Industrial automation, resilient maritime navigation, new propulsion technology and autonomous marine monitoring were on the agenda when four of the newest members of Ocean Autonomy Cluster presented their work at AfterSea in Trondheim.

CGO Automasjon, Norse Navigation, IVIA and Akvaplan-niva shared insights into their technologies and expertise at AfterSea on 12 November. The event took place at Transittgata 10 at Nyhavna, where CGO Automasjon and Norse Navigation have already established their offices.

The four companies represent different parts of the ocean technology sector, but share an ambition to develop solutions for more efficient, reliable and autonomous maritime and marine operations.

Christoffer Garmager Okkenhaug, CEO of CGO Automasjon. Photo: Anna Zeiffert/Fremtidens Industri

Automation, navigation and propulsion

Christoffer Garmager Okkenhaug from CGO Automasjon presented the company's work with industrial automation and control systems. CGO develops solutions for industries including aquaculture, maritime applications and research, combining electrical installations, control systems and programming.

One example was an aquaculture project where CGO contributed automation and control technology, from building control cabinets to installation and commissioning.

Henrik Foss, CEO of Norse Navigation. Photo: Anna Zeiffert/Fremtidens Industri

Norse Navigation and CEO Henrik Foss presented the company's work to make maritime navigation more resilient to GNSS interference such as jamming and spoofing. Rather than relying on separate systems, Norse Navigation aims to integrate resilience directly into certified navigation equipment. Its solutions are intended for both commercial vessels and uncrewed surface vessels (USVs).

Oddbjørn Rødsten and Martin Ringdalen from IVIA presented the company's development of a new type of thruster for remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). The technology aims to combine energy efficiency, reliability, precise control and ease of maintenance.

A prototype is already operating in the company's laboratory. The next step is to test the technology under more representative conditions and further refine the design.

Martin Ringdalen presenting new thruster form IVIA.  Photo: Anna Zeiffert/Fremtidens Industri

Autonomous systems for marine monitoring

Lionel Camus from Akvaplan-niva presented how autonomous platforms can improve the collection of environmental data. As R&D Manager for Digital Solutions, he shared examples from the institute's work with autonomous surface vehicles and underwater gliders, some capable of operating at depths of up to 1,000 metres.

These platforms allow researchers to collect data over extended periods and across the water column. Other applications include collecting plankton data and environmental DNA (eDNA) from seawater.

Akvaplan-niva also presented examples from offshore energy and aquaculture. In a previous project for Equinor, an autonomous surface vehicle crossed the North Sea to collect environmental data around the Hywind Scotland floating wind farm. The institute has also developed AI-based software to classify plankton images and identify sea lice larvae.

Lionel Camus, Akvaplan-niva. Photo: Anna Zeiffert/Fremtidens Industri

Connecting expertise at Nyhavna

The four presentations highlighted the breadth of technology and expertise represented in the Ocean Autonomy Cluster community, from industrial automation and navigation to underwater propulsion and environmental monitoring.

Transittgata 10 offers flexible office, workshop and storage facilities for growing ocean technology companies. Bringing different technical environments together creates opportunities to exchange experience, connect expertise and develop new collaborations.

AfterSea provides a meeting place for this kind of knowledge sharing, giving companies across the cluster an opportunity to present their work and explore common interests.

Photo: Anna Zeiffert/Fremtidens Industri