Maritime Report 2026 English

2026

MARITIME REPORT Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

THIS REPORT HAS BEEN TRANSLATED WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Content

Participating companies, collection and processing of material

The maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

PAGE 4-5

STATISTICS FROM PAGE 6 ONWARD

DEEPOCEAN:

From Smedasundet to Øvregata – 30 years of subsea history

BØMLA CONFERENCE:

At the quayside with SMART Automation

PAGE 8

PAGE 32

SEAM:

RTS & NOSP:

100+ green vessels from Karmøy

Subsea Innovation Day 2025

PAGE 12

PAGE 35

BREEZE SHIP DESIGN:

WESTERN NORWAY UNIVERSITY OF APPLIED SCIENCES (HVL):

Nuclear power becomes part of the solution PAGE 14

The HVL board invests in marine engineering education

KARMSUND PORT:

IKM GROUP:

New cruise port opened in Skudeneshavn

PAGE 35

Plans to invest in Haugalandet – will grow to hundreds of employees

PAGE 17

PAGE 37

HK SHIPPING GROUP:

BOUVET:

Investing in social entrepreneurship

Building a maritime spearhead out of Haugesund

PAGE 18

PAGE 38

LOCAL COMPANIES IN ABERDEEN:

DEEP WIND OFFSHORE:

McKie and the 500 in Aberdeen PAGE 20

SUBSEA OPERATIONS CONFERENCE:

Endurance is decisive PAGE 40

ATEA:

The development of the subsea cluster in Haugalandet 1974–2025

Atea moves into Smedasundet 77

PAGE 22

PAGE 46

NAPIER:

KRISTINE EDVINSON:

Crowds turned out in Langevåg for the new vessel

The level of ambition at NOR matches my own

PAGE 28

PAGE 47

BØMLO SKIPSSERVICE:

ARENDALSUKA:

Maritime Emergency Room PAGE 29

Haugesund named Maritime Municipality of the Year PAGE 48

COMMENTARY:

COMMENTARY:

The Stord Conference wants to think regionally – let’s give it all we’ve got all we’ve got

PAGE 50

PAGE 30

2

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Haugesund as “Maritime Municipality of the Year” has a region to thank

Outlook for 2026

Board of the Maritime Forum for Haugalandet and Sunnhordland in 2025

Members of Maritimt Forum

PAGE 60

PAGE 73

PAGE 80 - 83

IMENCO:

Spectacular relocation project PAGE 51

VARDAFJELL UPPER SECONDARY SCHOOL:

IB at Vardafjell makes its mark

SHIPPING EDUCATION AND RECRUITMENT FORUM (SURF):

SURF gathered at Tirna PAGE 68

NAME CHANGE:

From Gasnor to Molgas

PAGE 52

PAGE 70

DEEPOCEAN:

EVEN TRONSTAD SAGEBAKKEN AND TERJE SAGEBAKKEN

DeepOcean is project owner in groundbreaking oil and gas pipeline project

Like father, like son PAGE 72

PAGE 54 DEEPOCEAN AT THE CAREER FAIR:

Self-interest and social responsibility

MARITIME WORLD:

Maritime IT gathered in Haugesund

PAGE 55

PAGE 73

«RESTAURATION»:

ØSTENSJØ REDERI - SILEX:

Emigration to America – a shipping history

PAGE 74

For the first time, based at home

PAGE 56

DOF:

2025:

Soon in place with a major office in Haugesund

New board elected in Haugesund Shipowners’ Association

PAGE 58

PAGE 75

JOKE KATRINA BENTHIEN:

REACH REMOTE:

From Bremen to Røvær with saltwater in the veins

First in the world to operate without crew

SIDE 61

PAGE 75

SANDVOLD & VELDE SUPPLY:

MORE ASSIGNMENTS:

Summer gathering in 20-plus degrees

Marin Elektro is growing PAGE 76

SIDE 62

KNUTSEN OAS SHIPPING:

100-YEAR ANNIVERSARY:

Delivery peak in 2025

Imenco Bauer 100 years

PAGE 63

PAGE 77

«THE STATION CHIEF MEETING»:

RUTH MARIANN HOP:

A strongly maritime focus at the ambassadors’ gathering PAGE 64

She is the new maritime ­spokesperson for the Labour Party in Parliament PAGE 78

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

3

Participating companies A big thank you to all the companies contributing to making the cluster visible.

The report would not have been possible to complete without your cooperation.

4

A

• Aasen Shipping • A. Olufsen Ship & Offshore • Abyss region • Aibel Haugesund • Aker Solutions Stord • Arriva Shipping • Atea Haugesund and Stord

B

• Bifrost Tug • Blue Systems • Bouvet region • Breeze Ship Design • Brommeland Eletronikk • Bømlo Skipsservice

C

• COG Offshore

D

• Deep Wind Offshore • DeepOcean • Delta Pump • DNV Haugesund • DOF • DP Filter

E

• Edda Wind • Eidesvik Offshore • Elden Advokatfirma Haugesund • EMP Secure • Eurojuris Haugesund

F

• Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted • Fremje

G

• Gasnor Molgas

H

• Hagland Shipping • Harald Halvorsen • Hatteland Technology • Haver Advokatfirma Haugesund • HK Shipping Group

I

• IG Offshore • IKM Elektrodrift • Imenco • Inspectio

J

• Jacobsen Marine Survey

K

• Karmsund Havn • Karmsund Servicebase • Karmøy Skipsconsult • Karmøy Winch • Karmøys Skipsconsult Management • KIS Maritime • Klovning Shipping • Knutsen OAS Shipping • KTM Shipping • Kystdesign

L

• Leirvik • Level Group • Lorentz Storesund • LOS Marine

M

• Maersk Training - Bleivik • Marin Elektro • Marine Aluminium • Marine Manager • Matre • Mercator Crewing • Miles Haugesund

N

• Napier • North Sea Container Line • Norwegian Offshore Rental

O

• Oma Baatbyggeri

P

• Personalhuset HRC Offshore • Port Vantage • Presto Haugesund

R

• R. G. Hagland • Reach Subsea • Remek • Remota • Rental Technology & Services

S

• Saga Subsea • Salt Ship Design • Sandvold & Velde Supply • SEAM • Servogear • Simsea • Smart Automation • Solar Norge region • Solstad • Storesund Marine Services • SubseaPartner

T

• Techno Dive • Tronds Marine Service

U

• UniSea • Uptime International

V

• Vest Kontakt • Vestervind Contractors • Vico • Viking Life-Saving Equipment

W

• Westcon Yards • Wärtsilä Norge

Y

• Ydra

Z

• Zinus

Ø

• Østensjø Rederi

Å

• Åkrehamn Trålbøteri

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

About the survey Maritimt Forum for Haugalandet og Sunnhordland has since 2001 annually presented a report with the aim of providing an updated and accurate picture of the scope of maritime industry activity in our region. We also wish to convey something about how the companies view the future.

In 2026, the questionnaire was sent to 151 companies engaged in maritime industry activity. Questions were asked about turnover, employees, future outlooks, and more. By maritime industry activity we mean all activity related to the operation, maintenance, repair and construction of ships, offshore structures above and below water, land-based oil and gas facilities, as well as various types of maritime services and supplier activity. Fishing vessel owners, fish processing companies, and oil and gas companies are not included in the survey. Nor are public maritime institutions such as the Norwegian Maritime Authority. Within the financial sector, there are large players, particularly in Haugesund, with a significant portion of their lending portfolio directed at maritime companies, but it is difficult to compare turnover figures in the financial sector to corresponding figures in the rest of the business sector.

Therefore, the financial sector is also not included in the survey, neither with respect to turnover nor number of employees.

Survey period:: Companies submitted responses during the period from 14 October to 20 November 2025.

Location of the companies: Karmøy, Haugesund, Tysvær, Vindafjord, Bømlo, Stord, Austevoll and Fitjar.

Response rate: Of the 151 companies that received the questionnaire, 97 responded. This gives a response rate of 64.2 percent.

Within maritime industry activity, we therefore find, according to our definition, the following types of companies: shipping companies, shipyards, naval architects/ship consultants, shipbrokers, subsea companies, ship agents, offshore yards, and suppliers.

Responsible for the report: Sverre Meling, General Manager, Maritimt Forum for Haugalandet og Sunnhordland.

Sverre Meling

Assumptions for the collection and processing of material The following assumptions apply to the collection and processing of the underlying material in the survey: 1.

The figures in the survey are based on the responses received. In some cases, the companies’ turnover figures are based on annual and quarterly reports, historical data, conversations, and artificial intelligence. This is primarily due to the geographical and sector-wide distribution of larger corporate groups. However, we have not attempted to estimate the figures that would have emerged had all maritime companies in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland responded. The response rate is nevertheless good, and the large companies are always included in the survey. We therefore believe that our figures are representative on the conservative end.

2. The response rate varies somewhat from year to year. The variation in the number of companies that respond is still relatively small. When comparing figures from year to year, we therefore obtain an approximately correct picture of the development. When the large companies are also always

included, we believe we are on reasonably safe ground.

3. The historical turnover figures are not adjusted for inflation unless explicitly stated otherwise.

4. In the employment figures, we include companies where some of the employees work on projects or vessels outside the region. Many of them have residential addresses elsewhere in Norway or abroad (applies only to foreign seafarers). Our criterion for including them is that the company they are employed by has its head office in Haugalandet or Sunnhordland, or that they are in some other way connected to activity originating from the region.

We divide each company’s turnover into what is directed toward offshore and maritime activity versus what cannot be considered as such, but we do not do the same when counting employees.

5. The aim of the survey is to show as clearly as possible the activity that actually takes place and/ or has its origin in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

5

Turnover – total For the petro-maritime cluster Haugalandet and Sunnhordland. (NOK billion) 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total turnover 16,5 13,35 14,84 15,5 16,68 19,74 29,53 35,78 32,78 33,56 30,50 35,12 41,28 48,28 52,00 52,05 39,79 40,30 44,01 48,74 47,94 50,36 57,53 73,00 80,58 87,53

Turnover NOK 87.53 billion + 8,6 % Total turnover in the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland in 2025 was NOK 87.53 billion. This is an increase of NOK 6.95 billion from 2024. Neither in nominal kroner nor in inflation-adjusted figures has turnover ever been higher.

The companies that generated NOK 87.53 billion in turnover also had some revenue directed toward activity not defined as maritime. Total turnover in this category amounted to NOK 5.21 billion. If we add this to the purely ­maritime turnover, the companies generated a total of NOK 92.74 billion.

Growth in the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland has been significant since we began mapping in 1999, although inflation-adjusted figures (see next page) moderate the impression of growth somewhat. The turnover figures illustrate a region where the maritime sector is a leading force.

Export In 2010, for the first time, the share of total turnover that was export was mapped. At that time, exports amounted to NOK 14.37 billion (45.6%) of total turnover (both maritime-related and land-based). In 2025, the share is NOK 42.94 billion (46.3%).

A heavy concentration of export-oriented activity is found particularly among shipping companies, with 71.6 percent of total turnover. Shipping companies’ turnover figures largely correspond to gross freight revenues. A portion of these revenues, however, never reaches Norway, but is used, among other things, for purchasing goods abroad, ship repair and drydocking, as well as wages for foreign seafarers.

6

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Turnover – inflation-adjusted If we adjust the total turnover for inflation, the development from 1999 until today appears as follows: 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total turnover 31,26 23,83 26,15 26,64 28,56 33,27 48,64 58,52 51,67 51,78 45,93 52,21 60,97 69,83 73,67 72,19 53,27 52,98 56,31 61,01 59,26 60,16 64,98 78,13 83,66 87,53

This overview shows that the last peak year before this one was 2014, the year before the offshore crisis announced its arrival. With the strong growth in 2023, and the somewhat smaller growth in 2024 and 2025, we have since then—since 2014—seen a total turnover growth of 18.8 percent. Since 1999, the first year for which we have figures, and up until today, inflation-adjusted growth has been 180 percent.

Turnover distributed among the four largest maritime municipalities: Companies’ turnover is allocated to the municipality in which the company has its head office. This means, for example, that the turnover of Wärtsilä—which has divisions both in Bømlo and Stord—is placed in Bømlo in the municipal distribution. When “other” municipalities make up such a large share, it is because these municipalities have fewer than four companies that have reported their turnover. Those that have reported are nevertheless large companies.

Karmøy Karmøy 16,0 % NOK 14,0 billion Haugesund Haugesund 37,3 % NOK 32,6 billion Bømlo Bømlo 6,1 % NOK 5,3 billion

StordStord 13,0 % NOK 11,4 billion Tysvær 2,9 % NOK 2,5 billion Tysvær Other municipalities 24,8 % NOK 21,7 billion Andre kommuner 7

14

21

28

35

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

7

From Smedasundet to Øvregata

- 30 years of subsea history

In 1997, a company called Interov was established at Smedasundet 1. This was the predecessor to today’s DeepOcean, which was founded in 1999. For nearly 30 years, the region’s largest subsea operator has had various locations in the maritime city. In 2028, new offices will be located in Øvregata.

SMEDASUNDET 1

STOLTENBERG

Within visual range of Stoltenberg lies what was once Haugesund’s Coal Depot. The address is Smedasundet 1. Today, the site contains apartment buildings. It was here that Kåre Johannes Lie established Interrov in 1997 after leaving Stolt Comex Seaway.

Jacob Stolt-Nielsen Jr. established the offshore shipping company Stolt-Nielsen Seaway in Oslo in 1973/74, but quickly decided to move the company to his hometown. From 1975, the focus was on subsea activities with diving vessels. From 1977, there were workshop activities at Stoltenberg, while office facilities were located in the centre of Haugesund. In 1984, the decision was made to build modern offices at Stoltenberg, and these were completed in 1985.

From 1985 to 1999, Stolt-Nielsen Seaway was based here, though under the name Stolt Comex Seaway from 1992 after the merger with the French subsea contractor Comex.

But Interrov was bought by a company called Seateam in November 1997, and in August 1998 Seateam was merged with Det Søndenfjeldsk-Norske Dampskipsselskap (DSDN) in Grimstad. The latter eventually showed no desire to invest in Haugesund, and from there the path to establishing DeepOcean, registered in Brønnøysund on 8 April 1999, was short.

However, the location remained Smedasundet 1.

This is the history, and it continues in the Christmas holiday of 1999. The number of employees in

Stoltenberg as it appeared in the early 2000s.

8

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

DeepOcean was growing, and already early in the autumn of 1999 it became clear that something other than Smedasundet 1 would be needed. The premises were too small. Around the turn of the year 1999/2000, the moving process began. DeepOcean had rented offices in the southern part of the third floor at Stoltenberg. They had 20 employees, of whom 8 worked in the office. Just a month later, they had become 30 employees. Kåre Johannes Lie told Haugesunds Avis that the growth would continue, reaching 50 employees during the year 2000, 15 of whom onshore.

DeepOcean quite quickly spread across all floors at Stoltenberg.

KILLINGØY In Haugesund, Killingøy is also part of DeepOcean’s local history. Not with office workplaces, but with base activity and work related to the PRSI. Base activity began in 2000 when DeepOcean acquired a share in Haugesund Offshore Base.

Over time, Killingøy became critically important for DeepOcean in the mobilisation of vessels destined for operations in the North Sea, and in 2008 a new, large hall was put into use where DeepOcean leased just under half. In the decade that followed, the need grew, and in 2018 DeepOcean moved into a 3,600-square-metre hall, still at Killingøy, but now on the “mainland part” of the base area.

DeepOcean’s activity at Killingøy continues inde-

pendently of the move of office workplaces from Karmsundgata to Øvregata in 2028.

SIGNATURE BUILDING CANCELLED In May 2008, DeepOcean presented grand plans for a new office building at Stoltenberg. This was to be erected on the west side of the existing building in collaboration with Geir Egil Østebøvik and the Matre family, who owned Stoltenberg at the time, but where DeepOcean would hold a 50 percent share in the new building. We know Østebøvik from Imenco and Matre from Westcon. The building was to accommodate 200 office workplaces. The price tag was 150 million kroner. Construction was planned to start in autumn 2008 with completion in 2010. A rezoning application had been submitted. But then it stalled. The short explanation is that challenging times were ahead.

INTO THE “OLD” HAUGESUNDS AVIS In 2012, the situation was entirely different. The existing office facilities were, however, just as unsatisfactory as they had been four years earlier. Some described them as a bit “shabby.” Not entirely representative, at least not for clients.

The path led to parts of the building Haugesunds Avis had occupied in Karmsundgata 74 since it was new in 1984. The newspaper moved out in 2011 after selling both the plot and the building to property

DeepOcean moved into this building in Karmsundgata in Haugesund in 2012.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

9

developer Math. Lande AS. DeepOcean entered a lease agreement with this company and provided specifications for how they wanted it arranged. The office building had to be prepared for 160 workplaces.

When it was completed and ready for occupancy on 1 May 2012, for many in DeepOcean it felt like arriving at a “proper” office building. If some had felt Stoltenberg had become impractical and, not least, worn, then stepping into the entrance here felt like entering the modern age.

A newspaper building some decades ago did not contain only office workplaces for editorial and advertising staff, but also a printing press. Such was the case for Haugesunds Avis. It lay as a massive block toward the east of the building complex, with a fairly closed facade toward the traffic on the city’s main thoroughfare. Not only did Haugesunds Avis move out of Karmsundgata 74 in 2011, but that same year the printing press was decided to be shut down. The last newspaper passed through the press on the final day of 2011. From then on, the newspaper would be printed at presses in Stavanger and Bergen.

This meant that a larger part of the building complex than DeepOcean had originally planned for its use could now become part of the company’s future, and the growth in the number of employees continued. Therefore, an agreement was made with Math. Lande AS to also take over “the printing press,”

albeit after significant reconstruction. This reconstruction was carried out during 2013.

With this, DeepOcean gained access to well over 300 office workplaces in Karmsundgata, where they had originally envisaged 160.

ØVREGATA “IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CENTRE” And now we arrive at today.

From a turnover of 4.5 million kroner in 1999, DeepOcean in 2024 recorded revenue of around 8.8 billion kroner, order intake the same year of a record-high 15.2 billion kroner and around 1,800 employees globally, at least as of June 2025.

The company is now represented with offices and employees on all continents.

In June, DeepOcean invited visitors to the site at Øvregata 133, where the new office building is to be completed by 2028. And now we are no longer talking about just over 300 workplaces, but just under 600, specifically 580 across 9,000 square metres.

“We have had steady growth in recent years, and our future outlook is also good. The short version is therefore that we need more space and an even more future-oriented workplace,” says Olaf A. Hansen, Managing Director for DeepOcean’s European operations.

Illustration showing the upcoming new DeepOcean office building in Øvregata in Haugesund.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

11

100+ green vessels from Karmøy SEAM at Husøy has passed a decisive milestone. “This confirms that the green transition in the maritime industry is a scalable reality,” says CEO Gunvald Mortvedt.

The company has delivered low- and zero-emission solutions to more than 100 vessels, representing a combined energy capacity of approximately 230 MWh, including charging installations.

“Our reference list is not just a number, but proof that the maritime transition from fossil to electric power is real and has seen exponential growth in recent years. This has been made possible thanks to a unique interplay between political instruments, forward-leaning shipowners, and an entire value chain that has raised its competence over the past decade,” Mortvedt continues.

USV Challenger alongside Hotel Maritim in Haugesund during the Subsea Operations ­Conference.

SEAM has delivered the control and propulsion system and contributed to the testing of the vessel, which arrived from the yard in Spain to Haugesund this summer.

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ACCELERATING THE GREEN SHIFT According to the SEAM CEO, the past ten years have seen a highly positive development in the green transition.

“The cost of renewable energy has fallen, investments in electrification and climate technology have accelerated, and in the maritime sector the development has also moved rapidly in a green direction. Never has the world had better technological prerequisites for cutting emissions,” he says.

SEAM’s own success is rooted in investment in specialist competence, an effective combination of maritime knowledge and technical expertise, and the development of its own products.

“We have a world-class maritime cluster, technology environments that already deliver solutions to shipowners worldwide, and a public sector that can use procurement processes to drive new solutions forward. We have everything needed to make green shipping a central part of Norwegian exports and value creation,” says Mortvedt.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

He points out that government requirements and support schemes have created the necessary home market and laid the foundation for what he calls a critical laboratory for developing and testing zero-emission solutions at full scale.

“At the same time, Norwegian shipowners have had the courage to invest in new systems long before it became an absolute legal requirement. This, together with the massive competence boost in the industry over the past ten years, has made the technology scalable and reliable.”

beyond reduced operating costs and emissions.

“The competence development that has followed these projects gives the Norwegian maritime value chain a unique competitive advantage abroad, which in turn helps strengthen Norway’s position as a world leader in green maritime technology,” says Gunvald Mortvedt.

SEAM has hired many new employees over the past four years. They now count 170 employees. Including the acquisition of Austevoll Elektro, they have a total of 250 employees.

HAUGALANDET AND SUNNHORDLAND: HOME TURF FOR INNOVATION

“This should be clear evidence that the green shift is creating new, highly qualified jobs,” Mortvedt smiles.

A significant share of this success can be traced directly back to the forward-leaning shipowner community in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland, where willingness to invest has been crucial for validating SEAM’s technology. Local shipowners have actively led the way and demonstrated that zeroand low-emission solutions are commercially and operationally viable across a wide range of vessel segments.

Then there is the matter of reduced emissions — which many would consider the most important.

“The new construction vessel for Østensjø Rederi is under construction. She is designed to operate across a broad spectrum of offshore energy segments, including IMR, construction, walk-towork services, and cable installation. We at SEAM have been chosen as system integrator and contribute with delivery and seamless integration of the vessel’s advanced systems, ensuring optimal performance and reliability. Furthermore, Edda Wind has invested heavily in environmentally friendly service solutions for offshore wind, while Hagland Shipping has taken a clear environmental position in the bulk segment with its series of hybrid newbuilds. Arriva Shipping has recently invested in several new hybrid bulk vessels, Eidesvik Offshore has been a historic pioneer within battery technology in the offshore segment, while Solstad Offshore has carried out extensive conversions to integrate hybrid systems and reduce fuel consumption,” Mortvedt says.

He also mentions USV AS, a partnership between Solstad Offshore, Østensjø and DeepOcean, which has been central specifically in the implementation and further development of autonomous and remotely operated vessels powered by advanced electric systems.

“We have calculated that these 100+ vessels have reduced CO2 emissions by more than 300,000 tonnes of CO2 since 2015.”

With around 230 MWh of installed capacity so far, SEAM is now ready to take this Norwegian industrial success story further.

“Our focus is now shifting towards international growth in order to make Norwegian-produced zero-emission technology a global standard. At the same time, this commitment reinforces SEAM’s — and I would also say Norway’s — leadership in the green future at sea,” says Gunvald Mortvedt.

An important part of this international push is that SEAM was acquired by the Korean group Hanwha shortly before Christmas.

“For SEAM, this is the right owner at the right time,” Mortvedt concludes..

SEAM was named Growth and Innovation Company of the Year 2025 in Karmøy.

From left: CEO Gunvald Mortvedt of SEAM, followed by members of the jury: CEO May Bente Olsen of Skudenes & Aakra Sparebank, Head of Business Development Per Velde in Karmøy municipality, and Hans Petter Sæbø, Sales Manager at Gasnor Molgas Energy.

RIPPLE EFFECTS THAT STRENGTHEN THE NATION The 100+ projects featuring SEAM technology have created significant ripple effects that extend far

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

13

Nuclear power becomes part of the solution

From left: Ove Wilhelmsen, Mariusz Przybylski, Anna Heimvik, Madeleine Hagenes Bassan, Bengt Monry Olsen and Anna Napora. Photo Breeze Ship Design.

Ove Wilhelmsen at Breeze Ship Design believes nuclear power will become part of the solution. “We have carried out concept studies and are working on a concrete project,” he says.

Each year, Breeze Ship Design sends the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and NTNU suggestions for master’s and bachelor’s theses on topics the company wishes to have examined.

“In the spring of 2025 we made a breakthrough. Two bachelor students from marine technology reached out. They wanted to take part in a concept study on implementing nuclear propulsion in one of our designs. We chose the design used for Aker BioMarine’s vessel ‘Antarctic Provider’, a support vessel for the company’s krill trawlers in the Southern Ocean.

More precisely, they developed a concept for power production based on a fourth-generation nuclear reactor,” Wilhelmsen explains.

The two students are Anna Heimvik and Madeleine Hagenes Bassan. At Breeze Ship Design they worked under the skilled guidance of Mariusz Przybylski. He has been involved in all of Breeze’s ammonia and hydrogen projects, and he is now working extensively with nuclear power and artificial intelligence.

“And then we have Bengt Monry Olsen, who has put into writing the conceptual ‘conversion’ of the Antarctic Provider design to carry nuclear power on

14

board. Bengt is Head of Arrangement and Outfitting at Breeze Ship Design. Anna Napora has created a 3D model of the vessel with illustrations of how the new onboard power system will look and how it is constructed,” says Ove Wilhelmsen.

“But what about the concrete project you mentioned?”

“For now, I cannot say much more than that we are working together with a classification society, a supplier, and a major international shipping company on a large newbuild with a nuclear propulsion solution. We expect the project to start in January, and that a press release will be issued fairly soon.”

Recently, Breeze Ship Design hosted a visit by the student group “Fribord” from Marine Technology at HVL. At that time, Madeleine Hagenes Bassan presented what she and Anna Heimvik had done in their thesis.

“And you must include at the end that Madeleine is now working here with us,” smiles Ove Wilhelmsen.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

15

Turnover – yards For Haugalandet and Sunnhordland. (NOK billion) 25

20

15

10

5

0 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total turnover 8,55

4,7

5,41

6,19

6,2

7,52 11,98 14,87 10,40 9,95

7,82 11,80 14,05 17,89 19,07 18,27 9,99 10,06 10,42 15,73 13,32 14,86 14,73 16,61 18,93 18,71

5

5,6

6,87 10,84 12,00 8,16

7,82

5,90 10,61 12,88 17,41 17,93 17,49 8,78 9,03 8,92

13,5 10,65 11,88 11,94 13,85 15,95 15,62

1,19

0,6

0,65

2,13

1,92

2,23 2,67 2,98 2,79 2,76 2,98

Offshore yards 6,95 3,95 4,09 Shipyards 1,6

0,75

1,32

1,14

2,87 2,24

1,06 0,89 0,89

1,14

0,79

1,21

Turnover NOK 18.71 billion

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

1,03

1,5

1,2 %

3,1

Total turnover in 2025 for the yards in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland was NOK 18.71 billion. Of this, NOK 15.62 billion related to offshore-oriented yard activity, while NOK 3.1 billion came from shipbuilding and repair. For offshore and shipyards combined, there is a slight decrease in turnover from last year of 1.2 percent.

(Note: If a yard’s main activity is offshore installations, but it also outfits and/or repairs ships, this part of the activity is counted under shipyards. This applies both to turnover figures and employment figures.)

The order backlog is reported at NOK 68.43 billion, whereas at this time last year it was reported at NOK 66.21 billion. Although we see a small increase, this does not mean there is no uncertainty ­regarding the future.

New cruise port opened in Skudeneshavn On Saturday, 5 July, the opening of Skudeneshavn’s new cruise port was marked.

The port is tailored for smaller expedition vessels and superyachts.

The new cruise port in Skudeneshavn.

Photo Karmsund Havn.

“This creates new opportunities to strengthen Skudeneshavn’s position as an attractive place to visit,” said Port Director Torfinn Gaupås.

exactly what Skudeneshavn is all about,” says Tourism Director Vigleik Dueland.

The new port is approved as an ISPS port and adapted for expedition vessels and yachts seeking smaller, more intimate destinations.

Skudeneshavn has long been a draw in the region, with its beautiful wooden houses, history, and vibrant coastal town atmosphere. With the cruise port now in place, new avenues also open for the tourism industry and local product development.

“Here, passengers get something genuine and close, which Skudeneshavn and the surrounding areas have in abundance. The town offers everything from local history and culture to food and nature experiences, conveyed by people with pride and passion for the place. Guests travelling on this type of vessel value proximity and authentic experiences. And that is

NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR SKUDENESHAVN

“Yes, this opens up new opportunities. We can now develop experiences tailored to smaller and more exclusive groups. This creates ripple effects for business, cultural life, and local pride,” says Dueland..

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

17

Investing in social entrepreneurship Kristine Skeie in HK Shipping Group has joined forces with two cousins to make a small difference for those who need it a little more than others.

From left: Helene Skeie Østhus and Kristine Skeie. Celina Valderhaug did not participate at Bedriftenes Dag on 28 October.

“Frimann Skeie established Vest-Norsk Handelskompani in 1935 together with his brother and his father. Frimann Skeie was my grandfather. VestNorsk Handelskompani received a new name after some years, and my grandfather continued with ship trading and, after the Second World War, also freight shipping. When we cleared out the premises where he and later my father worked, and from where I also led our shipping company for several years, we came across a lot of material, including relating to Vest-Norsk ­ Handelskompani. I have chosen to give my investment company the same name,” says Kristine Skeie.

She also uses Vest-Norsk Handelskompani in their efforts toward social entrepreneurship. Her cousin Helene Skeie Østhus presented this initiative at “Bedriftenes Dag” in Karmøy on 28 October.

“Our vision is to change the world, at least a little.

One in five adult Norwegians is outside education or working life,” Østhus said from the stage at Karmøy Kino in front of 170 participants.

And here we arrive at the core. Kristine Skeie, Helene Skeie Østhus, and Celina Valderhaug, Helene’s sister, work together in Vest-Norsk Handelskompani with investments in companies that create opportunities for people to move out of social exclusion.

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“Together with Ferd Sosiale Entreprenører and four other investors, where we are contributing the smallest share of capital, it must be said, we are investing in thirty so-called ‘impact companies’ over three years,” explains Kristine Skeie.

In addition to this investment, they have also invested in the local company Klar Kompetanse, which has developed digital learning resources, including within maritime subjects.

“Klar Kompetanse is an example of a company developing products that help people who need alternatives in the learning process,” said Helene Skeie Østhus during Bedriftenes Dag. She then added that the goal of investing in such companies is to create viable enterprises that can stand on their own.

“Yes, there is no doubt about that, but we are taking extra risk and thinking a little outside the box because we believe it is a challenge that Norwegian working life often becomes too rigid. There are people out there with great resources who are not given a chance because they do not fit into the traditional framework,” says Kristine Skeie.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Under the Norwegian flag, you never sail alone When a vessel sails under the Norwegian flag, it sends a clear signal to the world: safety standards are uncompromising, and environmental responsibility is taken just as seriously.

The Director General of Shipping and Navigation, Alf Tore Sørheim, has a clear ambition for Norway to become the world’s leading maritime administration.

Norway consistently ranks among the top flag states on global quality lists from the major port state control regimes. This reflects the exceptionally high safety standards

maintained by Norwegian-flagged vessels operating across the world’s oceans.

“We are one of the world’s largest and most respected maritime nations. The Norwegian flag and our world-class maritime cluster are recognised as global leaders in advanced technology and green shipping. The world looks to Norway for solutions, and our maritime cluster is one of our greatest competitive advantages,” says Sørheim.

Norway has more than a thousand years of maritime heritage. It is a legacy that places high expectations on us as we help shape the future of global shipping.

The Norwegian flag is your assurance that you never sail alone in uncertain times – you have the world’s most reliable maritime support behind you.

“My ambition is for Norway to be the very best. Together, we are committed to remaining the ‘preferred maritime administration’ and to ensuring that the Norwegian fl ag remains a quality flag in the years ahead.”

Scan the QR code below for more information.

Alf Tore Sørheim. Foto: Grethe Nygaard

21–25 September 2026

McKie and the 500 in Aberdeen Reach Subsea has nearly 100 employees in the United Kingdom. That around 500 people in Aberdeen work for various companies from Haugalandet and Sunnhordland is probably a cautious estimate.

Because we are talking about both jobs on land and at sea, onshore as well as offshore. Forty of Reach Subsea’s employees are onshore. In total, the company has a further 57 affiliated with its offices at Hill of Rubislaw, a little west of the centre of the Scottish energy capital. At least in August when we visited. Rubislaw is where the famous Aberdeen granite was extracted over a 200-year period up until 1971.

“Reach bought a company in the UK a couple of years ago. The acquisition formed the basis for

the establishment here. To conduct business in the United Kingdom, you must be present with your own organisation,” says Alastair McKie, who heads Reach Subsea UK. He arrived at the meeting with Maritimt Forum directly from Aberdeen Airport after visiting the head office in Haugesund.

“I am over with you about once a month. It is very good to sit down around the table at regular ­intervals.”

Most often it is offshore vessels you see in the port of Aberdeen, but here lies Arriva Shipping’s cargo vessel Norbris in South Harbour.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

an artillery installation from 1860, you can see both port areas, north and south respectively. Many energy and subsea companies are located in West Hill and Bridge of Don. For example, DeepOcean has its address in the former, and NOR in the latter. The “Aber” in Aberdeen comes from Pictish and means river mouth. Bridge of Don refers to the bridge over the river Don, one of the two rivers that gave Aberdeen its name. The other is the river Dee. Solstad Offshore has its offices near the centre, right by the river Dee. Østensjø Rederi is located at Waterloo Quay, close to the harbour in the city centre.

Aberdeen has two universities, of which the University of Aberdeen was founded as early as 1495, long before Scotland became part of the United Kingdom. Nevertheless, Alastair McKie emphasises that the competition for the right competence in Aberdeen is just as strong as at home.

DeepOcean is located in a business area called West Hill. Many subsea companies and others within oil, gas, and offshore wind have their offices there.

No one mentioned, no one forgotten, but we will take the chance anyway. At least the following local companies are represented with branches in ­Aberdeen: • Reach Subsea • NOR Offshore Rental • Omega Subsea • Solstad Offshore • Østensjø Rederi • DeepOcean • Knutsen OAS Shipping • Imenco • Hagland Shipbrokers • RTS • DOF

“In Aberdeen we have worked with oil and gas since the discoveries in the North Sea in 1969, and we have a great deal of expertise, but competition for the right people is still tough.”

Reach Subsea is in the midst of rolling out its remote operations initiative through Reach Remote.

“We have planned for a remote operations centre here with us at Hill of Rubislaw as well, but it will not be operational until the first quarter of 2026. The industry in the United Kingdom is perhaps a bit more conservative than in Norway,” McKie smiles.

Stavanger is a twin city with Aberdeen, and there are good flight connections across the North Sea from Sola. In 2020 Logan Air launched a direct route between Helganes and Aberdeen, but the pandemic quickly put an end to the route.

Alastair McKie leads Reach Subsea UK. Here he is in the remote operations centre, which will be operational from the first quarter of 2026.

“We depend on good flight connections to Aberdeen. It is very positive that from September you can travel from Haugesund at 06:40 in the morning with Widerøe via Bergen and arrive in Aberdeen at 08:20 local time, and return at 19:00 from Aberdeen via Bergen and land in Haugesund at 23:30.

This makes efficient day trips to Aberdeen possible, but of course we would have liked to see a direct flight between Haugesund and Aberdeen. I am convinced that there is a basis for such a route, and I believe the business communities in our region and in Aberdeen would support such an offer well,” says the CEO of NOR, Tore Gautesen.

The local companies are not co-located in Aberdeen. The city, with around 225,000 inhabitants, has two port areas, one close to the centre and one just south of the centre. From the point at Torry Battery,

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

21

The development of the subsea cluster in ­Haugalandet 1974–2025 The theme was set for the Subsea Operations Conference in August: “An underwater adventure.” How has the regional subsea cluster developed to become a national and international leader?

The answer can be divided into two main parts. The easy part is to explain what has happened in terms of establishments and technological development.

The difficult part is explaining how this has been possible, or in other words, ­identifying the reasons why it happened.

Let us begin with the easy part. been built up through 25 years of subsea activities in Haugesund prior to 1999.

Equally decisive for the establishment of DeepOcean were Østensjø Rederi and Solstad Offshore, which acquired a combined two-thirds of the share capital. Solstad had by then fully taken the step into what we might call a “subsea transformation,” especially after its stock exchange listing in 1997.

STOLTENBERG Facsimile of the front page of Haugesunds Avis on 9 April 1999, the day after DeepOcean was established.

STOLT-NIELSEN SEAWAY

In 1970, the expatriated shipowner Jacob Stolt-­ Nielsen Jr. established the diving company Stolt-Nielsen Seaway in Oslo, but he moved the company to Haugesund in 1974. Around the same time, Ole Andreas Knutsen at the shipping company Knut Knutsen OAS began searching for additional lines of business when the large tanker segment started collapsing in the mid-1970s, but underwater operations never became a major activity for Knutsen.

DEEPOCEAN

Kåre Johannes Lie saw this and moved from Knutsen to Stolt-Nielsen Seaway in 1981. Over time, these two development paths converged, as Lie would become a key figure in the establishment of DeepOcean in 1999. This company can be regarded as a consolidation of the competence that had

22

An important part of the competence building within underwater operations also took place through Imenco, established as an engineering company in 1979 and purchased twenty years later

by Geir Egil Østebøvik, who has since developed it into a multi-billion-kroner group.

Also worth mentioning on the road toward the turn of the millennium is the establishment of Riise Underwater Engineering in 1993, which became Fugro RUE in 2010 and today represents the prehistory of the diving company Subsea Partner. Like its predecessor RUE, Subsea Partner is located at Stoltenberg, where Jacob Stolt-Nielsen Jr. in 1985 relocated Stolt-Nielsen Seaway from the centre of Haugesund.

DeepOcean also moved into Stoltenberg around the turn of the millennium, roughly three-quarters of a year after its establishment. The reason was that what had become Stolt Comex Seaway was relocating to Stavanger, leaving available office space.

DeepOcean most certainly needed more space now that it could build further on the competence made available by those who did not want to follow “Stolt” across the Boknafjord to the south.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

KILLINGØY

1999 is a landmark year in the region’s underwater history not only because of the establishment of DeepOcean, but also because Statoil that year chose to develop Killingøy as the base for the PRS. This meant that unique technological development was placed in the region, creating significant ripple effects right up to today.

As at Stoltenberg, many subsea companies have chosen to co-locate at Killingøy.

RINGVIRKNINGER

DeepOcean has also generated ripple effects. Kystdesign was in fact established two years before DeepOcean, but its competence in developing ROVs was largely built through close collaboration with DeepOcean, and this collaboration has continued to this day.

TRICO MARINE

DeepOcean was listed on the stock exchange in 2005, and when Solstad sold its shares the following year, the shareholder structure opened up sufficiently for DOF to make attempts in 2007 and 2008 to gain control of the company. However, it ended with a full takeover by the American company Trico Marine.

REACH SUBSEA

Jostein Alendal was one of the sellers. He used the opportunity to establish Reach Subsea. Four years later, in 2012, Reach Subsea was listed on the stock exchange.

The financial crisis that hit after the Lehman ­Brothers bankruptcy in September 2008 was one of the reasons why Trico’s acquisition did not benefit DeepOcean’s further development. Trico was

unable to service the debt they had incurred, including through the acquisition. This ended with an American bond fund taking over DeepOcean in 2011.

Karmøy, Haugesund and Tysvær: RTS, Saga and Norwegian Offshore Rental (NOR) Back in 2002, Rental Technology & Services (RTS) was established in Åkrehamn. In 2011, two subsea companies were established in Haugesund: Saga Subsea and NOR. The former is located at Killingøy.

The latter began at Stoltenberg but is today located at Aksdal Næringspark, where Kystdesign is also found.

OFFSHORE WIND

Utsira Nord was opened for floating offshore wind in 2020. The establishment of the Windstaller Alliance the following year, with Solstad Offshore, DeepOcean and Aker Solutions as partners based on their combined maritime competence, was not a direct consequence of Utsira Nord being opened, but national and international attention around offshore wind opportunities increased substantially in Norway toward the end of the second decade of the new millennium.

In 2023, Solstad Offshore and Omega Subsea established a joint venture for shared investments in ROV systems and related equipment. In 2024, it became known that DOF Subsea would build a larger division in Haugesund.

TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT

When DeepOcean won a major IMR contract with Statoil in 2005, the terms required a new vessel. A demanding specification made Østensjø Rederi’s “Edda Fauna” a gamechanger for both the shipowner and the subsea company. The same can be said of “Edda Freya,” delivered in 2016. An

Seaway Condor

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

23

USV Challenger is owned by a joint company between DeepOcean, Solstad and Østensjø. Here the vessel is moored outside Remota, which is also owned by the same three companies.

even greater leap, however, is the subsea cluster’s investment in remotely operated and autonomous vessels. DeepOcean, Solstad and Østensjø Rederi through the company Remota. Reach Subsea in a strategic partnership with Kongsberg Maritime and Massterly, the latter a joint venture between Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen.

Now to the difficult part: Why has the regional subsea cluster become nationally and internationally leading?

CULTURE

In both Haugalandet and Sunnhordland, risk tolerance, adaptability, entrepreneurship, outward orientation, and commercial drive are part of the cultural heritage — all shaped by herring fisheries and shipping. The sea has shaped us in a fundamental way. It gives and takes. Defiance and fatalism at the same time. Also the old Haugean influence, or at least from the 1800s into the 1900s — the demand for a personal conviction — forming the basis for a strong individualism.

This cultural heritage is a key explanation for why the subsea cluster succeeds locally.

HISTORY

The same is true of history, insofar as it differs from culture. Fundamentally, today’s underwater operations are built on the unique shipbuilding technology developed along Karmsundet, on Bømlo and Stord as a prelude to the Viking Age. Seamanship through the centuries has brought experience essential for both technological development and operational competence in today’s subsea cluster.

CLUSTER DEVELOPMENT

It is long-established economic theory that competitors within a broadly composed industrial cluster

24

strengthen each other. It is about competition which improves each participant, but also about friendships, networks, supplier relations, and the development of competence that flows between companies. In some areas, they also choose to lift new projects together.

Stoltenberg and Killingøy have been mini-clusters in themselves, and key actors in the regional cluster have supported new establishments such as DeepOcean, Windstaller Alliance and Remota. It is also a sign of the regional cluster’s attractiveness that DOF Subsea in 2024 chose to build a larger division in Haugesund.

And it has been important — and will continue to be important — that the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, campus Haugesund, educates skilled subsea engineers.

STATOIL / EQUINOR

There is really no need to elaborate on what Statoil, now Equinor, has meant for the development of the subsea cluster in Haugalandet. Its importance has been enormous both regionally and nationally. While it can be a challenge when a company obtains such a dominant position, Equinor has, by virtue of its strength, set a standard that has elevated the regional and national subsea cluster to international leadership.

The total turnover of the maritime cluster in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland reached NOK 87.5 billion in 2025 according to Maritim Rapport 2026. It is a demanding calculation to estimate how large a share of this can be linked to underwater operations, but just over NOK 30 billion is a realistic estimate. This includes dedicated subsea companies, but also parts of the turnover of offshore shipping companies. For example, large parts of the fleets of Solstad Offshore and Solstad Maritime are tied to subsea operations.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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Turnover – shipping companies For Haugalandet and Sunnhordland. (NOK billion) 50

40

30

20

10

0

1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total turnover 2,7

4,45

5,1

5,08

6,18

7,07

8,35 9,54 10,61 12,09 12,95 14,83 16,68 21,06 22,20 23,65 20,87 21,86 22,09 23,07 24,5 24,2 27,58 39,50 43,57 47,43

Turnover NOK 47.43 billion + 8,8 % For the shipping companies in the region, total turnover in 2025 was NOK 47.43 billion, an increase of NOK 3.86 billion from 2024. The increase is spread across all segments and comes alongside a rise in the number of vessels in operation.

The shipping companies report that they have 39 vessels on order with a total contract value of NOK 46 billion. The corresponding figures last year were 41 vessels on order worth NOK 44.54 billion.

Of the vessels on order, 10 are within the dry bulk segment, 4 within offshore, 1 is a tugboat, 2 are within aquaculture, 12 are LNG carriers, 7 are shuttle tankers, and 3 are special vessels for offshore wind.

Two of the vessels will be built in Norway, while the rest will be built abroad. Twenty of the vessels are planned to sail under the Norwegian flag.

At this time last year, the shipping companies owned and/or operated 262 vessels. The number is now 285.

Of these, 162 vessels sail under the Norwegian flag, compared to 160 last year.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

27

Tauroa alongside at Bømlo Skipsservice.

Crowds turned out in Langevåg for the new vessel It was not the total investment of nearly NOK 450 million that drew the crowds. Perhaps not even the advanced processing technology on board. No, most likely it was the whole package: a new, impressive vessel flying a local flag.

We are talking about an open-ship event in Langevåg at the end of May 2025.

True, “Tauroa” has Haugesund on the stern, but it is a new processing vessel for Napier in Langevåg. The first of two sister ships from the Turkish yard Sefine Shipyard. And a step forward. When both vessels are delivered, the company will have a sailing fleet of six advanced vessels for stunning and transporting farmed fish. After that, yet another vessel is planned for delivery in 2028. This one is being built in Spain.

“We are not particularly focused on talking about the size of the investment, but it is nice to point

28

out that even though Tauroa is built in Turkey, the Norwegian equipment deliveries make up about half of the construction cost,” says Kjetil Tufteland, CEO of Napier.

The vessel is designed by Salt Ship Design in Leirvik, with marine automation from Smart Automation at Bremnes, and it was berthed at Bømlo Skipsservice in Langevåg for additional work before entering operation. And those are only the most local contributors.

“But what was this step forward you mentioned? Is Tauroa more advanced than the previous vessels in Napier’s fleet?”

“It is largely about cargo handling. With this vessel we can load 200 tonnes of fish per hour, process the fish in a state-of-the-art stunning facility, transfer it to the cargo tanks, and head to the slaughterhouse with 750 tonnes on board. From the moment loading starts at the cage until departure from the slaughterhouse, the process takes three to four hours. We

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

make three such trips per week,” answers Espen Samdal, Technical Manager at Napier.

Tauroa has been developed together with Napier’s customer Mowi and Salt Ship Design. She entered operation linked to Mowi’s slaughterhouse and processing plant at Jøsnøya in Hitra municipality.

The crew consists of twelve seafarers on each of the two shifts. In other words, they work every other month.

“With the delivery of Tauroa, we reached around 100 seafarers in Napier, and we will be 125 when the sister ship arrives. When the vessel being built in Spain is delivered, we will exceed 150 seafarers.

Onshore we are now 18, and lack of space at our office at the inner end of Langevåg has led us to refurbish six new offices in Langevåg Bygdatun,” says Kjetil Tufteland.

On the bridge. Captain Johan Eidesvik (left) and ­Technical Manager Espen Samdal.

“There is fierce competition for seafarers these days. Has that given you sleepless nights?”

“No, not really. I believe we are an attractive employer for seafarers. The high number of applicants for the positions we have advertised shows that,” the managing director smiles.

Crowds streamed in when Tauroa welcomed visitors on board. Young and old alike. They all wanted to congratulate. At its core, it is about culture — a local community with a close connection to ships, the sea, and value creation.

Maritime Emergency Room Alexander Zaneski has nine months behind him in the top seat at Bømlo ­Skipsservice in Langevåg. At the Bømla Conference in September, he introduced himself, the company, and its plans for the future.

“I am 31 years old, from Stord, and started as an automation apprentice in 2012. That became fourteen years within oil and gas before I became general manager of Bømlo Skipsservice in 2025,” said Alexander Zaneski to industry colleagues.

NOK 264 million. The number of employees has risen to 55. The owner is Eidesvik Invest.

Bømlo Skipsservice has experienced strong growth in recent years. In 2024, turnover reached nearly

Bømlo Skipsservice is centrally located along the main shipping lane. They specialize in ship service, repairs, and upgrades. Major investments have been made in facilities and equipment, including a large boat lift.

Alexander Zaneski

“Local ownership has tremendous value,” said Zaneski.

“We are like a maritime emergency room. When a vessel needs help, we are ready. Quickly, efficiently, and with quality in every step,” Zaneski smiled.

He also looked ahead.

“We are expanding our laydown area with crane capacity and space for vessels. This will give us better flexibility. In addition, we are finalising ongoing investments in treatment facilities and an environmental station. And we will continue to depend on access to skilled labour and good roads.”

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

29

COMMENTARY

The Stord Conference wants to think ­regionally – let’s give it all we’ve got At least that is how Mayor Sigbjørn Framnes put it. “We must think regionally.”

Former Member of Parliament Liv Kari Eskeland said the same during a break.

Professor emeritus Torgeir Reve dialled it up even further.

Reve had been invited to the conference to view Stord from the outside. He delivered a series of thought-provoking points.

“One of my headlines is this: Stord has shown great adaptability — and a great deal of luck,” he said.

Then he walked through the history. From fisheries and herring oil to fishermen and seafarers who mastered the sea and saw opportunities within ship equipment and shipbuilding.

“Maritime industrial competence laid the foundation for a world-leading yard for building supertankers,” said Reve.

What the average age of the roughly 250 people in the room was, is hard to say, but some likely had flashbacks to Hilmar Reksten and Hagbart Waage.

“Everything must always be big on Stord,” said Torgeir Reve, clearly referring to the island’s name.

Torgeir Reve in full flow on stage during the Stord Conference in June.

Many in the audience probably recognised that as well. The professor, after all, drew the line forward to today’s gigantic constructions within oil and gas and renewables.

This covered most of what could be said about adaptability. But what about all the luck Stord has had — or perhaps has had? Whether it is truly the case, we cannot put our trust in that luck continuing once the oil age eventually ends, or in meeting the green transition, for that matter.

“Are we envisioning a continued offshore industry, investments in offshore wind, in batteries, what about zero-emission vessels, smart specialisation, or local entrepreneurship?” Reve asked rhetorically.

Stord can at least wholeheartedly tick the box when it comes to zero-emission vessels. The world-­leading innovation environment at Heiane — including Wärtsilä, Sustainable Energy and Maritime CleanTech — is testament to this. So are Salt Ship Design and Breeze Ship Design in the centre of Leirvik. But is local entrepreneurship perhaps lacking? It does not really feel that way, but Torgeir Reve pointed to a lack of capital. And he criticised the current government’s ability to stimulate local entrepreneurship.

Be that as it may. Because when it comes to more regional thinking, more regional cooperation, to lifting each other up, this is absolutely something we can do ourselves.

“How can we cooperate better in Sunnhordland, and with Haugesund and Bergen?” Reve asked.

He pointed to several factors, including that the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences should take a stronger position on Stord, but what we particularly noted was his emphasis on greater cooperation southward with Haugalandet — especially within maritime, offshore and offshore wind, as he put it.

Full agreement from Maritimt Forum for Haugalandet and Sunnhordland!

Let’s give it all we’ve got — as they said at the Stord Conference, and as the people of Haugalandet would have said as well!

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Total turnover – suppliers and service companies For Haugalandet and Sunnhordland. (NOK billion) 30

24

18

12

6

0

1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total turnover 4,9

4,0

4,15

4,23

4,3

5,15

9,20 11,35 11,77 11,51 9,73 8,55 10,83 9,33 10,48 10,41 8,93 8,37

4,0

7,05 8,50 9,28 9,00 6,76

11,5

9,93 10,11

11,31 15,21 16,9 18,08 21,38

Turnover – suppliers –

–

3,53

3,7

3,65

5,41

6,16

4,94 6,88

3,14

4,67 4,39 3,59

6,12

4,94 4,47 5,66 5,95 5,89 6,89 8,83 8,73

9,16 10,53

Turnover – service companies –

–

0,62 0,53 0,65

1,15

2,15

2,85 2,49

2,51

2,97

4,01 3,99 3,90 5,84 3,98 4,22 4,42 6,38

8,17

8,92 10,85

Turnover NOK 21.38 billion + 18,25 % It can be difficult to determine whether a company is a supplier or represents service-oriented activity. Subsea technology companies are categorised in our survey as service companies, even though many consider them supplier companies.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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At the quayside with SMART Automation North of Bømlo Kulturhus lies Storavatnet. A bit to the west in Øklandsvåg is Bremnes Seashore. A bit to the east at Rubbestadneset, Frøy Ocean was recently named. Inside the cultural centre the Bømla Conference took place.

The quay outside was also a meeting place.

Frøy Ocean. Photo: John Kåre Torkelsen.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

John Kåre Torkelsen and Rigmor Lønning

“Everything is connected,” a prime minister once said, and perhaps that is true. At least large parts of the business community on Bømlo gather annually at the Bømla Conference, and that also includes SMART Automation. As for Frøy Ocean, she is a service vessel built for the shipping company Frøy, with operations for Bremnes Seashore. The christening took place on 10 September at Rubbestadneset, with the deputy mayor of Bømlo, Ragnfrid Sønstabø, as godmother. She is also the head of Bømlo Næringsråd, which organises the Bømla Conference.

“You must also mention that Progreen designed Frøy Ocean. We have worked closely with them,” says John Kåre Torkelsen.

Progreen is located on Fitjar, not far as the crow flies from Svortland or Rubbestadneset.

“What we have done in our collaboration with Progreen is deliver a complete hybrid electric propulsion solution for their design of workboats for the aquaculture industry. The focus has been to arrive at a well-functioning and reliable concept that also provides significant fuel savings. The solution we have developed is scalable so it can be used on several vessel sizes. A large battery pack provides great flexibility and reduced consumption, as well as extra power for heavy operations,” adds Rigmor Lønning.

who has been project manager for parts of the ­delivery described below.

“Let me put it this way: Frøy Ocean can almost be compared to an offshore anchor-handling vessel in a 28-metre hull. I want to give great credit to both Rigmor and Kjetil,” smiles Torkelsen.

And with that he also notes that SMART Automation aims for a broad customer base, from service vessels for aquaculture, like Frøy Ocean, to processing vessels, traditional fishing vessels, and offshore vessels.

SMART Automation is located in Hollundsdalen on the road between the municipal centre at Svortland and Rubbestadneset.

THIS IS WHAT THEY DELIVERED TO FRØY OCEAN: • 2 electric propulsion motors of 374 kW,

using compact permanent magnet motors

• 2 SMART Hydrive frequency converters for the propulsion motors

• Main switchboards – 440 VAC and 240 VAC • Large battery pack of 1,445 kWh (1.45 MWh) • SMART Hydrive – converter for the battery pack

• Transformers • SMART Chief III PMS – Power Management System

As project manager for SMART Automation on Frøy Ocean, she has spent a great deal of time on the vessel. She has done so together with Kjetil Lothe,

• SMART Chief II IAS – Integrated Alarm, Monitoring and Control System

• Tank measurement

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

33

Employed personnel - total for the local maritime industry For Haugalandet and Sunnhordland. Hired-in labour not included.

20 000

18 000

16 000

14 000

12 000

10 000 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total number of employed personnel 11209 11200 11567 11098 11144 11720 12996 14101 14894 15127 15024 14858 18227 18424 17297 15986 14610 16001 16937 17091 16279 16892 17683 17412 18588 19577

Employed 19.577 + 5,3 % The total number of employed personnel in 2025 in the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland was 19,577 (full-time equivalents). This is an increase of 989 employees from 2024, or 5.3 percent. A significant part of the employment growth is due to fleet expansion in the shipping companies. Hired-in labour is not included in the figures.

The employed personnel are distributed across the municipalities as follows: Karmøy Karmøy 18,7 %

3.654

Haugesund Haugesund 44,0 %

8.612

Bømlo Bømlo 8,4 %

1.642

StordStord 12,2 %

2.395

Tysvær Tysvær 2,9 %

562

Other municipalities 13,9 % Andre kommuner

2.712 1800

34

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

3600

5400

7200

9000

Subsea Innovation Day 2025 The region is buzzing with activity.

Parallel to Maritime Week in Haugesund in early September, the annual Subsea Innovation Day was held in Åkrehamn with 200 participants from 20 nations.

The organisers and hosts of Subsea Innovation Day are Rental Technology & Services (RTS) and the Norwegian Forum for Offshore Survey and Positioning (NOSP). The gathering featured speakers who are experts in their fields, as well as exhibitions from 12 leading suppliers in the industry.

This year’s main theme was “Automation and Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the offshore project lifecycle.”

In other words, a highly relevant topic in the maritime industry.

“We at RTS are proud that so many nations and leading actors within subsea come together on Karmøy. It shows that Åkrehamn and the region have established themselves as an important hub for the industry internationally,” says Tore Hafte Staalesen, Global BD Director at RTS.

Freddy Knutsen of RTS during the opening of Subsea Innovation Day in September. Photo: RTS.

The HVL board prioritises engineering officer education Following a proposal from Rector Gunnar Yttri, the board of the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) decided at its October meeting to apply to the Ministry of Education and Research for funding for 30 study places in marine engineering officer education.

As part of the government’s and the Ministry of Education and Research’s (KD) budget process for 2027, all institutions under KD are invited to submit proposals for priority initiatives outside the ordinary framework.

In the rector’s proposal, the marine engineering officer programme was placed at the top.

“There is a great need for Norwegian seafarers, both deck officers and engineering officers. HVL currently educates deck officers through the study programmes Nautical Science with integrated practice and Nautical Science (Y-path). There are many foreign seafarers on Norwegian ships today, but going forward, shipping companies will increasingly want Norwegian crew on board to ensure development and competitiveness. In addition, the Armed Forces will undergo a significant build-up over the next decade. The Navy cannot achieve this alone – they depend on civilian maritime education programmes to meet the demand. HVL’s commitment to maritime education therefore strengthens Norway’s overall preparedness,” the rector wrote in his recommendation.

It was the Shipping Industry’s Education and Recruitment Forum (SURF) that originally took the initiative to establish a bachelor-level marine engineering officer programme at HVL. The matter now lies with the Ministry of Education and Research.

Rector Gunnar Yttri at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. Photo: HVL.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

35

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Committed to Haugalandet – set to become a 100-strong workforce It was Øystein Stjern who said it during the Subsea Operations Conference in August. He is Deputy CEO of the IKM Group.

“We want to invest in Haugalandet!”

IKM won the PRSI contract (PRSI Pool Base) in March 2025. It is a multi-billion-kroner contract in which the work will be carried out at Equinor’s facilities at Killingøy in Haugesund, as well as offshore on the Norwegian continental shelf and in various international locations.

Given the importance of this establishment, the program committee for Subsea Operations Conference naturally wanted to hear from IKM’s top management about the opportunities and challenges tied to such a major expansion in Haugalandet. It should still be noted that IKM Elektro has operated a branch in Åkrehamn for ten years, and last year IKM acquired Elektrodrift in Haugesund. Øystein Stjern addressed the audience with a mix of humility and boldness.

“The IKM Group has 3,800 employees and 76 offices in 14 countries. This year, we will surpass NOK 10 billion in turnover, but I recognize that we need to make an effort in Haugalandet so the region gets to know us better,” Stjern said.

The IKM Group consists of a range of self-governed companies. This structure promotes responsibility and goal achievement, but on the other hand it weakens the visibility of the group as a whole.

“The work on the PRSI contract will be organized through IKM PRS Services AS in Haugesund. In addition to this company and IKM Elektro, we are now represented in Haugesund with a branch of IKM Consultants, as well as IKM Ocean Design, which is now establishing itself in the 24/7 building and starting with five people,” said Stjern.

IKM took over the PRSI contract from DeepOcean on 1 December at 12:00. It concerns repair preparedness for pipelines and cables on the seabed worldwide on behalf of just over twenty international companies. It is equally about competence.

“We have 40 years of experience in subsea engineering. We are strong within operations and

Øystein Stjern is Deputy CEO of the IKM Group. He came to Haugesund and the Subsea Operations Conference to present the group’s commitment to Haugalandet.

maintenance. We aim to contribute to the further development of the PBS (Pool Base Services), and we expect to make money on the contract.”

The latter was said with reference to suggestions that IKM might have priced low to win the contract.

“No, that is not the case,” he emphasized.

The PRSI contract has a duration of four years, with two options for an additional two years each. The total contract value is estimated at approximately NOK 1.6 billion.

“We have already recruited 57 employees, which is around 70 percent of what we need to handle the contract,” Stjern said in August.

Now, the PRS staff is complete.

“In addition to these, we have our people in IKM Elektro, IKM Consultants, and IKM Ocean Design here in Haugalandet. We are talking about ending up well above one hundred employees in the region.

Beyond this, we are also bringing in several new local cooperation partners,” said Stjern.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

37

Building a maritime spearhead from Haugesund Bouvet has 2,300 employees across sixteen offices, fourteen in Norway and two in Sweden. “Here in Bouvet, Haugesund is already a spearhead toward industry. Now we want to take a leading position in the maritime sector,” says Anette ­Friestad Håland, head of Bouvet Haugesund’s business unit.

She adds that the region has one of the strongest maritime clusters in the country.

“We want to help shape tomorrow’s solutions together with our customers. This new strategic focus also aligns with Bouvet Haugesund’s vision: ‘Haugesund in 100’.”

Anette Friestad Håland in front of the wall featuring portraits of Bouvet Haugesund’s 66 employees.

38

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Employees are organised into three teams: Kompass, Moment, and Kraft.

HAUGESUND IN 100

MARITIME WORLD

“We say it partly in jest, inspired by the restaurants in town that used to offer a meal for 100 kroner.

Well, now that meal may cost 150, but in 2024 we were close to reaching 100 million kroner in turnover here at our Haugesund office. We aim to exceed that milestone soon, and at the same time grow to 100 employees. Hence, ‘Haugesund in 100’,” smiles ­Friestad Håland.

A major part of the maritime initiative is the large maritime IT conference, MaritimeWorld, held in Haugesund on 16 October, where Bouvet was a partner.

Bouvet Haugesund currently has 66 employees, but this autumn construction workers have been busy in Diktervegen 8, right among Bouvet’s system developers and other consultants. The floor above Åkra Bil has been refurbished into a modern, spacious environment with room for many more employees.

“For us, this isn’t only about numbers, but about building a strong competence hub here in Haugesund,” says Anette Friestad Håland.

Employees are organised in three teams: Kompass, Moment, and Kraft.

A MARITIME SPEARHEAD Bouvet’s offices enjoy considerable freedom to define their focus areas.

“It’s natural for us here in Haugesund to look to the maritime cluster, one of the strongest in Norway.

We already have major development projects and digitalisation initiatives underway with key maritime and marine players. In these projects we collaborate across our regional offices. The same will be true for our broader maritime strategy, but with Haugesund as the spearhead,” says Johannes Stavland, who has been with Bouvet since its founding 23 years ago, formerly as manager in Haugesund and now as department manager.

“We have participated at EnergyWorld in Stavanger.

It has become an excellent meeting place for sharing experiences on the use of technology and digitalisation. We hope MaritimeWorld will develop in the same direction. I believe it is important to bring the industry together for knowledge sharing. We also hope MaritimeWorld will become part of Maritime Uke next year,” says Anette Friestad Håland.

MARITIME AI Everyone is talking about artificial intelligence these days. A consortium including the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and NORCE, together with maritime industry partners, applied for NOK 100 million in research funding in 2025. Another consortium, including SINTEF, ultimately won.

“The most important aspect of using AI is being able to trust the information behind the analyses you request. If not, the decisions being made risk becoming fundamentally flawed. Companies should therefore consider developing their own AI solutions. Even small companies can do this by using so-called ‘low-code platforms’. We can assist with that,” says Friestad Håland.

She also points out that Bouvet sees many future applications for AI, including in autonomous shipping and subsea services.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

39

Endurance is decisive Only two consortia remain in the race for Utsira Nord. Deep Wind Offshore is leading the charge on one of the teams.

Their consortium partner, France’s EDF Power Solutions, holds a central midfield role, while owners Haugaland Kraft, SKL and Knutsen New Energy form a rock-solid defence. This is indeed the Champions League. On the opposite side of the pitch stand Equinor and Vårgrønn.

Both teams have played their way to the final. At one point, fourteen consortia were in contention for the Utsira Nord licence, but the tournament dragged on.

“Deep Wind Offshore was established with Utsira Nord in mind. It’s our home ground, but we wouldn’t have made it this far without our engagements in Korea, the Baltics, Sweden and Chile,” says CEO Knut Vassbotn.

He is pleased with the awards that were announced on 11 December.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

“We have used the waiting period well. The maturation process doesn’t have to take that long.”

This also means it doesn’t have to cost as much money as has been suggested.

“Exactly! That said, we are glad to have a strong partner in EDF and solid owners. If there’s one thing Knutsen has excelled at, it’s securing capital for major projects. Our local owners—Knutsen, Haugaland Kraft and SKL—are invaluable. Utsira lies right outside our living room windows. This is a project the local community should win,” smiles Vassbotn.

Optimism after years of delays and frustration?

“Yes, now we are optimistic! It’s all about enduring, both on the pitch and in life. In the end, the goals will come!”

The maturation phase now begins, before one winner walks away with the much-discussed state support of up to NOK 35 billion.

Knut Vassbotn at Deep Wind Offshore’s headquarters in Haugesund with Utsira Nord in the background. Photo: DWO.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Employment – yards For Haugalandet and Sunnhordland 6000

4800

3600

2400

1200

0

1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Shipyards total 4090 3433 3592 3348 3380 3318 3510 3814 4013 3854 3839 4603 4723 4885 4795 4338 4131 4094 4185 4330 4431 4486 4533 4567 4925 5060 Offshore yards 3340 2995 3116 2902 2985 2939 3112 3256 3477 3422 3390 4395 4551 4734 4577 4145 3596 3672 3582 3711 3545 3587 3672 3809 4149 4225 Shipyards (newbuild/repair) 744

436

476

446

395

379

398

558

536

432

449

208

172

151

218

193

535

422

603

559

886

899

861

758

776

835

Employed 5.060 + 2,7 % The total number of employees at the yards in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland in 2025 was 5,060 full-time equivalents. This figure includes only permanent employees, not hired-in labour. The increase from 2024 is 135 FTEs.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Employment – shipping companies For Haugalandet and Sunnhordland 10000

8000

6000

4000

2000

0 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total employees 2775 3506 3765 3740 4088 4561 4831 5311 5388 5636 5894 5832 8177 7911 8176 7383 6755 8282 9066 9215 8730 9193 9307 8182 8803 9640 Norwegian seafarers 1557 1984 2129 2132 2436 2564 2637 2831 2906 2900 2818 3017 3209 2940 2889 2485 2309 2793 2780 2693 2589 2566 2518 2122 2134 2191 Foreign seafarers 1036 1354 1430 1390 1420 1743 1898 2080 2101 2321 2656 2895 4183 4038 4056 4282 3584 4738 5549 5606 5373 5797 5893 5457 5805 6431 Administration 182

168

206

218

232

254

296

400

381

418

420

460

785

933 1.231

616

862

751

737

916

768 830 896

603

864 1018

Employed 9.640 + 9,5 % The total number of employees in 2025 at the shipping companies in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland was 9,640, an increase of 837 from last year, corresponding to 9.5 percent.

A fleet expansion of 23 vessels, combined with a large orderbook where seafarers must be hired before delivery, explains the significant employment growth.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

43

Employment - suppliers and service companies For Haugalandet and Sunnhordland 6000

5000

4000

3000

2000

1000

0 1999 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Total employed 4043 4044 4139 3973 3676 3883 4655 4976 5493 5634 5291 3883 5459 5628 4326 4264 3724 3.25 3680 3546 3118

3211 3843 4663 4830 4877

Suppliers –

–

3717 3613 3298 3310 3803 4092 4337 4455 4038 2530 2714 2767 2631 2519 2251 2140 2176 2147 1740 1973 2148 2682 2703 2029

Service companies –

–

422

360

378

531

852

884 1.156 1.179 1.253 1353 2745 2854 1695 1745 1473 1485 1510 1399 1378 1238 1695 1981 2127 2848

Employed 4.877 + 1 % The total number of employees in supplier companies and service companies in ­Haugalandet and Sunnhordland is 4,877. This is 47 more than last year.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Apprenticeships All trades in the region’s participating companies 900

750

600

450

300

150

0 2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

2024

2025

548

786

803

785

564

513

521

558

560

566

563

651

708

716

772

Shipping companies

314

450

388

405

246

204

240

255

256

263

271

322

262

270

296

Shipyards

140

182

222

229

181

190

169

180

181

182

184

208

234

261

283

Suppliers

59

80

115

117

114

104

92

93

83

77

69

75

96

87

87

Service companies

35

74

78

34

23

15

20

30

40

44

39

46

116

98

106

Total

Under training 772 + 7,8 % Recruitment There has been an overall increase in the number of apprenticeship positions over the past year, from 716 to 772, with the shipyards, shipping companies and service c ­ ompanies accounting for the growth, while supplier companies have the same number of ­apprenticeship positions as last year.

Individuals and companies that help ensure tomorrow’s professionals get the opportunity to learn a trade make an invaluable contribution and deserve recognition for it.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

45

Atea moving to Smedasundet 77

Stine Valen, Director of Atea Haugalandet, and Antonie Pettersen, property manager at Caiano. Photo: Atea.

Atea will relocate to Smedasundet 77 in Haugesund city centre in February/ March 2026. “A flagship project right in the heart of the city,” smiles Stine Valen.

Valen is Director of Atea Haugalandet.

The new landmark building is BREEAM-certified and meets sustainability requirements, including low greenhouse gas emissions, energy efficiency, responsible material choices, indoor climate, transport, water consumption and waste management.

CLOSER TO CUSTOMERS AND PARTNERS

“The relocation marks an important step in Atea’s commitment to Haugalandet and strengthens the company’s role as a local IT partner. We look forward to becoming part of a vibrant and forward-looking environment at Smedasundet 77. This is a prestige project that gives us greater visibility and closer contact with both customers and partners,” says Stine Valen.

Atea will occupy the building’s second floor, with a shared canteen on the first floor together with companies such as DOF, Deloitte, DNB and Haugesund Sparebank.

“The co-location with other major players contributes to a dynamic work environment and enhances collaboration across industries,” she adds.

46

“We are very pleased to welcome Atea as a new tenant. As Norway’s largest IT company, they bring both expertise and energy to the environment in the building, and we are confident they will fit well alongside our other tenants. We look forward to good cooperation and to facilitating further growth in new, modern premises,” says Antonie Pettersen, property manager at Caiano.

GROWING AND INVESTING IN HAUGALANDET

Atea has around 1,800 employees in Norway and also operates in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and the Baltics. The company has offices in 23 Norwegian cities, including Stord and Stavanger. Local presence is essential to delivering services tailored to customer needs.

“We are growing, investing and strengthening our presence in Haugalandet. The new premises give us room to continue developing and to attract even more talented people. Atea delivers services with local roots and strong expertise in areas such as IT security, health and welfare technology, sustainability, digital school development, artificial intelligence, cloud services and data centres, and meeting-room solutions,” concludes Stine Valen.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

The level of ambition at NOR matches my own Kristine Edvinson has only a few months behind her as Commercial Manager for Norway at NOR Offshore Rental. “Here I get to use my offshore expertise in a company with major growth ambitions not only nationally, but globally,” she says.

Her first international trip with her new colleagues took place in August, when NOR opened new offices in Aberdeen. Until then, she worked at Karmsund Port Authority.

“A fantastic workplace as well, with big ambitions, but I was drawn to the global perspective. I was also in Ocean Installer until the offshore downturn hit ten years ago. Being so close to the subsea industry again, as I am now at NOR, is incredibly exciting.”

Kristine Edvinson holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, completed in 2012. Already in her final year of studies, she joined Aibel in Haugesund, working in the marine operations department. After Aibel, she crossed the fjord to Stavanger and Ocean Installer. This was followed by nearly four years at Bufab, before she took on a business development role at Karmsund Port Authority.

GLOBAL OPERATIONS

At NOR, everything is interconnected. The company has an equipment fleet of nearly 6,500 units, ranging from simple tools to highly advanced systems. The latter can cost several million kroner to procure, and

maintenance costs are high. The equipment takes a beating on the seabed. The largest location in terms of equipment, workshop, and personnel is in Tysvær.

“But we rent out equipment globally, and maintenance is carried out wherever it makes the most sense. For example, around 70 percent of the equipment in Aberdeen is rented out for use on the UK continental shelf, while the rest is rented out to and received from operations elsewhere, either in Norway or worldwide,” explains Kristine Edvinson.

As Commercial Manager for Norway, the global flow of equipment means she is in regular contact not only with Aberdeen, but also with NOR’s locations in Singapore, Rio, Chennai in India, and Johor in Malaysia. A new establishment in Perth, Australia, is also on the way.

“Yes, this is exactly it. NOR Offshore Rental works globally now. It’s a young and dynamic company, and it’s not just the company that’s young. I would guess the average age of those of us working here is around my own age, and I’m 39. Quite simply, the level of ambition at NOR matches my own,” smiles Kristine Edvinson.

Kristine Edvinson in NOR Offshore Rental’s workshop in Aksdal Næringspark.

Per Sigurd Velde

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

47

From left: State Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Even Sagebakken; Deputy Mayor of ­Haugesund, Gunn Margot Bendiksen; Managing Director of Maritimt Forum for Haugalandet and Sunnhordland, Sverre Meling; Managing Director of Maritimt Forum Norway, Fride Solbakken; and Knut Arild Hareide, CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

On board the sailing ship Christian Radich, moored in the inner harbour of the old sailing town of Arendal during Arendalsuka, Haugesund was named ­Maritime Municipality of the Year at a reception on 12 August hosted by Maritimt Forum together with several maritime partners.

Haugesund named Norway’s Maritime ­Municipality of the Year Behind the award stand Maritimt Forum and Kystens Næringsliv, but the decision is made by a broad and independent jury composed of:

• Even Aas, Chair of Maritimt Forum (jury chair) • Knut Arild Hareide, CEO of the Norwegian • • • •

Shipowners’ Association Tor Arne Borge, CEO of the Norwegian Coastal Shipowners Hege-Merethe Bengtsson, CEO of the Norwegian Maritime Officers’ Union Tuva Flagstad-Andersen, Regional Manager Northern Europe, DNV Maritime Øystein Hage, Editor-in-Chief, Kystens Næringsliv

total value creation. Local companies have shown remarkable adaptability, evolving from traditional shipbuilding to high-tech solutions within oil, gas and renewable energy. Shipping companies with global reach and subsea businesses with specialist competence originate here, contributing to putting Norway on the global maritime map.

Haugesund has taken on the role of host for maritime Norway and has succeeded in creating arenas for cooperation, innovation and development.

The municipality combines historical heritage with modern initiatives, and political will with industrial strength.

This makes Haugesund a role model for others and a natural recipient of the award.

JURY’S REASONING Haugesund has for generations strengthened its position as one of Norway’s most significant maritime municipalities. Today, the municipality stands as a powerhouse for maritime value creation, innovation and restructuring, and is a natural choice as this year’s Maritime Municipality.

Haugesund distinguishes itself through an impressive combination of historical depth, local political engagement and outstanding industrial achievements. The city and the surrounding region have over decades developed a maritime identity that permeates institutions, education and business.

The city’s political leadership has demonstrated a clear and long-term commitment to strengthening the maritime sector. Through active participation in regional and national arenas, strategic development of port infrastructure and hosting major maritime events, the municipality has positioned itself as a unifying force for the entire Norwegian maritime cluster.

STATEMENT FROM THE WINNER Deputy Mayor of Haugesund, Gunn Margot Bendiksen, was present to accept the award.

“It is with great joy and deep gratitude that I stand here today on behalf of a city that has always had salt in its hair and the sea in its blood. Haugesund has now been named Maritime Municipality of the Year, a title we receive with pride, humility and gratitude,” she said in her speech.

Mayor of Haugesund, Nils Konrad Bua, was unable to attend the ceremony.

“Let me nonetheless say that it was a great honour to receive the award. Haugesund has a proud maritime history, a city built on herring and the sea, and one that continues to look toward the horizon. Our connection to the ocean has always been strong,” he says.

The maritime cluster in the region of which Haugesund is part contributes a substantial share of

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

49

COMMENTARY

Haugesund as “Maritime Municipality of the Year” owes its success to an entire region During Arendalsuka, Haugesund was named Maritime Municipality of the Year with a jury statement that could lift any Haugesund resident sky-high.

But the recognition is not only about Haugesund.

It is about a regional industry and the politicians within that same geographic footprint who together form the foundation for this success.

Runar Skarstein, Chair of Maritimt Forum for Haugalandet and Sunnhordland (without sunglasses), and Sverre Meling, Managing Director (just behind Skarstein), await the announcement on board Christian Radich of who will be named “Maritime Municipality of the Year”. Photo: Henriette Næss Ebbesen / FRAMINORD.

The jury makes this clear as well. It writes, among other things: “The maritime cluster in the region of which Haugesund is a part contributes a significant share of total value creation, and local companies have shown an impressive ability to adapt, evolving from traditional shipbuilding to hightech solutions within oil, gas and renewable energy. Shipping companies with global reach and subsea companies with cutting-edge expertise originate here, helping to put Norway on the global maritime map.”

The political leadership in Haugesund over many years also receives deserved attention: “Haugesund’s political leadership has demonstrated clear and long-term commitment to

50

strengthening the maritime sector. Through active participation in regional and national forums, strategic development of port infrastructure and hosting major maritime events, the municipality has positioned itself as a unifying force for the entire Norwegian maritime cluster.”

Even here, the regional dimension is emphasized — participation in regional forums and, not least, the strategic development of port infrastructure through Karmsund Port Authority.

None of this is said to diminish Haugesund. Quite the opposite.

For decades, the city’s mayors have been driving forces behind establishing Haugesund on the map as Norway’s maritime capital. And when the jury

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

refers to regional maritime value creation, it refers to Haugalandet and Sunnhordland, where Haugesund accounted for 38.7 percent of turnover in 2024 and 40.7 percent of employees.

It is said in recognition of the fact that Haugesund is lifted by strong maritime environments and dedicated politicians in neighbouring municipalities. It is said in recognition of the fact that we are strongest together. Of the more than 7,500 maritime employees in Haugesund, many live in other municipalities across Haugalandet and Sunnhordland — if they are not foreign seafarers. As a regional municipal collaboration, Karmsund Port has already been mentioned, but the maritime focus of Western

Norway University of Applied Sciences, as well as the presence of the Norwegian Maritime Authority and the Norwegian Coastal Administration in Haugesund, are also the result of the combined strength of the regional maritime cluster. From Members of Parliament to municipal councillors, all have been attentive to the needs of the industry.

This is why Haugesund, as “Maritime Municipality of the Year”, has an entire region to thank. That must be the starting point for the next chapter in the story of what the jury describes as a city and a region that “over several decades have developed a maritime identity that permeates institutions, education and industry.”

Spectacular Relocation Project Imenco in Tysvær contributed its technology and expertise when the Oseberg ship was moved in September from the old Viking Ship Museum to the new one.

The Oseberg ship was built in 820, most likely somewhere near Karmsundet. Dendrochronological studies of both the Oseberg ship and the vessels found in Storhaug and Grønhaug on Karmøy show that the ships were built from oak originating from the same area in Southwest Norway. The Oseberg ship could be both rowed and sailed, but is considered Norway’s first true sailing ship, at least among vessels whose propulsion relied primarily on sail.

Along with the Storhaug and Grønhaug ships, it was built during a technological transition between oars and sails. This new ship technology later laid the foundation for the Viking expeditions.

The Oseberg ship was likely intended as a prestige vessel for coastal voyages rather than a warship, and it is probable that a king’s daughter from Avaldsnes brought it with her when she was married off to a member of the Yngling dynasty in Vestfold.

That is why it was discovered in that part of the country.

In 2021, Imenco was awarded the contract by Statsbygg not only for relocating the Oseberg ship, but also the Gokstad and Tune ships, in addition to a number of other artefacts.

“This is a demanding task that places high requirements on both equipment and personnel. The project is being watched closely around the world and could open a new market for us if we succeed,” said Imenco owner and CEO Geir Egil Østebøvik four years ago.

Ingunn Øvereng Iveland, CEO of Imenco, together with owner and Chair of the Board Geir Egil Østebøvik. Photo: Imenco.

The Oseberg ship is the oldest of the three vessels.

The Gokstad and Tune ships both date from around the year 900. All three are not only part of Norway’s national heritage but of the world’s cultural heritage. They can be compared to the Acropolis in Athens and the pyramids of Egypt.

Back in 2012, an international expert group concluded that it would not be safe to move the ships to a planned new museum in Bjørvika in Oslo.

A new facility is therefore being built at Bygdøy, where the Viking Ship Museum is already located.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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IB at Vardafjell makes its mark During Rogaland County Council’s budget process in autumn 2024, Maritimt Forum and the Haugalandet Business Association had to step in to help save the international school programme at Vardafjell Upper Secondary School in Haugesund. One year later, the Vg2 IB class is fully enrolled.

Shipowners’ Association and the Haugalandet Business Association founded HIS, and Maritimt Forum holds a seat on the board. The offering at Vardafjell is important in itself, but being able to maintain a continuous pathway from primary school to upper secondary was also key when we mobilised against the proposal to shut down the IB programme,” says Sverre Meling of Maritimt Forum.

“Haugalandet’s business community is strongly internationally focused, and having an international school offering is crucial for growth and diversity in a region with ambitions and an outward-looking perspective,” adds Vardafjell’s principal, Ragnhild Aspen Alvsaker.

Gro Torill Nypan is the IB Coordinator at Vardafjell.

Today, she and the school can confirm that the fight for the programme was the right decision.

Principal Ragnhild Aspen Alvsaker and IB coordinator Gro Torill Nypan. Photo: Vardafjell Upper Secondary School.

IB stands for International Baccalaureate. It is an internationally recognised, university-preparatory programme offered at upper secondary schools in 162 countries worldwide, including Norway. The IB organisation is known for providing education of exceptionally high quality and for giving students a solid foundation for further studies both in Norway and abroad.

On Haugalandet, Vardafjell Upper Secondary School in Haugesund is the only school offering the IB Diploma Programme, equivalent to the Norwegian academic specialisation track. The school has offered the programme for 21 years.

“In our region, pupils can also follow the IB programme at the primary and lower secondary levels by attending HIS, Haugesund International School, which means internationally oriented families and students have an educational pathway from early years through to upper secondary. Haugesund

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“Student numbers in the IB programme have increased significantly for the 2025/26 school year. We now have a completely full Vg2 class. This shows that the programme is both needed and wanted.

Our two IB classes, Vg2 and Vg3, consist of students who have chosen IB for many different reasons.

Some plan to study abroad and therefore benefit from English-language instruction and an international focus, while others plan to study in Norway but want deep learning, critical thinking, and reflection.”

Although instruction at both Vardafjell and HIS takes place in English, all students are also offered Norwegian as a subject.

“Norwegian is important because all our IB students live here in Haugesund. At the same time, we are proud that eighteen different nationalities are represented among our students. This is diversity and inclusion in practice,” says Nypan with a smile.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

DeepOcean is project owner in ground­ breaking oil and gas pipeline project TotalEnergies, Equinor, Aker BP, DeepOcean, Tenaris og LS Cable & System har gått sammen om å kommersialisere en banebrytende teknologi for elektrisk oppvarming av undervannsrørledninger, med både kostnadsreduksjoner og utslippskutt som resultat.

“The solution reduces production and installation costs by up to 35 percent and cuts CO2 emissions by 30 percent by separating pipeline and heating cable installation,” het det i en pressemelding 21. oktober.

So-called subsea tiebacks, where remote wells are connected to existing production platforms via pipelines, are essential for oil and gas production. In cold, deep waters, however, operators face significant flow assurance challenges, including wax and hydrate formation, which require heating.

FLOWHEAT

The new solution, named FlowHeat, simplifies pipeline heating by allowing heating cables to be installed after the pipeline has been laid on the seabed. The technology also considers an option where cables are installed inside a reeled pipeline.

“The patented solution represents a breakthrough in pipeline heating with corresponding cost savings, increased efficiency and environmental benefits.

The advantages include lower topside weight and energy consumption, as well as simpler installation. The cable can be repaired and monitored in real time through optical fiber,” says Andries Ferla, DeepOcean’s Technology Director and project owner.

The FlowHeat system can be installed after a pipeline is laid and can be used on pipelines up to 30 kilometers long (potentially up to 50 kilometers), at water depths of up to 3,000 meters.

“It is ideal for long tiebacks,” the press release stated.

Installation can be performed using smaller ROVs, reducing vessel costs. Lower CO2 emissions result from optimized pipe usage, fewer installation days,

Andries Ferla is Technology Director at DeepOcean.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

and the use of smaller vessels. The total cost reduction is therefore up to 35 percent compared to traditional methods.

“Initial small-scale and thermal tests have been successful. They show that cables can be installed over obstacles and long distances with high energy efficiency,” the release continued.

similar trends, with more than 300 potential electric heating projects identified by 2030.

The project partners contribute complementary expertise to maximize the commercial potential, from manufacturing to subsea installation.

LARGE MARKET POTENTIAL

DeepOcean, as project owner, will optimize installation of the heating cables. Tenaris delivers thermal insulation solutions, while LS Cable & System supplies power and fiber-optic cable technology. Total­ Energies, Equinor and Aker BP contribute operator expertise, infrastructure, investment capacity and R&D initiatives to validate practical use of FlowHeat.

On the Norwegian continental shelf, operators increasingly connect new subsea wells to existing infrastructure. Globally, regions such as Brazil, the USA, Africa and other deepwater markets face

The project is supported by the Research Council of Norway.

The market potential for FlowHeat is described as significant.

Self-interest and social responsibility DeepOcean participates in the career fair on Haugalandet because the company wants to recruit, but also because it sees it as part of its social responsibility.

The 2025 Career Fair was organised by Haugaland Vekst on behalf of the owner municipalities. On the first day alone, 3,200 young people visited the fair.

“We meet a lot of them and get great engagement.

We talk about the opportunities at DeepOcean.

Much of it revolves around ROV piloting, mechanical engineering, software development and 3D,” said Antika Vihovde, HR Coordinator at DeepOcean.

She herself holds a master’s degree from the University of Stavanger. The same goes for the two colleagues we met with Antika at the DeepOcean stand. Tuva Carey Selsaas is an Interactive Engineer with a master’s from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences, while Hannah Matilde Knutsdatter is a Visuals Engineer with a master’s from the University of Agder.

“We also tell the students visiting us that they don’t need to stress too much about choosing the perfect education right away. It falls into place over time,” Antika smiled.

And she and her colleagues have a small advantage at the fair.

“Many already know who we are. They drive past our office building in Karmsundgata and see the DeepOcean name, very visible. So they stop by and

From left: Tuva Carey Selsaas, Hannah Matilde Knutsdatter and Antika Vihovde

ask for more information,” said Vihovde.

At the same time, she emphasized that while DeepOcean certainly wants the students’ attention, being present at a career fair also ties into a broader sense of responsibility.

“Yes, absolutely. And it motivates us when meeting the students. They’re looking for a future, and we should be there for them.”

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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Emigration to America

– a shipping history On 9 October 2025, a replica of Restauration sailed into New York Harbor, greeted by the Crown Prince, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Trade.

Exactly 200 years earlier, Cleng Peerson had welcomed the original vessel.

Emigration to America is an inseparable part of Norwegian shipping history.

THE ERIE CANAL OPENED IN 1825 The arrival of the sloop Restauration in New York in 1825 coincided with the opening of the Erie Canal.

This meant that the Norwegian emigrants could continue by boat up the Hudson River to Albany, and from there along the new canal system, disem-

barking near Murray by Lake Ontario, where the first Norwegian settlement had been prepared by Tysvær native Cleng Peerson.

Travelling by boat within the United States was far easier than travelling overland.

The replica of Restauration visited the Fisheries Festival in Åkrehamn in 2023. From left: skipper Kjell Finnesand, chair of the friends’ association Ann Irene Sem-Henriksen, and volunteer coordinator Erling Reilstad.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

RESTAURATION CONFISCATED Upon arrival, however, American authorities confiscated Restauration. It was simply against US law to arrive with so many people on such a small vessel.

The boat was only 16 metres long and carried 53 people, including a newborn baby. Through influential Quaker contacts, President John Quincy Adams intervened, having the vessel released so the ship and its cargo of Swedish iron could be sold to finance the settlement in Murray. The process took time, and the value of the ship dropped while they waited.

The barque ­Haugesund made two voyages to Quebec in 1865 Passenger list from one of its voyages pictured at right.

Photo: ­Haugesund Shipowners’ ­Association.

HARSH CONDITIONS The early transatlantic crossings were marked by cramped conditions, limited food, poor sanitation and little hygiene. Passengers might have a bunk on the tween deck, but most sat on their travel chests, and in rough weather the hatches had to be sealed, making ventilation even worse. Mortality could be high on some crossings.

After the British Navigation Act of 1849, ships began sailing to Quebec, Canada. The act allowed Norwegian ships to transport goods between Britain and its colonies. Over the next three decades, Norway grew into the world’s third-largest shipping nation, largely thanks to free trade. From British Canada, Norwegian ships could carry return cargo to ports like Liverpool, Bristol and Glasgow, before returning home to take on new emigrants.

From Quebec, emigrants could continue by boat up the St. Lawrence River through a newly built canal system into Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Michigan, reaching Chicago, the gateway to the American Midwest.

Eventually, Canadian authorities also imposed restrictions due to overcrowded ships and poor conditions. The Norwegian Parliament introduced regulations in 1863, but real improvements came only with the rise of steamships from around 1870 onwards.

NORWEGIAN SHIPOWNERS LOSE THE EMIGRANT TRADE With the transition to steamships, Norwegian shipowners lost their foothold in the emigrant trade.

Many Norwegians had sailed on foreign ships via Gothenburg, Hamburg, Le Havre or Liverpool even in the age of sail, but given the choice, most preferred Norwegian vessels with Norwegian crews. This gave reassurance to emigrants who neither knew the conditions onboard nor spoke English.

Peter Jebsen of Bergen attempted to establish a direct emigrant route between Norway and the USA, but it lasted only a few years in the 1870s. Thus, the great emigration wave from 1865 to 1915 was largely handled by foreign shipping companies, even though the Norwegian America Line was established as a national initiative in 1910.

THE NORWEGIAN AMERICA LINE In 1913, the newly built Kristianiafjord entered service, and until air travel took over the “Atlantic crossing” around 1960, proud liners such as Stavangerfjord, Oslofjord and Bergensfjord became household names.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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Soon in place with a major office in Haugesund It has been known for some time that DOF is establishing a presence in Haugesund. In front of more than 200 participants at the Subsea Operations Conference in August, Gyrid Lønnestad presented the company and the ­reasoning behind the expansion.

Gyrid Lønnestad and Ole Morten Skogland. Skogland is Business Development Manager in DOF Subsea Norway and already works at the Haugesund office. In the background is the new building where DOF will move in early 2026.

"I’ve asked myself why we are moving to Haugesund, but I no longer wonder now that I’ve become more familiar with the subsea cluster on Haugalandet.

This is where we should be," said Lønnestad.

move into Caiano’s new building at Smedasundet when it is completed in the first quarter of 2026. DOF will have office space for 40 employees on the building’s fifth floor.

She heads DOF Subsea HSEQ in the Atlantic region.

"We are coming to Haugesund for many reasons.

There is access to students from Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. There is broader access to competence. Many of our suppliers are here, and we have many strong competitors on Haugalandet. DOF believes in both competition and collaboration," smiled Gyrid Lønnestad.

DOF has a fleet of 75 vessels and more than 5,600 employees worldwide. The company is headquartered in Austevoll and Bergen.

In Haugesund, DOF already had 10 employees in its Haraldsgata office as of August, but the team will 58

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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Outlook for 2026 The geopolitical landscape and the current security situation create uncertainty, while the maritime industry's importance in preparedness and national defence has received increased attention. This opens new opportunities, both ­commercially and in terms of achieving better political framework conditions.

Companies in the maritime sector on Haugalandet and in Sunnhordland report positive expectations for the future, although confidence appears somewhat weaker than at the same time last year.

BUSINESS OUTLOOK

In 2024, 68.5 percent of companies reported good prospects for 2025, while 31.5 percent reported moderate prospects. None reported poor prospects.

In 2025, 51.6 percent of companies report good prospects for 2026, 44.3 percent report moderate prospects, and 3.1 percent report poor prospects.

Future expectations have therefore weakened compared to last year, but remain at a historically high level.

EMPLOYMENT

Last year, companies reported plans to create a net total of 893 new full-time equivalents in 2025. The final figure ended at 989 new positions.

INDUSTRIAL POLICY

Maritimt Forum for Haugalandet og Sunnhordland represents both employees and employers, and political priorities may vary between these groups.

It is therefore important to note that the annual survey reflects the views of the employer side, represented by company management.

A total of 6.2 percent state that they are satisfied with government industrial policy.

52.6 percent are moderately satisfied, while 41.2 percent are dissatisfied.

The share that expresses dissatisfaction is somewhat lower than last year, but the reasons given often relate to unpredictable framework conditions, the tax burden including wealth tax, and what is perceived as anti-business political rhetoric.

For 2026, companies report that they will hire a net total of 449 new employees. Planned hiring of foreign seafarers is not included in this figure.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Joke Katrina Benthien beside a model of Østensjø Rederi’s vessel Edda Flora.

From Bremen to Røvær with saltwater in the veins GREAT NEED FOR SEAFARERS Joke Katrina Benthien is the new recru“I’m very aware that the need for more seafarers is itment consultant at Maritim Opplæring significant, so this will be exciting. At the same time, Sørvest. With saltwater running through I know that to succeed, we must reach those who her veins, she wants to reach young feel distant from the sea — those who don’t have parents or grandparents connected to maritime people whose relationship to the sea is life. In other words, Røvær will not be my main target more distant than her own. group,” she laughs.

Though Benthien grew up in Oldenburg, the city closely tied to the historic Danish-Norwegian royal house and located only a short distance from Wilhelmshaven, Bremerhaven and the old Hanseatic city of Bremen, she has always had a strong connection to the maritime world. As a child, she spent countless hours sailing with her parents.

“My grandmother was born on Wangerooge,” she explains.

And for anyone not fully versed in North German coastal geography: Wangerooge is one of the East Frisian Islands, so that gives a hint about where some of those sailing trips went.

Maritim Opplæring Sørvest has member shipping companies from the Sognefjord in the north to Kristiansand in the south.

“We follow up apprentices on board vessels on behalf of these companies. I’ll be present at career fairs, in dialogue with school counsellors, and a contact point for both young people and parents.

But building close relationships with the shipping companies will also be essential. Collaboration with the other three maritime training offices in Norway and with the recruitment campaign Maritim Karriere will also be important.”

Physical outreach is one thing, but the digital arena is just as crucial.

But life took her even farther north.

“My parents moved to Røvær, and I followed them.

That’s more than ten years ago now. Today I have my own family on Røvær,” smiles Joke Katrina Benthien.

She started in her new role at the maritime training office on 1 October, where she will work both to encourage more young people to apply for maritime education and to secure more apprenticeship placements.

“Recruitment to maritime education is already good. My job is to build on that. Further developing our communication on social media will be important, but I also want to start a podcast. I often listen to podcasts myself while cooking or doing other things. A podcast allows us to reach both young people and parents with engaging stories from the maritime industry,” says Joke Katrina Benthien.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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Summer gathering in 20-plus degrees

Good spirits in the political panel. From left: panel moderator Sverre Meling; Lasse Fredheim, 3rd candidate for Høyre in Rogaland; Rune Midtun, 4th candidate for Fremskrittspartiet in Rogaland; Ruth Mariann Hop, 2nd candidate for Arbeiderpartiet in Rogaland; and Naomi Wessel, 2nd candidate for Rødt in Rogaland. Of these, Hop and Midtun were elected to the Storting in the September election. Photo: Motjieus Kurmis.

A summer gathering in temperatures above 20 degrees, or a summer gathering with more than 100 participants — it all depends on how you look at it. Once again, the maritime summer event was blessed with beautiful weather.

The annual maritime summer gathering is arranged in collaboration between Maritimt Forum and Sandvold & Velde Supply.

A total of 140 participants had signed up for the 13 June event.

“But of course, some people always get prevented at the last minute. Still, it was a great turnout.

Just like at the event we held in January at Haugesund Rederiforening when we presented the Maritime Report 2025. These two gatherings are becoming something of a tradition. At the first one, we present our annual maritime report, and at the second — the June event before the summer holidays — we invite politicians who are standing for election, at least every other year depending on whether it’s a local or national election. That was also the case this year. We had a good session on stage with four parliamentary

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candidates,” says Sverre Meling of Maritimt Forum.

But the maritime summer gathering was about much more than politics. There was mingling, and there was music — provided, as tradition dictates, by “Bjelland og dekksgutane”.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Two pleased hosts.

Håkon Sandvold and Per Sigurd Velde of Sandvold & Velde Supply welcomed guests together with Maritimt Forum. Photo: Motiejus Kurmis.

Delivery peak in 2025 Knutsen OAS Shipping took delivery of nine large tankers in 2025. That is more than in any previous year in the ­company’s history.

At its highest, the newbuilding programme comprised 28 vessels. Knutsen OAS Shipping has contracted newbuildings continuously since 1984, but had never before reached a total programme of 28 ships. As of early December 2025, the programme counted 16 vessels: ten LNG carriers under construction in Korea and six shuttle tankers being built in China. Jarle Østenstad heads the entire newbuilding programme.

“As the programme peaked two to three years ago, it is only natural that we are now seeing a peak in the number of vessels delivered,” says Jorunn Seglem, chair of Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers (KNOT). She is also chair of Haugesund Rederiforening.

The Knutsen Group consists of Knutsen OAS Shipping, the operating company led by CEO Synnøve Seglem; KNOT, which encompasses the group’s shuttle tanker operations; and Knutsen LNG, which operates the LNG fleet. In addition, the group is developing a new company, Knutsen NYK Carbon Carriers (KNCC), which will transport CO2 from capture sites to storage.

Jorunn and Synnøve Seglem when four large LNG carriers were christened simultaneously at Hyundai Samho in Mokpo, South Korea, in 2022.

Technology development within the group takes place among other places in Knutsen Technology.

“In total, we took delivery of eight LNG carriers and one shuttle tanker in 2025,” says Seglem.

And it doesn’t stop there. Another “delivery peak” is expected in 2026, with as many as ten vessels scheduled for handover. Every ship under construction and every vessel being delivered places significant demands on the organisation.

“Here in Haugesund alone, we have built a shipping organisation with more than 100 highly skilled employees. In a hectic and exciting everyday environment, they deliver fantastic results,” smiles Jorunn Seglem.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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A strongly maritime focus at the ambassadors’ gathering Norwegian ambassadors and consuls general chose to travel to Haugalandet in August to get closer to the business community served through Norway’s foreign service. It turned into a very maritime visit.

Haugesund’s mayor, Nils Konrad Bua, illustrated his remarks by holding up the proof that Haugesund is “Maritime Municipality of the Year.” The award was presented during Arendalsuka.

The so-called “station chiefs’ meeting” is a new initiative within the foreign service. With Innovation Norway Rogaland and NHO Rogaland as hosts, the leaders of Norway’s missions around the world selected Haugesund as one of their meeting points. After a gathering at Haugesund City Hall, where Mayor Nils Konrad Bua spoke about the town’s maritime history and its capacity for adaptation, the group visited Aibel, Haugaland Næringspark and SEAM on Karmøy.

“Maritime industry is of great importance to the foreign service. This was also the case back in 1905, when the consulate issue helped drive the dissolution of the union with Sweden,” said the ambassador to Ankara, Andreas Gaarder.

The deputy county mayor of Rogaland, Svein Erik Indbjo, presented the county with a strong emphasis on the maritime industries of Haugalandet.

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“Haugesund should be maritime municipality of the year every year,” he smiled.

He highlighted subsea cluster.

the

region’s

technology-heavy

“It’s a bit unfortunate that you don’t get the chance to visit Killingøy. What they do there is world leading.”

Remote operations and the PRSI-base are part of that success story, but independent of Killingøy the deputy mayor also pointed to forward-leaning shipowners, including the specialised offshore wind company Edda Wind.

The CEO of the Norwegian Shipowners’ Association, Knut Arild Hareide, represented the entire Norwegian shipping industry, but still paid tribute to the region he comes from.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

“There is strong regional cooperation on Haugalandet and in Sunnhordland. Just look at port development in Bømlo, my home municipality, where Karmsund Havn is making major investments,” Hareide said.

Bømlo, Haugesund, Karmøy, Tysvær, Sveio and Bokn jointly own Karmsund Havn.

offshore wind industry,” said the ambassador in Santiago, Per Anders Nilsen.

Here he may find support from the head of Norwegian Offshore Wind Cluster, Arvid Nesse, who has spent years doing the same in Norway. In his presentation of Norway’s offshore wind cluster, Nesse nevertheless admitted that the cluster’s attractiveness abroad has declined recently.

And Hareide wasn’t done with Bømlo.

“This has to do with political uncertainty,” Nesse said.

“Eidesvik Offshore received the world’s first gas-powered supply ship – and for that matter cargo ship – back in 2003,” the association’s chief noted.

He also highlighted the world’s first hydrogen ferry, MF Hydra, built at Westcon in Ølensvåg.

Otherwise, Hareide pointed out that Norway is the world’s fifth-largest shipping nation measured by fleet value.

In Chile, offshore wind is an emerging industry.

Haugesund-based Deep Wind Offshore is now established in the country.

“We have been invited by Chilean authorities to contribute as they develop a roadmap for the

The deputy county mayor of Rogaland, Svein Erik Indbjo, presented the county with a strong emphasis on the maritime sector.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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Knut Vassbotn i samtale med energiminister Terje Aasland (AP).

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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On the rooftop at Tirna.

Back row from left: Sverre Meling (Maritimt Forum), Johanne Marie Trovåg (Knutsen Group), Henning Lystad (Møkster ­Shipping), Inge Jarl Auestad (Maritim Opplæring Sørvest), Herbjørn Skumsnes (Hagland Shipping), Jan Tore Nilsen (Tirna), Pål Jacobsen (Solstad Offshore), Odd Konrad Dale (Norwegian Maritime Authority), Jone Ullenes (Rødne), Robert Drønen (HVL).

Front row from left: Ragnhild Bjerkvik (Tirna), Inger Johanne Bligaard (Tirna), Jorunn Henriksen (Østensjø Rederi), Lene Vassnes (DOF), Therese Husa (Eidesvik Offshore), Jorunn Steensnæs (HVL), Øyvind Stensen Winterhus (Fagskolen Rogaland), Liv Reidun Grimstvedt (HVL), and Stig Sunde (Training ship Gann).

SURF gathered at Tirna The Shipping Education and ­Recruitment Forum (SURF) continues to grow. Tirna is the latest organisation to join the shipowners and maritime educational institutions in ­Southwest Norway to discuss the further development of Norwegian maritime competence.

At the September meeting, Tirna – a competence provider – presented its maritime ambitions.

The group also discussed the capacity of upper secondary maritime education, as well as the reasons behind student dropout in the maritime programmes at Fagskolen Rogaland and the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL).

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The following shipowners, educational institutions and organisations are invited to SURF meetings: • Hagland Shipping • Karmsund Upper Secondary School • Eidesvik Offshore • Maritimt Forum • Solstad Offshore • Møkster Shipping • Knutsen Group • HVL • Arriva Shipping • Maritim Opplæring Sørvest • Tirna • Østensjø Rederi • Rødne • Tidewater • Norwegian Shipowners’ Association • Norwegian Maritime Authority • DOF • Edda Wind • Fagskolen Rogaland • Training ship Gann • Bømlo Upper Secondary School • Mercator Crewing

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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From Gasnor to Molgas At the Business Day in Karmøy on 28 October, the audience received a thorough introduction to Gasnor’s historical development leading up to today’s Molgas. It is a story about recognising opportunities.

STATPIPE “It came to pass that the Norwegian Parliament decided to build Statpipe. This was in 1981,” said Halvar Rommetvedt, Director of Industry at Molgas.

the ripple effects it has had to this day. Bringing the gas ashore in our region was itself a major entrepreneurial feat, especially by Tysvær municipality, but further opportunities existed beyond processing at Kårstø.

He did not explicitly mention Kårstø, but taking one step back, it must be said that Statpipe laid the foundation for the processing plant at Kårstø and all

“Rogaland Resource Centre conducted a market survey on the use of natural gas in Northern Rogaland,” Rommetvedt continued.

Bunkering in the cruise port operated by Karmsund Havn. Photo: Vestbris / Molgas

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Halvar Rommetvedt of Molgas speaking at Business Day in Karmøy. Photo: Filmrederiet.

GASNOR Some understood that simply letting the gas pass through the region in pipelines would be a wasted opportunity. Gasnor was established in 1989 with Hydro, Statoil, EON, Total, Shell, BKK and Haugaland Kraft as owners. The first step was supplying gas to Hydro Karmøy and Pronova Biopolymer.

“On 30 May 1994, King Harald opened the valve that released the gas, taken from Statpipe at Snurrevarde,” Rommetvedt said.

“Everyone wanted gas” became the mantra. As CEO from 1990 to 2008, Erik Brinkmann spearheaded this development. Husøy was expanding, and access to gas attracted new industries: Karmsund Fiskemel in 1995, BioMar in 1996, Seagarden in 2002 and Pelagia Karmsund Protein in 2018. As with Kårstø, this created wide-ranging ripple effects for port activity, shipping, logistics and tax revenues.

In January 2005, Naturgass Vest merged with Gasnor.

“Naturgass Vest had operated an LNG plant at Kollsnes since 2003, and with the merger, Gasnor became a pioneer in the LNG market as well. The reach expanded, and gas could now be used in regions without pipeline networks,” said Rommetvedt.

ment in 2001 with Knutsen OAS Shipping for the small gas tanker Pioneer Knutsen, which entered service for Gasnor in 2004. The agreement still runs today, and Knutsen is now active in the LNG bunkering market in Spain as well.

MOLGAS NORWAY Over time, Gasnor underwent ownership changes.

Shell acquired 100 percent of the company in 2012, and in 2020 Molgas Energy took full ownership. The name change from Gasnor to Molgas took place last year.

“Today we are 60 employees in Molgas Norway.

We supply natural gas from Lista to Mosjøen, with production facilities at Snurrevarde and Kollsnes.

This amounts to 2.5 TWh. Twenty tank trailers are in operation, along with two bunkering vessels, one from Bergen Tankers and one from Knutsen. We also have a total of 180 kilometres of pipeline, of which 140 kilometres are on Haugalandet and 40 on Stord,” said Rommetvedt.

He concluded by highlighting the ripple effects, in particular the industrial advantages of access to competitively priced energy, and Molgas’ role in the green transition through lower emissions when using natural gas instead of other fossil fuels, its use in producing blue energy sources such as hydrogen and ammonia, and the delivery of biogas.

Gasnor began distribution by road and sea. Locally, many remember Naturgass Vest’s charter agree-

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Father and son Sagebakken.

Like father, like son The Haugesund Conference, held during Maritime Week, is more than a ­professional arena. Yes, it is a social gathering, but it is also familial, both in the present and in the past.

“The Haugesund region has been important for developing the entire maritime industry in Norway,” said the “maritime” State Secretary in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, Even Tronstad Sagebakken, as he opened the Haugesund Conference on 2 September.

He probably did not have his father in mind when he said it, even though his father was sitting in the audience listening. Still, for those who know Terje Sagebakken, the words carried a double meaning. Through his work at Knutsen OAS Shipping, the Norwegian Maritime Authority and now Eidesvik Offshore, he has contributed over many years to strengthening Haugalandet and Sunnhordland as a maritime stronghold both nationally and internationally.

But the Sagebakkens were not the only family with ties to the Haugesund Conference and Maritime Week.

Anne Kjersti Fahlvik, Executive Director for Innovation

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in Business and Public Sector at the Research Council of Norway, also has a heart for her original hometown and for her family’s maritime roots.

“One of my ancestors, Gustav Fahlvik, helped establish Haugesund Mekaniske Verksted – now Aibel – in 1900,” she said during her presentation on the security-policy implications for the Research Council’s funding decisions.

The establishment of HMV took place just across the sound from the conference hotel, Hotell Maritim, on the east side of Risøy. Later, the yard moved to the west side, where what is today one of the city’s cornerstone companies still resides.

“In fact, Gustav Fahlvik and his family lived in the house just above the yard,” pointed out Anne Kjersti Fahlvik during one of the breaks.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

Maritime IT gathered in Haugesund “Haugesund is becoming the heart of Norway’s maritime industry,” said Anders Løvøy, Editor-in-Chief of Computerworld, as he welcomed 160 participants to Maritime World in Haugesund on 16 October.

The conference was new this year, aiming to grow to the size of Energy World in Stavanger, which draws close to 500 participants. There are plans to incorporate Maritime World into Maritime Week.

Local maritime IT players were strongly represented: Atea, Bouvet, Miles, Hatteland Technology, EMP Secure, Marlink and Aize. All are members of Maritimt Forum.

“The potential within maritime IT is huge, but many struggle to know where to begin. Digitalisation and AI are important and becoming even more critical in the future. It is all about competitiveness. This conference brings maritime companies and maritime IT suppliers closer together. That is a good thing,” says Ingrid Lindaas of Miles.

From left: Jarle Salhus Eriksen, Martin Wangen and Ingrid Lindaas, all from Miles.

Board of the Maritime Forum for ­Haugalandet and Sunnhordland in 2025 There are annual changes to the board of Maritimt Forum. At the constituting board meeting in February 2025, Runar Skarstein was re-elected as chair, with Kristine Skeie as deputy chair.

Runar Skarstein became chair for the first time in 2018. Kristine Skeie is new as deputy chair in 2025. New to the board this year is Helga Cotgrove (Eidesvik Offshore). Ragnfrid Sønstabø (Bømlo municipality / Bømlo Business Council) and Ole Martin Torkelsen (Aasen Shipping) have served as new deputy members.

THE BOARD IN 2025 IS COMPOSED AS FOLLOWS: • • • • •

Runar Skarstein – chair

Kristine Skeie – deputy chair

• • • •

Runar Skarstein - chair (SpareBank 1 Sør-Norge) Kristine Skeie (HK Shipping Group) Gunnar Amland (LO / Norwegian Seafarers' Union) Øystein Matre (Westcon) Jorunn Steensnæs (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences) Nils Konrad Bua (Haugesund municipality) Ruth Ø. Eriksen (Sveio municipality) Håkon Sandvold (Sandvold & Velde Supply) Helga Cotgrove (Eidesvik Offshore)

THE BOARD HAS HAD THREE DEPUTY MEMBERS: • Gunny Sandvik (Salt Ship Design) • Ragnfrid Sønstabø (Bømlo municipality / Bømlo ­Business Council) • Ole Martin Torkelsen (Aasen Shipping)

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At home for the first time Silex arrived in Smedasundet on Friday morning, 26 September, marking its first visit to its hometown as the powerhouse of towage, emergency response and escort services greeted Østensjø’s shore staff with pennants and flags.

“Yes, this is Silex’s first time in Smedasundet. That said, she did visit the region with a call at Karmøy earlier this summer,” said Katrine Hustvedt, Finance and Communications Coordinator at Østensjø Rederi.

Silex was built at Uzmar in Turkey based on a Robert Allan design, a designer Østensjø Rederi has relied on for many years. The vessel was christened in Amsterdam in May 2025 by the company’s Head of Competence and Recruitment, Jorunn Henriksen.

means that Den Helder in the Netherlands is our main base for these two vessels. Silex is now en route to an assignment for Shell at Nyhamna in Aukra municipality. We have a call-off agreement with them. She will depart from Haugesund on Saturday afternoon,” ­Hustvedt said during the visit in September.

Silex has a crew of five and accommodation for six. The vessel has a bollard pull of 80 tonnes and is equipped with advanced firefighting systems.

“We operate Silex together with Vivax in the spot market. Strong activity in the southern North Sea

Silex alongside outside Østensjø Rederi’s offices in the Sjøfartsbygget on Indre Kai (the inner harbour) in Haugesund.

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

2025: New board elected in Haugesund Shipowners’ Association At the annual general meeting on 20 March, Haugesund Shipowners’ Association elected a new board, with Jorunn Seglem as the new chair.

THE BOARD IS NOW COMPOSED AS FOLLOWS:

companies, both for social gatherings and to discuss current issues for the shipping industry. It is an honour to contribute to carrying this forward.”

• Jorunn Seglem (Knutsen OAS Shipping) – chair • Paal W. Aanensen (Hagland Shipping) – deputy chair • Olaf Alexander Hansen (DeepOcean) – board member • Helga Cotgrove (Eidesvik Offshore) – deputy member Sindre Matre (Arriva Shipping) served as chair until the AGM, completing a three-year term before handing the baton to Jorunn Seglem. She is the general manager of Knutsen Technology and chair of Knutsen NYK Offshore Tankers.

Seglem commented after the election: “I am grateful for the trust Haugesund Shipowners’ Association has shown me by electing me as chair, and I accept the task with great enthusiasm. The association has existed since 1910 and has always represented a dynamic and important part of the region’s business community. Today, our members report 167 vessels with a combined hull-insurance value of NOK 128.5 billion.

The newbuilding programme consists of 34 vessels with a total investment of NOK 49 billion. Our association brings together representatives from 12 member

From left: Olaf Alexander Hansen (DeepOcean), Jorunn Seglem (Knutsen OAS Shipping), Paal W. Aanensen (Hagland Shipping) and Helga Cotgrove (Eidesvik Offshore).

Photo: Haugesund Rederiforening / Grethe Nygaard.

First in the world to operate without crew Reach Remote 1 became, in 2025, the first larger vessel in the world to be certified to operate without crew on board. Reach Subsea has strong confidence in the new technology.

than vessels and robotics. Combined with our proprietary software, Reach Horizon, we deliver a compelling value proposition to customers across the ocean space," Alendal added during the quarterly presentation.

"There is a clear increase in interest for the Reach Remote concept, reflected in both a growing number of USV-related tenders and the general rise in tender volumes," said Reach Subsea CEO Jostein Alendal when presenting the third-quarter report in November.

Reach Subsea has partnerships with Kongsberg Maritime and Massterly, the latter being a collaboration between Kongsberg and Wilhelmsen, for the Reach Remote concept.

Reach Remote 1. Photo: Reach Subsea.

The company already has two remotely operated vessels in service, and Reach Subsea is determined to transform the subsea industry through robotics. With Reach Remote 1 and 2 now operating across multiple time zones, and orders placed for Reach Remote 3 and 4, the scale-up is well underway.

"Our business model is solid even with a single unit, and further fleet expansion will significantly strengthen our financial position. The Reach Remote concept is more

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Illustration photo – Employees at Marin Elektro.

Marine Elektro is growing With increasing activity along the entire coast, AS Marin Elektro continues to expand. The company has now brought in new employees with strong knowledge of the Sunnhordland region.

"We clearly notice that the market has picked up and that more people are discovering our expertise.

Even though our head office is on Karmøy, we are a company that delivers from south to north," says Helge Stava, general manager of AS Marin Elektro.

STEADY GROWTH AND SOLID RESULTS Marin Elektro has seen consistent progress in recent years, and the numbers for 2024 show that the company’s efforts are paying off. Last year, the company had a turnover of 37.1 million kroner, with a profit before tax of 4.47 million. In 2025, the company will surpass 40 million in turnover.

"We are proud of the development. It shows that we have managed to combine quality and efficiency

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in an industry where the demands are constantly increasing," says Stava.

Marin Elektro now has around 25 employees, and plans going forward focus on controlled growth.

"We are growing because our customers return to us and recommend us to others. That, combined with digital visibility, is the best marketing we can get," he adds.

MORE ASSIGNMENTS With its main base on Karmøy and projects around the world, AS Marin Elektro is used to following its customers wherever the need is greatest.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

"We deliver projects from south to north, both on vessels and onshore. Flexibility and presence are important values for us," Stava says.

The company’s newly hired employees know the Sunnhordland region well.

"It is always an advantage to have people who know both the craft and the local conditions. It makes us even better equipped to serve customers throughout the region."

Most of the growth has come within service and installation on vessels, but also within land-based projects.

"Customers want more energy-efficient solutions and a higher degree of automation. We like to stay ahead of the curve and work closely with suppliers

to offer modern and reliable systems," says Stava.

RECRUITING PROFESSIONALS WHO WANT TO GROW Even though the market offers many opportunities, finding qualified professionals remains a challenge.

"We are looking for people who are curious and who want to develop. With us, you get to work on varied tasks, both on vessels and on land, and with technology that is rapidly evolving. That keeps everyday work exciting," Stava smiles.

"It is important for us to build a team where people thrive and feel ownership of their work. I believe that is the key to both wellbeing and quality," he concludes.

Imenco Bauer 100 years What began with the establishment of Brødr. Bauer-Nilsen by the Karmsundet strait in 1925, producing lubricators and regulators for hit-and-miss engines, has today become part of an international industrial group in Grinde.

Bauer-Nilsen was a pioneering company whose technology significantly reduced oil consumption, and it quickly became an important supplier to engine manufacturers, workshops, and shipping companies. Later, Bauer-Nilsen became a pioneer within hydraulics and hydraulic products, both nationally and internationally.

To mark its 100-year anniversary in October, Imenco Bauer produced a film telling the company’s story.

The original founders were four brothers, and the company remained family-owned until 2007, when it was acquired by the Aarbakke Group. The years following the financial crisis in 2008 proved challenging, and in 2014 Imenco became the new owner.

However, that same year’s oil price collapse brought new difficulties.

Screenshot from the anniversary film telling the story behind today’s Imenco Bauer.

Chair and owner of Imenco, Geir Egil Østebøvik, during the 100-year celebration in Grinde.

"We had to scrutinize every coin and moved the company from its former leased facilities at Husøy to our current location in Grinde here in Tysvær," said owner and chair Geir Egil Østebøvik during the 100-year celebration.

"The story of ‘Bauer’ is a story of adaptation, of local craftsmanship and innovation with an outlook toward the world," says Sverre Meling of Maritimt Forum.

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She is the new maritime spokesperson for the Labour Party in Parliament Ruth Mariann Hop was elected to Parliament this autumn. First it was confirmed that she would serve on the Standing Committee on Business and Industry. Then she was ­appointed as the Labour Party’s maritime spokesperson.

“This will be exciting,” Ruth Mariann Hop said in October, adding: “After a hectic start at Parliament with a flood of new information, things are beginning to fall into place.

During the election campaign, Maritimt Forum asked me which committee I could imagine serving on, and I mentioned the Committee on Business and Industry, the Committee on Labour and Social Affairs, and the Committee on Education and Research, with the first one at the top of my list. That is what happened, and I am very pleased with the outcome.”

She is equally pleased to have been given special responsibility for maritime issues within the committee on behalf of the governing party.

“It could have been other sectors, but of the five Labour Party representatives on the committee, the choice fell on me when it came to maritime matters. Not entirely surprising, I think, given that I come from Haugalandet, where the industry is so strong.”

Ruth Mariann Hop in conversation with Sverre Meling from Maritimt Forum.

Not long after the election, Ruth Mariann Hop had already identified a case she wants to pursue.

“I understand that the maritime industry wants a new maritime strategy. This makes perfect sense in light of the current security situation and the industry’s importance within a broader national preparedness perspective. So yes, I will take the initiative within the committee and towards the government to develop a new maritime strategy. And I believe it must not become a document for the desk drawer, but one that drives forward impactful maritime policy,” says Ruth Mariann Hop.

A meeting place for the maritime cluster Maritime Forum for Haugalandet and Sunnhordland was established in 1997 and serves as an important meeting place for the maritime industry.

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We work actively to highlight and strengthen the maritime industry both regionally and nationally. Our conferences, member meetings, online meetings and newsletters help members get to know each other, develop professionally and gain useful information.

Over the years, we have built a substantial knowledge base for use in communicating information about the maritime industry and its significance regionally and nationally. We aim to be a resource for anyone seeking insight into the industry.

Alongside our efforts to showcase the industry, these meeting arenas and newsletters help strengthen the industry’s shared identity and foster increased cooperation between the actors in the cluster. This, in turn, may create new business opportunities.

Our membership consists of shipowners, shipyards, maritime suppliers, maritime service providers, public maritime institutions, schools and several municipalities in the region. The region is defined as Haugalandet and Sunnhordland.

We welcome all input on how we can improve our work.

This may include suggestions for conference content, meeting topics or cases relevant for showcasing the industry in the annual maritime report, in other ­publications or in our newsletters. Your contributions help make our work even more relevant for the region in general and for the industry in particular.

Maritime Forum for Haugalandet and Sunnhordland has sister organisations in Oslo, Grimstad, Stavanger, Bergen, Ålesund, Trondheim and Narvik.

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

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VINDAFJORD

KARMØY STORD

HAUGESUND

FITJAR

BØMLO AUSTEVOLL

Shipping companies and shipyards in the region (only members of the Maritime Forum are included)

TOTAL Turnover NOK 87,53 billion Exports NOK 42,94 billion Employment 19.577 SHIPPING COMPANIES Turnover NOK 47,43 billion Employment 9.640 OFFSHORE SHIPYARDS Turnover NOK 15,62 billion Employment 4.225 SHIPYARDS Turnover Employment

NOK 3,1 billion 835

FITJAR MUNICIPALITY

• Fitjar Mekaniske Verksted

STORD MUNICIPALITY

• Oma Baatbyggeri

VINDAFJORD MUNICIPALITY • Arriva Shipping • Westcon Yard HAUGESUND MUNICIPALITY • Aibel • Brødr. Klovning Shipping • COG Offshore • Edda Wind • Hagland Shipping • Knutsen OAS Shipping • North Sea Container Line • Østensjø Rederi KARMØY MUNICIPALITY • HK Shipping Group • KTM Shipping • Solstad Offshore

BØMLO MUNICIPALITY • Aasen Shipping • Bømlo Skipsservice • Eidesvik Offshore • Napier AUSTEVOLL MUNICIPALITY • DOF Management

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2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

ULLENSVANG

VINDAFJORD

TYSVÆR

KARMØY STORD

HAUGESUND

BØMLO

Service providers in the region (only members of the Maritime Forum are included)

TOTAL Turnover NOK 87,53 billion Exports NOK 42,94 billion Employment 19.577 SERVICE PROVIDERS Turnover NOK 10,85 billion Employment 2.848

BØMLO MUNICIPALITY • Aasen Chartering • Blue Systems • Bømlo Teknologi Invest • GAC Norway • Marine Manager • Maritime Measurement Services STORD MUNICIPALITY • BDO • Breeze Ship Design • DnB • Marlink • Salt Ship Design ULLENSVANG MUNICIPALITY • Din Omstilling

HAUGESUND MUNICIPALITY • Abyss • Advokat Sigvald Mortveit • Appex • Atea • Bennett • Bouvet • Danske Bank • DeepOcean • DNB • DNV • Elden Advokatfirma • EMP Secure • Eurojuris Haugesund • Fremje • Grinde Maritime • Harald Halvorsen • Haugaland Sjø • Haugesund Sparebank • Haver Advokatfirma • IG Offshore • International SOS • Jacobsen Marine Survey • Johs. Lothe • Kraft & Lothe Shipping • Maersk Training • Mercator Crewing • Miles • Netnordic • Norce • Personalhuset HRC Offshore

• PricewaterhouseCoopers • R.G. Hagland • Reach Subsea • Remota • Safetec • Sea-Cargo Haugesund • Simsea Real Operations • SpareBank 1 Sør-Norge • TH Stava • Tirna • Vestkai • Viewpoint TYSVÆR MUNICIPALITY • Haugaland Næringspark KARMØY MUNICIPALITY • Aize • G Travel • Inspectio • Karmøy Skipconsult • Karmøy Skipsconsult ­Management • Kommunikasjonshuset • Port Vantage • Skudenes & Aakra ­Sparebank • UniSea VINDAFJORD MUNICIPALITY • Omega Subsea

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KVINNHERAD

TYSVÆR

KARMØY SVEIO

STORD

HAUGESUND

BØMLO

Suppliers in the region (only members of the Maritime Forum are included)

TOTAL Turnover NOK 87,53 billion Exports NOK 42,94 billion Employment 19.577 EQUIPMENT SUPPLIERS Turnover NOK 10,53 billion Employment 2.029

KVINNHERAD MUNICIPALITY • Tronds Marine Service BØMLO MUNICIPALITY • LOS Gruppen • Matre Maskin • Servogear • Smart Automation • Sunnhordland Technologies • Wärtsilä Norge • Zinus STORD MUNICIPALITY • Bifrost Tug • The Switch SVEIO MUNICIPALITY • Helifuel

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HAUGESUND MUNICIPALITY • A. Olufsen Ship & Offshore • Alfred Nesset Automasjon • Brommeland Elektronikk • Deep Wind Offshore • IKM Elektrodrift • Jatec • KIS Maritime • Level Group • The Norwegian ­Competence Centre for Offshore Wind • Olaussen Metall • Presto • Saga Subsea • Sandvold & Velde Supply • Siemens Energy • Solar Norge • Source Galileo • SubseaPartner • Tess Haugesund • Tools TYSVÆR MUNICIPALITY • DP Filter • GMC • Hatteland Technology • Imenco • Kystdesign • Norwegian Offshore Rental

2026 report for the maritime industry in Haugalandet and Sunnhordland

KARMØY MUNICIPALITY • Eurosupply avd. Sjur Lothe Skipshandel • Haakonsen Marine • Karmsund Servicebase • Karmøy Winch • Lorentz Storesund & Sønner • Marin Elektro • Marine Aluminum • MarLog • Molgas Energy • Plastron • ReMek • Rental & Technology Services • SEAM • Storesund Marine • Techno-Dive • Tess Karmøy • Uptime International • Vest Kontakt • Vestervind Contractors • Vico & Co. • Viking Life-saving ­Equipment • Ydra • Åkrehamn Trålbøteri

VINDAFJORD BOKN

KARMØY SVEIO

STORD

HAUGESUND

BØMLO UTSIRA

Educational and public ­institutions in the region (only members of the Maritime Forum are included)

TOTAL Turnover NOK 87,53 billion Exports NOK 42,94 billion Employment 19.577

BØMLO MUNICIPALITY • Bømlo Municipality • Bømlo Upper Secondary School STORD MUNICIPALITY • Western Norway University of Applied Sciences SVEIO MUNICIPALITY • Sveio Municipality TYSVÆR MUNICIPALITY • Tysvær Municipality KARMØY MUNICIPALITY • Karmøy Municipality • Åkrehamn Upper ­Secondary School

HAUGESUND MUNICIPALITY • Fagskolen Rogaland • Haugesund Municipality • Haugesundskonferansen • Western Norway University of Applied Sciences • Karmsund Port • Karmsund Upper ­Secondary School • Norwegian Coastal ­Administration West • LO in Haugesund and surrounding areas • Maritime Training ­Southwest • NAV Haugesund VINDAFJORD MUNICIPALITY • Vindafjord Municipality OTHERS • Rogaland County ­Municipality

BOKN MUNICIPALITY • Bokn Municipality UTSIRA MUNICIPALITY • Utsira Municipality

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CARBON14

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