Webinaire de présentation du marché norvégien et des projets de coopération bilatérale dans le secteur maritime

The French-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce, in association with the French Maritime Cluster and the Pôles Mer, hosted its first webinar dedicated to the maritime sector on 28 April. Bringing together almost 150 participants, the webinar was a great success and an opportunity to prepare for our Smart & Clean Ocean E-Forum, which will take place on 13-16 October.

The speakers highlighted the strong potential for cooperation between French and Norwegian maritime sectors, particularly with regards to the ecological and digital transition. The French maritime cluster is working closely with the Norwegian Global Centres of Expertise and numerous opportunities are to be found in green shipping, electrification, hydrogen or offshore wind. Both countries boast a solid expertise within ocean data and could benefit from a closer cooperation.

According to Stål Heggelund, Norwegian offshore services, shipyards and passenger traffic (Hurtigruten, Colour Line), have been especially hit by the COVID-19 crisis. While the Norwegian government is massively investing to keep the sector afloat, the industry has identified several key areas and has asked the government to implement specific measures, including:
 

• Building 2 warships and 2 new research ships;
• Renewing the short-distance fleet ;
• Focusing on green shipping and zero-emission ships;
• Investing in port infrastructure and dock electrification;
• Greening and electrifying aquaculture, with a specific focus on offshore aquaculture;
• Aiming for a global leadership position in offshore wind and establishing new partnerships;
• Improving digital skills and encouraging continuous training for licensed seafarers.

Cross-industry innovation is prevalent in the Norwegian maritime sector, providing an ideal ground for new synergies within a French-Norwegian framework. Technology transfers are taking place between the maritime industry and the aerospace, defence and energy sectors. Norway is often considered as a testing laboratory for green transport solutions and offers multiple public funding schemes to encourage R&D.

With its solid experience in the field and its resilient economy, Norway has the capacity to quickly recover from the current economic downturn. Coming out of the crisis, the green and digital transition of the maritime sector should take off, offering considerable business opportunities for French actors and expertise.

Special thanks to the speakers:

• Stål Heggelund, Maritime and Marine Technology expert - The Norwegian Confederation of Enterprises
• Linwood Pendleton, Conservation and Innovation Advisor - The Ocean Data Foundation
• Eve Raymond, International Development Director, Pôle Mer Méditerranée 
• Philippe Monbet, Deputy Director, Pôle Mer Bretagne Atlantique 
• Marie-Noëlle Tiné-Dyèvre and Emmanuel Marie Peton, French Maritime Cluster
• Ludovic Caubet, Managing Director of the French-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce