially designed underwater drone for closer inspection. This drone provides live video footage, giving operators a clear vision of the unidentified object on the seabed. Thanks to the accurate geolocation abilities of these technologies, informed decisions can be made quickly in response to potential threats. Read full article
Clean Sea Solutions, a leading Norwegian company specializing in innovative marine waste management, has found new business partners in Croatia. This collaboration began during a recent study trip organized by the Digital Innovation Hub Innovamare, where B2B meetings were the starting point for new partnerships between Croatian and Norwegian companies. This represents a significant step toward sustainable marine practices and highlights our commitment to protecting marine environment. -In this trip we met multiple Croatian companies and organizations working with the sea. This led to new partnerships and new buiness for us, Gulleik Olsen says. Gulleik Olsen, COO - Clean Sea Solutions He is COO in Clean Sea Solutions and has recently participated in the Norway - Croatia exchange study trip, arranged by Innovamare. - The role of Innovamare is important in fostering such valuable partnerships, says Gulleik Olsen. Networking events such as B2B meetings are among the many valuable services provided by the Digital Innovation Hub Innovamare and Ocean Autonomy Cluster. - Now we start seeing effects of the MATIN project, says Frode Halvorsen in Ocean Autonomy Cluster. Photo: Clean Sea Solutions
The Business Development and Innovation Programme in Croatia has launched an Open Call for bilateral cooperation in Green and Blue Sector. The Call will finance bilateral cooperation between at least one entity from Croatia and at least one entity from the Donor State (Norway) . Read more
At the member meeting of the Ocean Autonomy Cluster MIDSEC, analyst Per Marius Frost-Nielsen and business liaison Terje Lunde from the Police Security Service (PST) informed about their work and the various threats against Norwegian and Trøndelag-based businesses. The altered security situation has led to an increase in the threat level. It's important for companies to assess their own vulnerability and what measures they need to implement to protect their assets, says Frost-Nielsen. He recommends companies to be both vigilant and proactive. The most important security work is what the companies themselves must do. Many businesses possess assets, knowledge, and information that are of great interest to foreign states, and PST gladly invites companies to a dialogue about the security situation. Senior Adviser Martin Blom from the Ministry of Defence informed about the long-term plan for the Defence, and what the significant investments that are forthcoming could entail in terms of opportunities for the business sector. The meeting was conducted in collaboration with MIDSEC Defence and Security Cluster. Analyst Per Marius Frost-Nielsen, PST. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster Senior Adviser Martin Blom from the Ministry of Defence. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster
For companies that have secured or are in the process of securing local co-financing through Innovation Norway grants. For companies that are unable to apply for and secure local co-financing with Innovation Norway by July, there will be a deadline for batch #2 on September 16. What do you get? € 30k non-equity funding 50 hours Business Development Support and mentoring by experts 20 hours Technical Support and 10 hrs IP/Legal support through business partners Access to Office Space and Shared Facilities Incubation period of up to 24 months Use of ESA BIC brand Door opener to international investors Access to the European network of ESA BICs Who can apply? Product or service with a space connection Legal Norwegian entity age < 5 years A legal work permit in Norway Full list of requirements in application documents Read more and apply here Any questions? Contact: Linda Hald, EU-advisor Phone: +47 976 74 134 E-mail: linda@fi-nor.no
A Norwegian-developed advanced underwater vehicle and a compact sonar that renders objects three-dimensionally have now become part of a NATO initiative. It's about the innovations of two neighbors in Trondheim. One innovation is the 3D sonar from Water Linked. The other is the autonomous BlueSTAR from Skarv Technologies. Read the full story (in Norwegian) at the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI) website.
We are happy to welcome BESSY aboard as a new member og Ocean Autonomy Cluster. BESSY is an autonomous floating battery energy plattform, a floating autonomus powerbank. When fully charged the vessel will automaticly return to shore and decharge into a landbased station or a mobile station. BESSY is a fully autonomous vessel, unmanned and energy self sufficient. BESSY uses advanced AI weather and routing models to optimice production and transport of the collected energy. Bessy receives predictive data and real time data from a large number of sources - this is combined with machine learning from her own experience Bessy's founder, Kristian Osestad, brings a wealth of experience to the table. With a background in communications and a deep passion for the ocean and energy, he established Ocean Marine AS in 2022 and has been steadily developing Bessy ever since. His daily work is at HPC Nordic AS, with green initiatives in power, IT, and data centers, while also exploring AI projects and power production. Kristian's passion for sustainable energy extends to Bessy, a company pioneering yacht-based energy storage for cleaner, small-scale power at sea. Addressing Energy Challenges BESSY addresses two critical energy challenges: the need for increased energy storage and the desire to reduce reliance on expensive and lengthy power cables. By enabling small-scale energy production at sea, Bessy can empower local communities with access to clean and affordable energy. BESSY's unique system combines energy harvesting, storage, and distribution within a compact and autonomous unit housed on a yach, Osestad says. This innovative technology taps into the vast energy potential of the sea, utilizing both wind and wave power more efficiently than land-based alternatives. BESSY runs on two electric motors and will automatically relocate within a framework to optimize wind and solar production. The vessel can also operate in a stand still, as long as needed utilizing the electric engines acting as a trolling motor. The main energy source will be tilted solar. The vessel will relocate to find sun within a framework/best conditions - and will also adjust during daylight to optimize the beams. Also the panels will tilt automatically to have the best angel towards the light. BESSY has two wing sails for using wind as propulsion. Joining Forces for Ocean Autonomy BESSy's membership in OAC marks a significant step forward for the company. OAC provides an ideal platform for Bessy to connect with industry leaders, share expertise, and collaborate on advancing ocean autonomy technologies, Osestad says. Contact: For more information about Bessy, contact Kristian Osestad LinkedIn E-mail
Read article in Norwegian NATO's Innovation Fund - NIF is a key component of NATO's focus on technology and innovation. The fund has a total size of 1 billion euros over 15 years and invests in technologies that could be crucial in future military operations. The Norwegian share is approximately 400 million Norwegian kroner. Recently, a number of Trondheim's ocean technology companies have received visits from the fund. They exclusively invest in research-based startups in deep tech, aiming to be a significant source of investment for Norway's high-tech industry. Visit at Oceantech Innovation. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster Can create at least 1000 more jobs Our mission is capacity building, to build local capacity within 'deep tech', says Thorsten Claus, who leads NIF's fund-of-funds platform in NATO's Innovation Fund. If there is indeed a cluster of interest that we can finance, where we have startups that we can fund, it will create a gravity like an accelerator. This will automatically create at least 1000 more jobs in the region, he says. Not only that, it will be a huge inspiration for everyone working at the university to see that there is a career path in 'dual use of deep tech' and ocean technology, says Claus. The visit is an important contribution to positioning the technology community in Trondheim, says Anders Aune at NTNU Technology Transfer. We get to showcase that we have an area where we have incredibly exciting research and knowledge-based startups that can be attractive for NATO's Innovation Fund. Anders Aune, NTNU Technology Transfer. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster We particularly want to showcase an area where Norway and Trondheim excel, which is ocean technology. Here, we have around twenty to thirty startup companies and some major end customers, as well as larger players like Kongsberg Group. We have also been able to demonstrate that we have infrastructure and facilities for testing both in labs, visually and digitally, and physical testing in pools, ports, and fjords, says Aune. Thorsten Claus, NATO's Innovation Fund. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster Ohh man, that’s gold. That’s amazing! The most important thing we've seen today is the phenomenal collaboration. NIF only invests in great teams, and teamwork is, of course, a matter of collaboration. What we've seen today are perfect examples: How many startup companies exchange ideas and technologies and find commercial engagement with each other? They share customer information. They share experiences about the customers, how they buy, what they buy, and when they buy. Oh, man, that’s gold. That’s amazing! Photo gallery from the visit Photos by Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster
(Arrangement held in Norwegian) Velkommen til medlemsmøte for Ocean Autonomy Cluster og MIDSEC - Defence and Security Cluster med PST og Forsvarsdepartementet den 5. juni kl. 10-1145. Møytet gjennomføres på Trondheim Maritime Senter i Skippergata 14 på Nyhavna. Programmet før lunsj gjennomføres felles for medlemsbedriftene i Ocean Autonomy Cluster og MIDSEC. Programutkast 1000-1145 Felles for MIDSEC og OAC Velkommen Hva er trusselen mot trønderske bedrifter? v/Per Marius Frost-Nielsen, Politiets sikkerhetstjeneste – PST Langtidsplanen for Forsvaret. Hva innebærer denne for næringslivet og SMB-er spesielt? v/Forsvarsdepartementet (FD VI), avdeling for investeringer. 1145-1215 Lunsj (MIDSEC sitt medlemsmøte fortsetter etter lunch) Frist for påmelding: 31 mai. Arrangementet er åpent for medlemsbedrifter i MIDSEC og Ocean Autonomy Cluster. Er du interessert i å bli medlem eller å vite mer, ta kontakt! Link til påmelding
On Tuesday, April 30th, Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth (Labour Party) and Minister of Research and Higher Education Oddmund Hoel (Centre Party) unveiled the government's strategy for increased investment in research and development in the business sector. Eirik Hovstein in Maritime Robotics demonstrating the Otter for Cecilie Myrseth and Oddmund Hoel. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset The government has set an ambitious goal for Norway to allocate three percent of GDP to research and development (R&D) by 2030. The aim is for two out of the three percent to come from the business sector. The launch took place at Maritime Robotics in Trondheim, a leading supplier of advanced autonomous technology for maritime operations. Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset One of the messages from the Minister of Research and Higher Education was that Norwegian research needs more wealthy uncles and aunts, said the ministers. In addition to speeches from the ministers, there were presentations by Alexandra Bech Gjørv from SINTEF and rector Tor Grande from NTNU. Vegard Hovstein presented the success story of Maritime Robotics, Bjørn Jalving from Kongsberg Maritime emphasized the importance of collaboration in the ecosystem, and the tripartite cooperation between business, research, and education. Much of Kongsberg Group's research is conducted as part of further development in already established product lines. Several speakers highlighted the importance of research in defense, societal security, and emergency preparedness. Minister of Research and Higher Education Oddmund Hoel. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset There was also ample time for demonstrations, including Kongsberg Maritime's test vessel Ocean Space Lab, Maritime Robotics' autonomous vessels, and Blueye Robotics' underwater drone. Both Kongsberg, Maritime Robotics, and Blueye Robotics are members of the Ocean Autonomy Cluster.Minister of Trade and Industry Cecilie Myrseth. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster Both ministers and other guests followed with interest and also had the opportunity to try out the vessels. NTNU students Tomas Wedege and Andreas Ødegård presented their project combining a Blueye underwater drone with an Otter from Maritime Robotics. Both are industrial design students. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster Testing underwater drone with Blueye Robotics. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Ocean Autonomy Cluster More pictures and norwegian text here