Two hundred attendees braved the rain to celebrate the collaboration between NTNU, Trondheim Port Authority, and the tech community at Nyhavna.

- It's amusing to witness such a large gathering of individuals assembled to commemorate a floating dock, quipped Frode Halvorsen when he welcomed the big celebration.

- Imagine what we can achieve together if we continue the collaboration!

As leader of a cluster with over 70 members from early start-ups to well-established groups, he knows that the path from idea to commercial investment can be long and tortuous. It is easier to survive in tough international competition with good framework conditions and access to critical expertise.

The world's first test arena 

The Trondheimsfjorden was established as the world's first test arena for autonomous vessels in 2016 following the initiative of NTNU, Kongsberg Seatex, Kongsberg Maritime, MARINTEK, and Maritime Robotics. The partnership and the test area have provided a sound basis for growth for many maritime companies that have established themselves in Trondheim since then.

Trondheim Port Authority has played a vital role in developing the floating jetty facility and the arrangements for the maritime actors in the port area.

- Making arrangements for NTNU and the maritime cluster is an essential task for us and has been for a long time, said port director Knut Thomas Kusslid.

Capital of ocean space technology

With 450 square meters of space and a new wharf facility for testing ocean space technology at Nyhavna, NTNU has reached a new goal in its heavy investment in research and education within ocean space.

- Trondheim is the technology capital. We are also becoming the capital for ocean space technology, introduced Ingrid Schjølberg - dean at NTNU's Faculty of Information Technology and Electronics, during the official opening of NTNU Nyhavna.

Schjølberg pointed out that this is an essential collaboration between the Port of Trondheim and NTNU, the business community, and the municipality.

Important industry

Kristian Dahlberg Hauge, director of industry, environment, and transport in Trondheim municipality, emphasized the value of access to areas near the sea in a knowledge and maritime city.

- What we are celebrating today is one of many milestones for Nyhavna, a milestone for the technology capital Trondheim and maritime technology development, said Dahlberg Hauge.

Nyhavna is transforming from an industrial port into a central district that accommodates both housing and city life, and the municipal director promised that maritime technology companies will have an essential place in the ongoing work on urban development.

New experiences

The crowd toured DORA I, where the Science Center might fill old warehouses with new experiences.

- Imagine an arena for tactile experiences, conferences, and meeting places where you can experience the technology "hands-on" and see what happens from technology testing in the harbor basin simultaneously, said Åshild Adsen, director at the Science Centre, to the audience.

The goal is that a new experience center where science meets the public in close cooperation with the knowledge environment, business, and technology companies will be ready at Nyhavna for the national millennium in 2030.