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Arendal, 13 August 2025 – In a time of growing threats to critical infrastructure, including at sea, Fremtidens Industri, Ocean Autonomy Cluster, NORDSEC, and partners brought together key figures from defence, business, and politics for a timely panel discussion on how civil ocean technology can strengthen preparedness and surveillance.

The event took place aboard MS Lofoten during Arendalsuka and attracted a full house of representatives from both the public and private sectors. Moderator Frode Halvorsen, Cluster Manager at Ocean Autonomy Cluster, led the conversation between Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik, Vice President Defence & Security of Maritime Robotics Eirik Hovstein, CEO of Blueye Robotics Christian Gabrielsen, COO of Clarify Bernt-Johan Bergshaven, and Trondheim City Council Leader Kristian Dahlberg Hauge.

A growing threat picture at sea

The discussion began with the fact that Norway, as a maritime nation, has significant assets under water—assets increasingly exposed to threats from both state and non-state actors. The panel agreed that existing, cost-effective technology from civil actors is already in place and can be scaled to cover large parts of the Norwegian coastline.

“The Armed Forces must—and will—become more innovative. It will still be difficult to enter the defence industry; you have to win the competition,” emphasised Minister of Defence Tore O. Sandvik.

SMEs must be allowed to deliver

From the industry side, Eirik Hovstein of Maritime Robotics pointed out that achieving real change requires both time and collaboration, noting that smaller actors can act quickly, while larger organisations need more time to change course.

“I agree that we have to win the competition, and we’re ready for that—but that assumes we know about the competition,” Hovstein said.

“Today’s threat landscape demands a renewed focus on how we secure our critical infrastructure. To meet these challenges, close cooperation with civil actors who have specialised expertise in ocean technology is absolutely essential for the Armed Forces,” he added.

COO Bernt-Johan Bergshaven from Clarify highlighted a challenge faced by many small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs):

“It’s difficult to get insight into what SMEs can contribute,” he said, calling for better dialogue channels between SMEs and the defence sector. Smaller companies often end up competing with departments within larger corporations. Procurement processes must therefore be adapted to make it possible for SMEs to participate and deliver.

Ready-to-use technology solutions

Clarify, Maritime Robotics, and Blueye Robotics all presented concrete solutions already in commercial use but adaptable for monitoring and securing critical infrastructure. From the municipal side, Kristian Dahlberg Hauge stressed the importance of having local preparedness and technological competence in place before crises occur.

Organised by Trondheim, the technology capital

The event was organised by Trondheim, the technology capital, in collaboration with Trondheim Tech Port, Ocean Autonomy Cluster, Trøndelag County Council, Trondheim Municipality, and the Trondheim Region Chamber of Commerce.