Les saken på norsk Trondheim continues to strengthen its position as a hub for ocean technology innovation, as industry professionals gathered for a new Design for Manufacturing (DFM) breakfast meeting hosted in collaboration with Ocean Autonomy Cluster, Inventas, and FI Ocean Space Incubator. Mads Martinussen, Inventas. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Bridging design and production The event is part of an ongoing series highlighting real-world industrial experiences and best practices in developing products that are not only innovative—but also manufacturable. Through short presentations and open dialogue, participants explored how design decisions, sourcing strategies, and production planning directly impact cost, quality, and development timelines in electronics. A key theme throughout the session was the importance of integrating manufacturing considerations early in the design phase. Done right, Design for Manufacturing enables companies to reduce risk, save time, and ensure that products can be produced at scale with predictable quality and cost. Vidar Hansen, Inventas. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Insights from across the value chain Vidar Hansen from Inventas shared how early-stage design choices can significantly reduce complexity and cost during industrialization. Hans-Marius Øverås and Fredrik Lilleøkdal from Ocean Access then provided insights from the development of the company’s first operational autonomous communication buoy, including how the team balanced rapid development with the need for long-term robustness in a system designed to operate autonomously for up to six months in harsh marine environments. Fredrik Lilleøkdal, Ocean Access. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Svein Ivar Bjørnås from Inission concluded the session by presenting the manufacturer’s perspective, emphasizing when and how production environments should be involved in development processes and what needs to be clarified before it is too late to make changes. Svein Ivar Bjørnås, Inission. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Strong participation from Rørvik Ocean Autonomy Cluster co-opened the event together with the co-organisers, underlining the importance of collaboration between developers, manufacturers, and end users in accelerating innovation. It was particularly encouraging to see strong participation from member companies based in Rørvik. Among those attending were Naustet, Innovarena, Emilsen Sjøservice, Navy Rørvik, and Mekon, highlighting the growing engagement and competence emerging from this important coastal cluster. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri A framework for scalable innovation As product development cycles accelerate and performance requirements increase, Design for Manufacturing is becoming a critical framework for companies aiming to bring robust, scalable solutions to market. The DFM breakfast series will continue to serve as a platform for sharing hands-on experience and strengthening collaboration across the ocean technology ecosystem. More pictures from breakfast meeting at Inventas Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri
Read article in Norwegian Inventas and Ocean Autonomy Cluster invited participants to a DFM breakfast in Trondheim to showcase how companies in the region can succeed with product development for manufacturing. The event gathered actors from technology and industrial environments and demonstrated how good design choices early in the development process can be crucial for quality, cost, and production capability. Helene Øyangen Lindberg, Senior Advisor at Fremtidens Industri and Ocean Space Incubator, introduced and presented how the Ocean Autonomy Cluster, Testination, and Ocean Space Incubator complement each other in accelerating new maritime technology from development to market. Helene Øyangen Lindberg, Senior Advisor at Fremtidens Industri and Ocean Space Incubator. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Lars Vegard Slettemark from Ocean Space Acoustics delivered an entertaining and engaging presentation on the journey through product development, testing, and production. He emphasized the importance of making the right choices along the way, both technically and organizationally, to succeed with industrialization. Ocean Space Acoustics develops acoustic solutions for maritime applications, including positioning, communication, and underwater monitoring. One of their products is PingMe!, a compact and cost-effective acoustic positioning system that enables precise localization and retrieval of underwater equipment using acoustic signals. The solution is designed for demanding maritime operations, testing, and fieldwork, where reliability and precision are critical. Transitioning from prototype to a product that can be produced stably and predictably is one of the biggest challenges, and this applies to both small and large products, said Slettemark. Lars Vegard Slettemark, Ocean Space Acoustics. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Elegant, or Big, Strong, and Ugly? Snorre Bache from Inventas emphasized the importance of prototyping as an integral part of the Design for Manufacturing process: Prototyping is about testing, experiencing, refining, and making. Find the mistakes before production starts. Choose the right level of precision and design both for the actual production process and for the ability to use multiple production methods over time. Material selection should be considered in conjunction with the production method. In some industries, according to Bache, designs must follow the three S’s: Big, Strong, and Ugly. The best mechanical solution is not necessarily the most elegant, but the one that provides stable and predictable production. Snorre Bache from Inventas. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri What should production cost? Aleksander Wermers, CEO of Creor, a subsidiary of Inventas, shared experiences from product development and industrialization. He addressed key questions such as how early in the development process production costs are determined and how to plan a product’s supply chain to ensure an efficient production process. Aleksander Wermers, CEO of Creor. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Common Challenges Both members of Ocean Autonomy Cluster and Inventas customers attended the breakfast meeting, which also became a networking platform that quickly generated interesting discussions on material selection, development challenges, and solutions. This event is about helping companies in the region succeed when moving from early-stage prototypes to market-ready products. It’s about doing the right things at the right time. At the same time, we see that many challenges are common, whether you work with large steel structures or very small machined components, the principles of production-friendly design and correct tolerances are relevant across the board, said Mads Martinussen, Commercial Manager at Inventas. Mads Martinussen, Commercial Manager at Inventas. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri About Inventas Inventas is a design and innovation company that develops products from concept and prototype to production-ready solutions. The company collaborates with both small and large technology companies in the region and is an active member of the Ocean Autonomy Cluster, working with several of the cluster’s members. Yngve Brathaug gave participants a guided tour of Inventas’ facilities. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri A number of well-known products have passed through Inventas during the development process. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Eivind from Inventas and Erik Bjørgo, CTO of LGr Technologies. LGr develops robust radar-based sensor systems for area monitoring. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Inventas has contributed to the development of a mobile medical cabinet that has already saved several lives. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri