Arena status to the Ocean Autonomy Cluster in Trondheim
The Ocean Autonomy Cluster in Trøndelag is one of Innovation Norway’s new cluster projects, seeking...
Ocean Space Acoustics (OSAC) strengthens the Ocean Autonomy Cluster with leading expertise in hydroacoustics, underwater positioning, hardware development, and deep sector knowledge from fisheries. The company now becomes part of a growing ecosystem working to advance autonomous solutions for sustainable ocean industries. OSAC will also join FI Ocean Space Incubator as a new incubator company.
OSAC was established in 2018 by two SINTEF entrepreneurs and is headquartered in Trondheim, with a team of eight employees. The company provides wireless underwater positioning and data communication solutions designed to reduce loss of equipment and improve decision support for fisheries.
Photo: Ocean Space Acoustics
Recovers lost gear
Its core product, the PingMe system, is a hydroacoustic sensor and communication platform that detects, identifies, and positions equipment in the ocean. PingMe delivers real-time depth, temperature, and positional data with a detection range of up to 2000 meters and a depth rating of 1000 meters. The system supports both active operations and recovery of lost gear, and all detections and sensor data are stored in a cloud service that enables insight and data-sharing across a community of users.
The PingMe sensor features a long battery life of up to one year in dormant mode, advanced noise tolerance, and integration options with chartplotters and vessel systems. These capabilities make the system suitable not only for fisheries, but also for asset monitoring, including verification of fixed installations such as pipelines, and locating temporary sensor platforms deployed for long-term ocean observations.
Håkon Skjelten, CEO of OSAC. Photo: Ocean Space Acoustics
“We are excited to join a community where ocean technology, autonomy, and practical industry needs intersect,” says Håkon Skjelten, CEO of OSAC. “The Ocean Autonomy Cluster offers an arena where we can both contribute our experience and collaborate with companies that share our ambition to advance sustainable ocean operations.”
Photo: Ocean Space Acoustics
Aims to connect with the robotics and autonomy community
Through its membership, OSAC aims to connect with the robotics and autonomy community to identify potential partners, contribute to collaborative innovation projects, and participate in networks where hydroacoustics and ocean data technologies are central.
Photo: Ocean Space Acoustics
“Engaging with the cluster gives us access to complementary expertise and opens the door to projects where hydroacoustics can enable new solutions,” says Skjelten.The company contributes strong domain expertise in hydroacoustics, as well as hardware, software, and mechanical product development and production. Its mission to reduce equipment loss and enhance decision support aligns closely with emerging needs in autonomous operations, asset monitoring, and ocean observation.
“We believe our background in developing robust hardware and understanding the operational realities of fishers will be valuable to the cluster’s ecosystem,” Skjelten adds.
Photo: Ocean Space Acoustics
"We look forward to welcoming Ocean Space Acoustics to the incubator. Their technology and expertise fit very well both with us and within the Ocean Autonomy Cluster." – Svein Olav Munkeby, Senior Advisor, FI Ocean Space Incubator