Nor-Shipping 2019: Area for Ocean Solutions
From 4 to 7 June 2019, Nor-Shipping is taking place across a series of venues in Oslo and Lillestrøm. This exhibition and event programme attracts close to 1,000 exhibiting companies and around 35,000 visiting delegates from 75 different nations annually.
In Norges Varemesse’s 21,000 square metresof exhibition halls in Lillestrøm, approximately 1000 exhibiting companies will be showcasing their latest products, services and innovations; building relationships, creating awareness and, most importantly, doing business.
Re-modelling
This year, Nor-Shipping has re-modelled itself to help its traditional maritime audience take advantage of the growing opportunities within the fast-growing ocean industries, emerging as the ‘arena for ocean solutions’.
In this arena, the six themed halls help visitors to navigate efficiently and access the exhibitors that best suit their individual business needs. Hall A focuses on the blue economy and ‘tomorrow’s business solutions today’; IT & Navigation can be found in Hall B; Safety & Rescue in Hall C; Shipbuilding & Repair in Hall D; Maritime Services & Logistics in Hall E and Propulsion & Machinery in Hall F. In addition, national pavilions provide portals to the expertise on offer from countries around the world.
New Opportunities
With the re-marketing as the arena for ocean solutions, Nor-Shipping’s new Director, Per Martin Tanggaard, is plotting a path forward for an industry and an exhibition that, he believes, can access new opportunities by playing to traditional strengths.
“Shipping will remain at the heart of Nor-Shipping, you can see that in our name”, says Mr Tanggaard. “Showcasing and supporting the maritime industry is what we exist for. And the best way to do that, we believe, is by embracing new ocean opportunities.”
The potential this will open up for both exhibitors and visitors, is, according to Mr Tanggaard, immense. He continues, “No one needs me to tell them that shipping, and its traditional cyclical nature, has changed over the past decade or so. The only thing we seem able to predict is its unpredictability, and that clearly isn’t a reassuring platform for growth. But here, with ocean activities, we have very clear positive indicators and that provides a huge opportunity for maritime.”
Partnerships
Mr Tanggaard plans to use Nor-Shipping not only as an arena for bringing together industries, but also as a way to bring in new regional organisations, businesses and partnerships, with activities spread across new venues. These small changes will attract new audiences and access fresh business opportunities.
“Maritime is the foundation for building success in the ocean environment”, he says, “so as ocean industries grow, maritime players that are open to new opportunities can grow in tandem with them. This is in no way a threat to our industry. It is simply a compelling prospect for a new wave of development.” He continues: “Maritime can benefit enormously from working closer with industries where we can adopt new skills, understanding and innovation – whether that be the tech sector, logistics, manufacturing or financial services. We want Nor-Shipping to be the arena where all these parties can meet, access one another’s talents and build better businesses.”
Young Talents
Nor-Shipping will not only provide an opportunity for today’s industry leaders to get together, but will also be showcasing the very latest innovations from young talents. Mr Tangaard adds, “The industry wants to connect with young talent, promote opportunities and raise the profile of maritime as an attractive sector for personal development, competence-building and successful careers.”
He continues, “We are responding to that with the Blue Economy hall and the launch of the Ocean Now Festival, which will showcase new ideas, innovations and career opportunities in downtown Oslo. Furthermore, we have entered into a partnership agreement with SeaFocus to hold the finals of its established Intelligence Hunt initiative in Nor-Shipping’s exhibition hall B. This initiative, which sees international students presenting new solutions to business challenges, will be an important networking opportunity and showcasing platform for both students and industry players alike.”
Sustainability
Mr Tangaard is also committed to Nor-Shipping’s on-going focus on sustainability. Sustainability for him means more than just the environment; it also encompasses commercial sustainability and the benefits that commerce provides for people worldwide, including education, employment and increased prosperity.
“Sustainability is one of our strategic pillars and we tailor all our activity with the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals front-of-mind. As maritime and the ocean industries embrace one another and activity blossoms, it’s crucial that we safeguard our environment, people and standards. For long-term success, we have to build on solid foundations. We hope to play an important part in that process.”
Connecting People
“The shipping industry is being redefined by digitalisation”, Mr Tanggaard states. “Connected, smarter ships and businesses are utilising data in ways that are only restricted by our imaginations, while the way we communicate, consume information and go about our day-to-day duties has been transformed. Not over the past decade, but over the past few years.”
“But”, he continues, “we can’t build competence, relationships, innovations, profit and sustainability in isolation. We have to work together to fully realise this industry’s potential. And the best way to do that isn’t via the internet; it’s with a handshake, a smile and the chance to fully understand one another’s capabilities.”
Nor-Shipping is the place where the maritime, tech, finance and wider business segments cross paths to learn from one another, forge partnerships, discover talent and technology, and access new economic value creation. “There is still no better way to connect than this”, states Mr Tanggaard. “This – here and now, face-to-face.”
Read the article also in our latest issue of ShipBuilding Industry on page 10: